Greek pro wrestling is back and they’re just warming up
ZMAK Wrestling successfully returned to action in late July after almost an entire year of inactivity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We caught up with the front office of the only active Greek wrestling promotion at present time to get a little bit of insight into the promotion, their past, their return event and what they have planned for the future.
Current ZMAK and ZMAK International Champion, Michelangelo
ZMAK was established in 2016, becoming the first Greek pro wrestling company “in decades” according to ZMAK’s front office. The company has established a very dedicated fan base in their five short years in existence, consistently selling out their home arena, including for their return show “We Are Back” on July 24th. The company boasts that those monthly sell outs will consist of audiences of 200 people while super cards can see crowds of up to 500+. The company has even begun to offer season tickets to their most dedicated fans.
ZMAK is currently headed up by Greek-Texan businessman Kriss Ka$$. Ka$$, an interesting figure that is seldom seen without a cowboy hat on his head, claims to be an adviser to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and a business partner of Donald Trump. Up until We Are Back, Ka$$ was protected in ZMAK by a stable of supporters but that all changed in July when he was jumped and left laying in the ring by his former crew.
ZMAK President Kriss Ka$$
We Are Back also saw a title change hands as Achilleas Sabbath was able to defeat Gedeon for the ZMAK Greek Championship, and in the process became what the company is calling its “most hard rock champion ever.” Both Achilleas and Gedeon are Greek wrestlers, as is the main core of ZMAK’s roster. ZMAK shared with WrestleMap that their roster consists of fifty wrestlers with the majority being Greek. Visiting wrestlers from the UK, Italy, Israel and the USA among others have also competed in ZMAK in the past and have even captured ZMAK titles and defended them in their home titles. Foreign ZMAK champions have included the UK’s Killian Jacobs who held ZMAK’s top title for 56 days in 2019 and defended it successfully in the UK against current PROGRESS Wrestling Champion Cara Noir, Italy’s Karim Brigante who was a former ZMAK International Champion and Italy’s Miss Monica who was a former ZMAK Women’s Champion. ZMAK has also sent Greek wrestlers out of the country to compete.
New Greek Champion, Achilleas Sabbath
Despite a title change and a return to action for the first time in nearly a year, ZMAK has indicated to WrestleMap that We Are Back was just a warmup show. The company is looking forward to their September 25th show, ZMAKDOME 36, that will take place from the company’s beautiful home arena. After the 25th, ZMAK has its sights set on even bigger things.
A fan’s perspective of the ring and ZMAK’s home arena
The company is ready to return to monthly shows, with ZMAKDOME 36 being the one to kick that effort off. What should fans expect from those monthly shows? According to Kriss Ka$$, “big title matches, . . . maybe some surprise international guests, investing heavily in the quality of the product both in-ring and entertainment wise[,] always with a big production behind it.”
Production wise, there is no doubt that ZMAK is investing heavily. Every photo or video that is released by the company looks unique, professional and just really cool overall, helping to create an atmosphere that is original to ZMAK.
But the future plans don’t just stop with returning to monthly shows. The Greek company has expansion on the mind, both physically and through media. ZMAK has shared with WrestleMap that they would like to move into a bigger venue. A new, bigger venue would allow the company to bring in “more fans and wrestlers into the Greek [w]restling scene.” It will also allow the company to move toward television production, which is a future step the company is hoping to take.
With their future expansion plans in mind, ZMAK is a promotion you should keep an eye out for. Currently, you can watch all of their previous events on their YouTube channel. You can also check out their website or give them a follow on Facebook and Instagram.
