Charity Wrestling Night A Smash Hit - Emma Butler Memorial Show

Pro wrestling set Cowra a light once again for the 2025 Emma Butler Memorial Wrestling Show, with a sold out crowd at the Cowra Uniting Church being entertained while raising much needed funds to aid early tongue cancer detection.

The event has become an annual staple in Cowra since it first ran in 2022, and is run in honour of Emma Butler, who tragically lost her life to the illness.

Her partner, James “High Octane” Lanham, is the man behind the event, and, with the support of ICW Central West and many locak sponsors, brings other pro wrestlers to town to entertain the crowd and put on a great night full of hits, thuds, characters and laughs.

Among the wrestlers this year were Birdman Phil Picasso, Rex, Arama, Barry Blake, Adrian Axton and Super Crimson Mask as well as new additions such as Apex Anderson, Taras Jones and Wolfman! 7 matches were held throughout a near three-hour event.

Mr Lanham was was “over the moon” with the event, and incredibly thankful to the Cowra community, travelling fan base as well as talent and crew.

“The support my hometown gives not just me but this whole cause, both in terms of helping oral cancer patients and raising community spirit, is overwhelming in the best possible way, and the same can be said for those working on the shows, as well as an increasing number of fans from away travelling to attend these events!”, he said.

“I shake my head in disbelief at the support and positivity my ICW Central West events are getting, especially since they’ve become memorial shows for Emma and to help her namesake charity.”

“It was announced by Emma’s mother Alexandra and brother Michael at the end of the show that they’ve be informed that at least 3 lives have been saved as a direct result of the early detection scopes purchased by funds raised from these events.”

The event will return to the refurbished and larger capacity Cowra Civic Centre on Saturday October 31st 2026, with Cowra’s Fight 4 Emma, a slight rebranding of The Emma Butler Memorial Wrestling Shows.

“Club Cowra has really stepped up with two community grants thus far, which along with in kind assistance from them and the generosity of Cowra Community Enterprise as well as Civic Centre Manager Jarrad Sheils, his assistant Racheal Walker and Cowra Council, have allowed us to return to the Civic Centre,” Mr Lanham said.

Tickets are already selling now for next year’s show, with the being available on ICW Central West social media, on the Cowra Civic Centre website and on the Cowra’s Fight 4 Emma 2026 posters and flyers around town. Tickets are also available from the Cowra Civic Centre box office. You can donate to Emma’s Tongue Cancer Charity at: https://emmascancercharity.org.au/ Ticket link for 2026:
https://cowra.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/153863

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