‘Magic’ Mark Tui aims to impress ahead of 'Cold War' debut

The spotlight will be on Māngere this Friday for a one-night wrestling tournament featuring Pasifika talent.

Sāmoan wrestler Mark Tui, known as ‘Magic’ Mark, shares his dual responsibility of competing and inspiring his children ahead of Friday's Cold War debut.

Tui decided to use wrestling as a way to inspire others, motivated by the representation of Pasifika wrestlers globally, which sparked a necessary career change for him.

“For me now, the most important thing for me is to be more of a role model for my kids, and to show them that no matter what you do in life, as long as you give it your all and believe in it, anything’s possible.

“I used to work behind a desk, and I just thought I was meant for more than this, so I took a risk and here I am.”

Growing up watching The Rock greatly influenced him. He was also inspired by wrestlers like Roman Reigns and the Anoa’i and Fatu families, who represent not only Sāmoa but the entire Pacific community.

Tui will be one of several Pasifika athletes competing, and he promises fans a distinct Pasifika flair from the wrestlers.

Māngere, a booming Polynesian suburb, will host the first-ever champions of this event, and Tui believes it gives him an advantage over his opponents.

“With Pasifika in particular, we have a lot of charisma, and that’s always been in our blood. So obviously you’ll definitely see the sporting aspect of it, but you’ll also be very entertained.

“Especially in Mangere, it’s pretty much home of Pasifika. So there’s definitely going to be a lot of poly faces there, which is a really good thing for us because that’s what we feed off, the energy and hype,” he says.

He will compete alongside his tag-team partner Richard Mulu, ring name ‘Pretty’ Richie. Together, they form the duo called the ‘Pretty Boys’, and their long-standing partnership is expected to set the tone for Friday’s event.

The event is organised by Tui’s training facility, Fale Dojo, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Oceania brand, NJPW TAMASHII. It will feature talent from six countries and marks a new era in New Zealand’s rich wrestling history.

Based in South Auckland, Fale Dojo was established in 2016 in Otahuhu by Bad Luck Fale, known as Bullet Club’s ‘Underboss’. They now focus on developing professional wrestling through NJPW in the Southern Hemisphere.

Richard Mulu (Front) and Mark Tui (Back) Photo/Supplied