Ring Name: Azalea

Date of Birth: 13/09/1993

Height: 5 foot 3

Weight: 65kg

Birth Place: Sydney Australia

Debut: April 2017 at APWG Bondi #5

Trained by: Leigh Leslie (ring name Jay Law) at the Australian Pro Wrestling Gym

Finishers/Signature Moves: Dragon sleeper and Fisherman Neckbreaker

 

When and how did you get into pro wrestling?

I grew up watching wrestling as a kid with my family. I started watching in the early to mid 2000s and loved the feud between Trish Stratus and Lita. They definitely had a big influence on me deciding to join a pro wrestling school. I've always been very sporty but also very shy so I waited until I was 18 to sign up. I Google searched wrestling schools in Sydney and found the Australian Pro Wrestling Gym. I've been there ever since!

 

 

Did your family and friends support your decision or were they rather sceptic?

At first they didn't believe me because from the age of 16 I'd been saying that I was going to sign up. When I did finally sign up when I was 18 my parents didn't believe me. I remember on the morning of my very first day I got all my gear ready and said goodbye. They asked me where I was going and I said to wrestling training and that was when they finally believed me! Since then my family and friends have been very supportive and come to lots of the shows.

 

 

Can you still recall your first training session?

Yes! I was a mix of nerves and excitement! I had no idea what to expect so I felt a bit intimidated. I remember our first session the trainers sat down and explained everything and then we started on our next session. It definitely took me a while to build my confidence but when I did I had heaps of fun and have never stopped.

 

What was it like to wrestle in front of a live crowd for the first time?

I was super nervous! And I still get nerves to this day, it's more excitement nerves today though. I remember for my first match I tried to take one step at a time so I wouldn't get too overwhelmed. I really focussed on having a solid warm up before the match which helped calm my nerves. Once I was out there I started to relax and enjoyed interacting with the crowd. There's definitely no feeling like it when you perform in front of a live crowd!

 

Do you have a dream opponent you want to fight above others?

I've been incredibly lucky to have stepped in the ring against some amazing wrestlers. In October 2018 I had the opportunity to wrestle Melina (former WWE) in a tag match. I learnt so much from her and would love the chance to face her one on one.

 

Is there a story behind the name Azalea and the mask? Watching pro wrestling as a kid I was always drawn to lucha libre and their masks. I loved the high energy style and the unpredictability. The culture, mystery and the creative designs of the masks always captured my imagination and curiosity. This definitely influenced me to create The Aussie Luchadora. I wanted to be unique and at the time of my debut I was the only female masked wrestler in all of Australia and I believe I still am today.

As for the name I wanted something a little mysterious, that had a deeper meaning. An Azalea is actually a small pink, white, yellow or purple flower that is known for its femininity which I thought represented my petite stature. The flower also has poisonous leaves and nectar. It is said that if you receive azaleas in a black vase this is actually seen as a death threat because of their toxicity. That's how I came up with the name Azalea, I may look innocent on the outside but I can be deadly on the inside (of a ring).

 

Wrestling fans love funny or thrilling road stories. Do you have one for us to share?

I don't know if I have a funny or thrilling stories but something always seems to happen when I travel to Bathurst for a show. One time in Bathurst all the wrestlers stayed overnight and had a party. We ordered 14 pizzas from the local pizza shop but when we got there to pick it up, they hadn't been made because the staff thought it was a joke! In the end they made all the pizza and threw in a few free garlic breads. On another trip we got snowed in which was crazy!

 

When a Booker or company from your country or around the world will book you where can they contact you?

The best way is to message me through my facebook page "Azalea - Pro Wrestler".