Shazza On Leaving Australia, Work Visa, ROH & Future
Back in March 2023, ‘HeartbreakCORE’ Shazza McKenzie took the leap of faith many do not take when it comes to their dreams. She bet on herself, pushing all her chips into the middle of the table, leaving behind Australian professional wrestling along with the entire life she had built around her wrestling career to jump on a plane, fly across the ocean to pursue her American dream and give it everything she has, building upon a foundation of momentum built over three months spent in the country throughout 2022. “It’s at that point in my career it’s either, I’m gonna just stay in Australia and retire and be an old lady, or if I’m gonna make a move, I have to make a move now because time is of the essence.” She told Jamie Apps from Pario Magazine in a recent interview about her decision to move to America.
McKenzie seemingly is living like that last phrase is in fact a personal motto, she has wasted very little of it since moving stateside, competing in everything from rumbles to scrambles, tournament matches to deathmatches and even competing for championship gold on several occasions in just over a quarter of a year. Shazza has wrestled the likes of Danny Demanto, John Wayne Murdoch, Allie Katch, Tony Deppen and Miyu Yamashita, whilst wrestling for promotions such as ROH, GCW, Defy, BLP, Freelance, Glory Pro and ICW No Holds Barred.
The Ring of Honor opportunity became a reality for Shazza McKenzie because of her sourcing a work visa, which she divulged to Apps was a long and exhausting process, “The whole reason I wanted a work visa really is because mainly no one with a tv show will touch you without a work visa”. After obtaining the official documentation, Shazza posted on her social channels she was on her way and Ring of Honor came calling, “I got asked to come to the taping (ROH) eight minutes later”. HeartbreakCORE appreciates the opportunity she was given, “I’d never done ring of honor before like i it was always one of the ones that I’d never done and I was very sad when it closed that I’d never done it.” “Even if I never go back again like just to be able to legally do that was just that was all i wanted”
Shazza has an eye on a couple of other high profile promotions where she hopes to get an opportunity in the future “An actual impact match and an actual NWA match then I’ll be like satisfied”. Perhaps if Shazza does make it to the impact zone, her dream matches with Masha Slamovich and Deonna Purrazzo may become a reality.
Jamie Apps’ interview with Shazza McKenzie for Pario Magazine can be found below
