His son Tony, who lived with his father on the Gold Coast since Rickard shifted over there in 2010 after the passing of his wife Lorraine, said he died last night.
Rickard, who was born Sydney Mervin Batt, was a professional wrestler who went on to become a trainer, promotor and a television celebrity.
He fought bouts around the world, taking on high profile wrestlers such as King Kong and Andre the Giant, and at various stages held the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) New Zealand, Australasian, and Commonwealth titles.
He was best known to New Zealanders for On the Mat, a television series he created and presented that ran on local screens from 1975 to 1984.
The popular show featured Kiwi and international wrestlers facing off against each other. Rickard was able to regularly draw top-level talent to the programme, including stars from America's WWF.
Rickard served as the NWA president during the 1990s and also worked in the hotel business.
NZH
