When it comes to wrestling in the large global companies, there’s always been a clear split between the men and women when it came to in ring action. I don’t mean in terms of quality – it would be far beyond me to say one was superior to the other – but when it comes to how these companies approach booking the sport, it is very rare to see men and women share the ring in a combative sense.
We’re all familiar with the concept of mixed tag matches and the such, but when it comes to the big companies (especially in western wrestling), that is often as close as we’ve gotten to see men and women compete against each other in this sport. In my opinion, this begs an obvious question – why?
“Should men and women be able to wrestle each other?” is not a new topic of debate. The subject has been bought up time and time again, especially as indie wrestling promotions have begun to be less shy about booking men and women in the same matches. Places such as GCW and PWR have been some of the leading indie promotions in terms of booking men and women in the same matches, and actually treating them as all wrestlers should be (which is purely as athletes, regardless of gender). Despite this, from an industry wide perspective, there is still a whole lot of pushback against booking men and women against each other in the ring. I wanted to get into the nitty gritty of why this perspective is still so widely accepted in professional wrestling.
Someone who has very vocal about this movement is Australian professional wrestler Charli Evans. On more than one occasion, she has been extremely outspoken in regards to how ‘intergender’ wrestling is treated in the community and the amount of pushback it still receives. I had the opportunity to be able to discuss her views on the topic, and will be breaking down that conversation in the following portion of the article.
For the sake of ease to follow the dicussion below, both Charli and I use the term ‘intergender wrestling’ as part of our discussion. However, as highlighted by the title of this piece (and Evans has previously expanded on in social media discussions), even this term is something we deem unnecessary. Why should a label be put on a match, just because there is people of different genders participating? It’s just another way to pushback on the movement.
The first thing I wanted to address with Charli is one of the most glaring questions when it comes to breaking the mould in an industry as niche as wrestling – how has it affected her gaining bookings? It’s no secret that wrestling has long been considered a “boys club”, and its only within the past 10-15 years that women in wrestling have truly been taken seriously in the westernised industry.
Q: You are someone who has been very vocal about this topic – is it something that’s caused pushback against you in the industry?
“I’m sure it has cost me bookings at certain places that are still run by weak close minded people, but those promotions aren’t bookings that I am interested in.
Although it’s disheatening to hear that being progessive in the business is something that may have caused lost opportunity, I commend Evans on her attitude here. After all, if you have a vision for what values you want your workplace(s) to have, why would you care about a lost opportunity from someone closed minded?
Something I wanted to know about Evans is what drives her to make changes in a business such as wrestling. It’s one thing knowing that someone is breaking through glass ceilings, but it’s another to know what their motivation for it is.”
What inspired you to work towards changing the overall perception of “intergender” wrestling? Has this been a goal of yours since you started in the business?
“I have always been involved in male dominated industries and I am a very strong, outspoken and passionate woman. I have skateboarded since I was very young and was one of the very few girls at the time. I would compete against anyone so making the move to wrestling I see a lot of parallels.
I was trained by arguably one of the best wrestlers in the world, Madison Eagles, that happens to be a woman. From the moment I started at PWA equality was not an option, it is an expectation. I am so incredibly lucky to have been trained by her and in an environment that cares and produces the best wrestlers in the country regardless of gender.”
Having been involved in the scenes she has and coming up through an institution like PWA that puts equality at the forefront, Charli’s drive makes all the sense in the world.
I wanted to get Charli’s opinion on why this industry has such a pushback against ‘intergender’ wrestling – it’s not like trying to destigmatise booking men and women in the same matches is a new concept. In fact, it is something we’re seeing popping up more and more in western indie companies, depsite the big two still seeming to shy away from it.
Why do you think there is such a stigma around this style of wrestling, despite notable women in the industry trying to break down the barrier for decades?
