Interview with business owner Joe Cabray ahead of the wrestling event in Wexford

We sit down with Joe Cabray, the former WWE wrestler who founded Ireland’s biggest wrestling promotion, about Over the Top Wrestling’s upcoming Spiegeltent show…

The 2025 Wexford Spiegeltent Festival is now session, with ‘The Sharon Shannon Big Band’ opening the festivities on Thursday night. The annual festival, held alongside the world-renowned Wexford Festival Opera, is a highly anticipated event that sees patrons flock to Wexford’s quay front for an exciting night of entertainment.

The Wexford Spiegeltent Festival, which is run by Lantern, has played host to big names over the years including Jools Holland, Robert Plant and the late Sinéad O’Connor. This year’s musical lineup includes Bell X1, The Coronas, Lyra, Paul Brady, Lisa Hannigan, Mick Flannery, Susan O’Neill, Qween, the Dublin Gospel Choir, Ruben Buggy and the Wexford Male Voice Choir.

But the Wexford Spiegeltent Festival is not all about music. It’s also known for embracing other forms of entertainment like theatre, stand-up comedy and even professional wrestling.

On Monday October 27^th, the Wexford Spiegeltent Festival will be hosting the team from Over the Top Wrestling, Ireland’s biggest independent wrestling promotion, for an afternoon of slams, manoeuvres and larger than life characters.

Over the last decade, Over the Top Wrestling has made a name for itself as the premier independent promotion in Ireland, boasting the crème de le crème of Irish talent. It was founded by Joe Cabray, an Irish wrestler who made it to the big leagues, only to have his career to take a sharp turn.

Cabray honed his craft for years, eventually getting the opportunity of a lifetime – to sign with the biggest professional wrestling company in the world, World Wrestling Entertainment. He wrestled under the name Luther Ward for WWE’s NXT brand before unfortunately having his wrestling career shelved by a serious injury.

“It was something I worked very hard to get to. I got a really bad injury and was unable to carry on. I came back and set up an Irish wrestling scene here which I’m pretty proud of as well.”

Returning home from Florida with a new plan, Cabray founded Over the Top Wrestling. Out of the ashes of his pro wrestling career came a new calling – the promoter of what would become Ireland’s biggest independent wrestling promotion. Cabray claims he was inspired by the untapped potential in Ireland’s wrestling scene.

“I knew that we had so many great Irish talents here and they weren’t being showcased properly. A lot of Irish wrestling fans didn’t have a place to go and see really good wrestling.”

“I think the scene here is amazing. You have to remember that an independent wrestling scene in Ireland has only been around for the past fifteen years. England and Germany have a much greater history. But if you look at the talent produced here – Finn Bálor, JD McDonagh, Becky Lynch, Lyra (Valkyria), Sheamus of course. These are the cornerstones of WWE and they’re all Irish talents. If you look at WWE at the moment, it would be a very different landscape if the Irish weren’t there.”

Seven-time world champion Becky Lynch, who was born in Limerick and raised in Dublin, is one of the biggest stars in WWE.

In the United States, pro-wrestling is a massive phenomenon with WWE’s flagship event, WresteMania, sometimes drawing more live attendees than the Super Bowl. It’s also hugely popular in places like Mexico and Japan, which have their own wrestling scenes with a rich cultural tradition.

Dublin-born Sheamus was the first Irish world champion in WWE history.

In Ireland, the wrestling scene is relatively new but fast growing. OTT Wrestling shows are regularly packed with enthusiastic fans of all ages who enjoy the unique brand of entertainment on offer. Of course, pro-wrestling is not without its critics. Due to its scripted nature and performative elements, wrestling has historically been stigmatized as being ‘fake fighting’. Cabray sets the record straight.

“I think you have to accept it for what it is. It’s entertainment. For many years, people struggled with the idea that it’s predetermined but it’s entertainment. Some people might love the athleticism of what we do, some people might like the comedy element, some people might like the larger-than-life characters. There’s something there for everybody.“

“It’s an art form and should be enjoyed as such. It shouldn’t be taken too seriously. People come through the door for two odd hours to be entertained. It can be enjoyed by everybody. Young, old, families. It probably doesn’t get the recognition it deserves,” he told Wexford Weekly.

Some love it, some hate it, but few would deny that it is unique. With its blend of athleticism, humour and dramatic performances, pro-wrestling can be thought of as a live stunt show mixed with theatre. Being a wrestler requires a unique skill set of acting ability combined with athletic prowess. The crowd also plays a huge role in a show, as anyone who has ever seen a wrestling event can tell you. Luckily, the performers at OTT don’t have to worry about that when it comes to the Spiegeltent.

“The Spiegeltent is an amazing little venue. Because it’s so compact, it keeps the energy in. The fans in Wexford are the best as well. I have to say it’s one of our team’s favourite venues of the year. It’s one of the highlights on our calendar. Brian (Byrne) from the Spiegeltent has always looked after us. We’re really appreciative of that.”