Australia’s history in the sporting world can’t be denied.
Cricket, rugby league, rugby union, swimming, tennis, boxing and MMA have all been conquered by either teams or individuals over the years.
But in 2023, could the land Down Under be poised to reach the top of another massive mountain?
Pro wrestling has always been something that only existed for and catered to North American audiences and to a lesser extent, those in Japan or Europe.
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Anyone growing up in Australia or New Zealand as a wrestling fans in the 1980s, 1990s or 2000s would have likely never seen one of their own succeeding on the big stage, and it left plenty of talented performers stuck here without a chance of making a career out of the industry they love.
But once a small number of performers were able to get their foot in the door in WWE or Japan, that door only continued to widen and now you can't look at a single major promotion without finding an Aussie or Kiwi not only competing, but thriving.
Emma [Tenille Dashwood) was the first major signee to WWE a decade ago, before the likes of Buddy Matthews, Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay found themselves signed by the company.
Nowadays, the likes of Rhea Ripley, Grayson Waller and Dakota Kai are all in prominent positions on WrestleMania weekend, further opening the door for Aussies and Kiwis to make the massive jump to stardom.
Heading into the busiest time of the year, The Sporting News caught up with some of Australia’s biggest names in the wrestling industry to discuss the rise, the setbacks and the future.
Rhea Ripley set to headline WrestleMania 39 against Charlotte Flair
It’s no secret that Rhea Ripley has been destined for big things for a very long time.
The 26-year-old has already reached the pinnacle of the wrestling world, winning both the NXT Women’s Championship, Raw Women’s Championship and WWE Tag Team Championships during her run with the company.
But a career rejuvenation over the past 12 months has turned Ripley from a good wrestler to a bona fide superstar, with a Royal Rumble victory and her upcoming WrestleMania main event match with Charlotte Flair set to launch her into the next level.
Ripley’s real-life partner and fellow pro wrestler Buddy Matthews has seen first-hand the hard work and dedication that has gone into the Adelaide-born powerhouse’s rise within WWE.
“I would love to put her over, but if she sees this she will rub it in my face that I said something nice about her," he told The Sporting News.
"Nah, she is awesome – she is, in my opinion, the best Australian export that there is. She has done more than any of us and she is still so young and she is still so fresh in the business. It is only going to go up and up from here.
"She is killing it and I will do absolutely anything I can to support her – she doesn’t need my help, she is absolutely perfect in every way anyway.
"She doesn’t need me, she is doing well – but I’m very proud of her."
Her growth as a performer as part of The Judgement Day faction has been a highlight of Monday Night Raw in recent months and Ripley clearly stands out from the rest of the women's roster given her intimidating size and look.
Grayson Waller’s star continues to shine bright in WWE NXT
There is perhaps no more polarising wrestler in WWE right now than Australia's own Grayson Waller.
With a smash-mouth, arrogant and braggadocious personality both on-screen and off-screen, Waller has become one of NXT's hottest stars over the past 18 months.
The 33-year-old has shared the ring with the likes of former main roster champions AJ Styles, Apollo Crews and R-Truth during his run in the developmental brand and is clearly destined for big things once he reaches the bright lights of Raw or SmackDown.
Heading into WrestleMania weekend, Waller will take on NXT's golden goose Johnny Gargano as part of a long-standing feud with both the former champion and Hall Of Famer, Shawn Michaels.
“I think I have been ready to go [to the main roster] for months and it’s a situation where I’m just keeping my nose down and working my arse off," he told The Sporting News.
"If the opportunity presents itself, I’m ready to go. There haven’t been any discussions about that and a lot of times, they won’t tell you these things and they will come up last-minute.
"I’m ready to start doing things on a big level and I think people have seen my interactions with Cody [Rhodes] – there’s a lot of potential on that main roster that I will deal with that when I get there.
"Last year I put my body on the line to show people what I was willing to do for this and how much I love this – but this year, that’s not what I’m going into this for.
"I’m not going to put my body on the line like I did – instead, I’m going to go in there and fight Johnny Gargano and I’m going to create that moment by doing what no one thinks I can do and stomping out the NXT guy.
"I’m going to do it in front of his fans, his wife, his son – I want to do it in front of everyone he loves and show the world that I’m different...I think I’m above his level and I’m going to do it on the biggest weekend of the year."
Waller could be in the mix for a main roster call-up following WrestleMania weekend in Los Angeles, which promises to be one of the biggest events in WWE history.
Bronson Reed conquers Japan’s biggest name before WWE return
Unfortunately, not all stories in pro wrestling are 100 per cent smooth sailing and one man who has seen that first-hand is Bronson Reed.
