Whoop-Up Days adds wrestling to the fun

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on July 27, 2023.

Herald file photo Whoop-Up Days is set to feature southern Alberta's Pure Power Wrestling for the first time this August.

Whoop-Up Days will have a new addition as far as entertainment goes this year.

The Lethbridge and District Exhibition recently announced that southern Alberta’s Pure Power Wrestling will be coming to Whoop-Up Days for the first time on Aug. 25 to host PPW Hot Summer Night.

“We are incredibly excited,” said Sydney Steele, a former PPW heavy weight champion.

“This is something that from day one at Pure Power Wrestling, all of us have wanted to do to get involved with Whoop-Up Days. We’ve been working real hard over the last 12 years to kind of carry on and be that spiritual successor to Stampede Wrestling. So being able to be part of such a major celebration here in Lethbridge is I mean something that we’ve all wanted to do since the beginning.”

Steele said it’s an opportunity like no other to get more eyeballs on Pure Power Wrestling and to be involved in the community.

“Being involved in the community is incredibly important to us,” said Steele.

“We don’t want to just be an organization that’s bringing entertainment events, whether monthly or on an ongoing basis into Lethbridge. We want to actually be involved and be a part of the community.”

The card will see a PPW Heavyweight title on the line as reigning champion “Cougar Meat” Kyle Sebastian will wrestle against friend and mentor “Mr. Beefy Goodness” Vance Nevada.

“Vance Nevada was Kyle Sebastian’s mentor at the very beginning of his career. He’ll be wrapping up is 30-year pro wrestling career at the end of 2023. And he is fighting to win his 50th championship in professional wrestling and wants to go out on top, beating Kyle Sebastian for the PPW heavyweight title.”

PPW will provide hard hitting action.

“It’s in your face, it’s high flying but it’s also 100 per cent family friendly,” said Steele.

“All of our shows are all ages events. We provide entertainment from one to 99, and everywhere in between, and you know it’s bring your kids, bring your grandparents, bring everybody. It’s live entertainment like absolutely no other.”

Steele says this brings widely different entertainment to Whoop-Up Days.

“Traditionally, it’s been musical acts,” said Steele.

“Last year they brought in the pro rodeo for the first time. This is an opportunity to kind of reach back in time a little bit to some of that old school professional wrestling like you used to get at the Calgary Stampede and bring that into Whoop-Up Days.”

Wrestlers are coming from all over Canada and possibly internationally.

“I’m excited that PPW has chosen the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre for one of its biggest events of the year, and for the energy it will bring to Whoop-Up Days,” says Mike Warkentin, Lethbridge & District Exhibition CEO. “We want to make sure Whoop-Up Days has something for everyone, and with the history our organization has with pro wrestling, this is a natural fit. I’m going to tell our staff to hide our new chairs, tables, and ladders, but you never know what’s going to happen once the PPW athletes hit the ring!”

Hot Summer Night is on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are now on sale at http://www.purepowerwrestling.ca.

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