It's a sport of big muscles, big egos, and even bigger rivalries. But in north Queensland, women are entering the male-dominated sport of professional wrestling. They're on a mission to combat stereotypes about females in the sport, all while kicking their opponents to the curb.
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00:00There's no shortage of action in the high adrenaline world of professional wrestling.
00:08You've got excitement, adrenaline, scared.
00:12At 44 years old, Wendy Hagen is a late bloomer in the performance-based sport, stepping into
00:19the ring for the first time less than two years ago.
00:22Now she performs for hundreds of fans in North Queensland.
00:26The most beautiful thing is seeing the little girls come up and give a hug and going, oh
00:30I want to get into the ring with you guys.
00:32But growing up, attitudes towards women were completely different.
00:36Very sexualised, like you know, the women were coming out as like, you know, the arm
00:40pieces or the eye candy.
00:42Women are now treated as athletes, they have their own storylines, they have their own
00:48progression.
00:49For the first time, two women have become regular performers with the Queensland Wrestling
00:53Alliance, the largest promoter in the states north.
00:57There's more women coming into wrestling, and more women getting involved, and more
01:00women becoming fans.
01:02The club's youngest wrestler began training aged 16.
01:05I was the only woman here, it was quite daunting, and then you get to know everyone, everyone's
01:10like a big family.
01:11The club offers monthly training sessions where anyone can come along and give the sport
01:16a try.
01:17But you'll need more than muscle if you want to reach the professional leagues.
01:24Even if you're not a strong person or anything, if you're good on the mic, you can always
01:29find something to do.
01:30I was always a theatre kid, loved my drama and my acting.
01:34While the goal is to crush competitors, they're hoping their example may inspire the next
01:39generation.
01:40Give it a go, you won't regret it.