bITS 'N CHUNKS
Back with wrestling clickbait again, because that’s the type of month it is.
This quarter got a little weird. I lost my permanent job and, after a brief stay-to-vacation, I gained another job however temporary. It put into perspective how long I’ve held off on actually banking on my own skills, doing work that makes me happy, being paid, and so on. If you think I was depressed, you’re only half right and probably not even about that, because I had so much to look forward to that past!me was on the hunt for. Way to go, past!me. I went to Southern Underground Pro, and now with whiplash speed I’m back at the illustrious and not-very-well-labeled Sport Arena at the Nashville Fairgrounds for the Making Towns Classic. Two rounds of competitive, combative women-centric independent wrestling and a very long, very hot day drenched in honeysuckle, sweat, face paint, and blood. I told you how important women’s wrestling is right now, but let’s see if we put our money where our mouths are.
I read a fantastic write up here the other day that I think perfectly captures the nature of the action and why this event exists, but let me tell you more. Conversations about sexism are usually a little contentious and I definitely understand why no one (including women) wants to engage in them all the time. They’re exhausting. But we’re also supposed to be celebrating right now, right? Right, let’s do that.
This show as a lot of fun and introduced me to so many new faces. I knew Su Yung, Hudson Envy, Penelope Ford, and Jordynne Grace coming in. Everyone else was completely brand new or rarely seen. I was happy to see diversity of styles (from strong style to ground ‘n pound) and in appearance/presentation. For such an event, it was great to see the ladies allowed to be themselves and not have to conform to something gross like the dreaded male gaze. If they didn’t want to, that is. I mean, we did have the delightful Faye Jackson there. So, it was a 16 woman tournament with no set up, right? If you think we can’t have drama and intrigue during a tournament setting, I suggest you try again. There was a great mini-storyline with Su Yung, Harlow O’Hara, and Allie Kat’s shenanigans. Hudson brought her duly noted distaste for former partner Su Yung to the floor and we got a vicious three way in the middle of Hudson’s match with Penelope Ford. Nina Monet and Savanna Stone weren’t thrilled about their loses in the first round and came back to gang up with a vengeance – and Su Yung of all people coming in for the save. A random tag-team match in the middle of a tournament? Yes please. All in all, it was a fantastic time. But let’s talk about optics for a minute because all the hot takes you’re about to see are by and large by dudes. They’re going to tell you how we’re going to eradicate the barriers to women’s wrestling until it’s simply “wrestling” but I think that’s a mistake. Erasure does nothing but promote the idea that attaching marginalized groups to something still makes it lesser than. And, preaching to the choir does me no good to be honest. I’m not ready to pat anyone on the back until I see the audience a little more integrated with – duh – a few more women and femmes. That may come with more promotion by the time of the second event as yet to be announced, but we’re getting there. After all, the biggest hurdle so far (besides money) is more places to work, right? “If we build it...” and so on. Doing my part by showing up and telling you to show up too, hopefully to something bigger and better next time. I made a few friends purely by accident and I was happy to see a few new faces mixed in amongst the regulars. I hope to see more. I hope to see it again. I can’t wait to see who our new queen Kylie must take on next and I can’t wait for you to witness it for yourself on that sweet, sweet Powerbomb.tv. I can’t wait for the women wrestling stranglehold on this game – is that too much to ask?
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Ia! If you've come this far, you're either looking for weird or you know you've found it... TRESPASSING
September 2018
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