The 34-year-old behemoth was cut loose by WWE in 2021, leading to an incredible in-ring run in both the United States and Japan, before finally making his return to the company in December.
Reed was able to wrestle some of the best stars outside of WWE during his 'excursion' - but no victory was greater than defeating multi-time world champion Kazuchika Okada in NJPW.
“For me, everywhere you wrestle is different...I came up on the Australian indies and it was very different to when I first went to Japan when I was younger," he told The Sporting News.
"Getting signed to NXT, there’s a certain way of wrestling there and I was primed to be ready for a Monday night or Friday night and then things changed.
"I had to switch my style up – Japan is very different to what we do on TV. That was the biggest difference for me and if anything, it makes you a more well-rounded performer.
“Even though I am probably one of the biggest guys that you will step foot in the ring with, sometimes I’m still seen as the underdog and I always have to prove that I’m definitely not that.
"I knew that when I stepped foot in the ring with Okada during the G1 that a lot of eyes were watching and I really needed to turn it up.
"Beating Okada was something that was heard all around the world, it wasn’t just something that happened in Japan, and all it did was cement my career even more and set me up to return [to WWE]."
Reed is not currently scheduled to compete at WrestleMania, but his presence has certainly been felt since returning to WWE programming a few months ago.
The 330lb (150kg) wrecking ball is yet to be pinned or submitted in singles competition and could more than plausibly have championship gold around his waist later in the year.
Aussies and Kiwis succeeding outside of WWE
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| WWE NXT |
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| AEW/ROH |
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| New Japan Pro Wrestling |
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| Unsigned |
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What’s next for Australian wrestling?
The likes of Ripley, Waller and Reed are all flying the flag in WWE right now, while a host of other talented pro wrestlers and plying their trade in other major companies such as AEW or NJPW.
And according to Waller, the current crop of stars are only going to open the eyes of those across the world to just how good the Aussie scene really is.
“I’m not surprised - I think anyone who is involved in the Australian scene has known for years that we have the best talent," he told The Sporting News.
"We knew we had the best and we just needed the opportunity. You can see right now they are flourishing and there’s people waiting in the wings – we may be taking over this country [US] and that’s kind of the plan.
"I represent Australian wrestling every time I wrestle. Every set of gear I have either the boxing kangaroo or I have the flag…I got told early on that ‘you don’t want to do that because if someone is not from Australia they might not want to support you’ but I couldn’t care less.
"Australian wrestling means a lot to me and when I left, I didn’t leave that there like some people do – I put it on my back and me, Rhea, Bronson – we’re doing whatever it takes to make sure that people think of Australian wrestling as the best in the world and I think that time is coming.
“I have such a love for the Australian scene and everything it presented me. I know without PWA, Robbie Eagles, Mick Moretti, Madison Eagles – I would not be here and I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in.
"They set me up so when I got here, I felt comfortable and I felt like I was one of the best. I want to give back to that and I make sure I’m talking to as many of the Australian wrestlers as possible.
"Whenever someone reaches out, I’ll give feedback and I watch the shows, I follow them on Instagram – if there’s opportunities I will pass their names on. I just know how good people are there and I have such a love and respect for Australian wrestling.
"I know how it feels to be sitting there and feeling like there’s no opportunities or feeling like there’s no way to get their names out there. I’m not going to forget where I came from and I’m going to make sure I open as many doors as I can.
"I was taught to keep the door open for the next gen and that door is staying open."
WrestleMania 39 streams live to Australia on Sunday 2nd & Monday 3rd April on BINGE.
When is WrestleMania 39, Night One?
- Date: Saturday, April 1, 2023 | Sunday, April 2
- Pre-Show: 7 p.m. ET | 12 a.m. GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT
- Main card: 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT
Night one of WrestleMania takes place on April 1. The pre-show starts around 7 p.m. ET | 12 a.m. GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT. The main card begins at 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT.
When is WrestleMania 39, Night Two?
- Date: Sunday, April 2, 2023 | Monday, April 3
- Pre-Show: 7 p.m. ET | 12 a.m. GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT
- Main card: 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT
Night two of WrestleMania takes place on April 2. The pre-show starts around 7 p.m. ET | 12 a.m. GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT. The main card begins at 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT.
How to watch WWE WrestleMania 2023
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | April 1-2 | Peacock |
| United Kingdom | April 2-3 | WWE Network |
| Australia | April 2-3 | Foxtel/Kayo & Binge |
Both nights of WrestleMania 39 will be available on pay-per-view or via Peacock for fans in the U.S. Outside the U.S., WrestleMania is available on the WWE Network.
In Australia, WrestleMania is available via Foxtel/Binge as well as KAYO SPORTS.