“I feel like people forget this is a predetermined, consensual performance. There is internalised misogyny ingrained into people and they are offended by strong, powerful women. This isn’t a real fight, this is story telling, this is performance art, this is cinema. We are telling a story of good vs evil, fast vs strong, and they seem to have no problem with it when it’s a 150kg 6 foot 1 man vs a 65kg 5 foot 4 man, so I do not understand why there is an issue when a woman takes the second role. We have all trained the exact same way. We have planned this whole match backstage before the show.”
Evans is absolutely correct in her assessment here – wrestling is performance art at its very core. There isn’t a perfect comparison here, but men have played women’s roles (and vice versa) in theatre for centuries now – when a performance is ‘scripted’, why is there so much pushback for who is playing the roles? Anyone that engages with the industry knows that going into a show, the key parts are scripted. Of course, seasoned wrestler’s may take the approach of ‘calling it in the ring’, but the broad strokes of the performance remain the same. It’s still a predetermined outcome.
“This isn’t a man beating a woman, this isn’t promoting violence against women, this isn’t domestic violence and I hate that people use that term to describe “intergender” – it completely ignores queer relationships. There is good and bad wrestling everywhere and as for any match, any style, any story if it’s done right, it’s fucking great.”
I think this point is an important one to highlight – too many people are fast to put a bad label on intergender wrestling. Not only is it inherently false (as Charli pointed out in the first part of her answer here, it is a consenual performance), it also demeans true domestic violence and exaberates the existing stigma. The women who engage in any type of professional wrestling are trained professionals. There is risk of being legitamitely hurt in ANY wrestling match – it’s seen an unfortunate amount already in the business.
Its also important to address the fact that Evans highlights how this harmful label ignores queer relationships. She is once again absolutely correct to bring this up; the past few years have seen an increasing number of openly LGBTQ+ individuals within the wrestling business. Talking down ‘intergender’ wrestling and labelling it is as domestic violence is not only harmful to those who partake (and the progression of the industry as a whole), it is also extremely closed minded. I think this plays a huge role in why it is so important to educate people with the stigmatised mindset, as the views they hold are more harmful and deeprooted in stereotypes then they may even realise.
Off the back of this, I wanted to get Charli’s thoughts on the future of wrestling when it comes to how this genre of the sport is treated.
Do you think the industry as a whole can work towards breaking down the stigma?
“Absolutely, there is so many people leading the way and breaking down barriers. I am excited to see where this goes! We are missing out on so many amazing prospective opportunities and matches if we don’t move forward! If you don’t like it, fine, don’t watch it. That goes for anything, lucha, deathmatch, high flying, if you don’t like it, you simply don’t watch it.”
That last line is the key here. Wrestling is such a vast business, and truly is one of the only sports in the world where there is something for everyone. Whatever your preference, no matter how niche, you’ll be able to find a company that caters to that. Men and women being booked together on equal footing should be no different.
To round out the conversation, I just had to ask this next question.
Given the opportunity for a showcase “intergender” match on a large stage, who would be your dream opponent?
“EDDIE FUCKING KINGSTON.”
I must say, if there was ever a match I’d want to be in the building for, it’d be this one.
I want to reiterate the importance of breaking down barriers for women’s wrestling, and just how crucial it is for the future of the sport to percieve men and women on the same level. When all the talent are trained the same way, what is stopping them from being booked the same way? Outdated views and the pushback of old fashioned individuals in positions of power?
It truly is a time of change in professional wrestling, we’re witnessing history being made on quite the regular basis. This is the movement to invest in right now, if you ask me. Women are changing the sporting world, and it’s time to get behind them in our little bubble of it. Wrestling is wrestling, gender be damned. I want to see the best of the best in the ring together, and outdated preconceptions are preventing us from witnessing some of the most interesting match-ups in the industry today.
Finally, I just wanted to extend my thanks to Charli Evans; not only for her contributions for this piece, but also for her determination and drive towards bettering the business and moving towards a new future. If you’re not familiar with her work yet, now is the time to do so, because she’s already broken through so many ceilings and will continue to do so. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
