In May 1959, at the age 26 with weights 16 stone 6 lbs, he turned professional and made his debut with two bouts against the Australian, Ricky Wallace, wrestling a draw with him at Hāwera on 30 May and defeated him on Queen's Birthday weekend in Auckland.
Afterwards, he met the team which visited New Zealand, led by Jack Bence (United States), André Drapp (France), Braka Cortez (Brazil) and several others.
On 3 October 1959, he defeated Lofty Binnie and won the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship.
When the 1960 wrestling season opened in New Zealand, he challenged all the overseas visiting wrestlers: Lou Newman (United States), Herby Freeman (New York), Seymour Koenig (New York) and Ken Kenneth, a New Zealander who had returned from six years of campaigning in the United States.
In 1961, Meretana left his native land for Honolulu under contract to promoter, Al Karasick, and then spent two years in the United States.