This is a Pro-Wrestling Post
All the DRAMA in pro-wrestling this past week reminded me of my own past in that sordid world…and the fact that I’ve never told you guys about it. Yep, somewhere between appearing in Kevin Smith’s Daredevil and ending up here, writing my own books, I took a little break to work in wrestling. It’s been a weird life.
I started out as an in-ring performer when I was about 18, on the local independent circuits in NJ, PA, and CT. I was never a wrestler—there wasn’t room for many women to wrestle at that time. I was a valet, like a manager—think Miss Elizabeth, with fewer clothes.
Now, I’m not here to sugarcoat anything. Wrestling is a completely toxic business, and was even moreso back then. Whatever you’ve seen on Darkside of the Ring, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. BUT…But. There is something amazing about being able to craft your own character, perform it in front of crowds, and get immediate feedback. The process of making a comic book takes months, sometimes even years. When I write something, I have to wait for other people to edit, draw, color, letter and publish it. With wrestling, it was my ideas, unfiltered, in the moment.
But obviously those ideas were limited because of my role and, frankly, my gender. I was the eye candy. A few people saw my potential, but most people just saw my butt.
And that’s why I decided to start my own promotion.
Back in 2002, women’s wrestling in the States was very limited and very sexual. WWE was still doing bra-and-panty matches. (You may not even know what that is if you’re a young’n because that would NEVER happen today.) I wanted to produce women’s wrestling that was serious and athletic. Women’s promotions like that only existed in Japan, and there were American fans who would follow those companies religious. So to brand my company as serious like the Japanese feds, I called it Kiryoku Pro (maybe potentially problematic today?) and booked the best women working at the time.
Honestly, it wasn’t that big a hit in America, but we did get some great press in Japan!
Anyway, this is just….a small bit of my wrestling story. There is a graphic novel in the works that I can’t say much more about now (but stay subscribed and you’ll get the updates!) It was absolutely an interesting time in my life but holy moley am I glad I got out of there.
And don’t worry, we’ve got more Sirens coming for you on Friday.