Queensland Women’s Wrestling Decline & Growth, By Billie Mac
By Billie Mac
Allow me to introduce myself, to those who don’t know me. I am Handsome Billie Mac, a women’s professional wrestler based in Queensland, debuting 4 years ago. For this article, I will be focusing on the Queensland women’s wrestling scene, its decline and growth, where it could be heading, and some personal experiences. So come with me on this journey, read this more than once, and share it with those you love, after all, everyone is entitled to my opinion ;).
I first began my journey in this industry when I was just 17 for a company called QPW run by Brisbane main stays Flashman and Sweetass. Though there were a handful of wrestling companies in the state, I quickly learned there were very few women’s wrestlers on the scene. Women like Riebell, Catherine Mynx and Smashahontis I had met during my time, with the former trainer Toni Storm whom I never got the pleasure in meeting before she headed to the UK. I enjoyed my time with the company but unfortunately, due to study commitments and personal issues, I was unable to continue.
Fast forward to 2019, and with life relatively in order, I decided to give wrestling another go. Jumping online, I quickly found the AWA training academy, operating out of a gym in Stafford. The coaching was more regimented, with a focus on fitness, core principles, and superb technique, with training conducted by Jesse Daniels, Rufio and later Bobby Bishop of whom I met during the QPW days. The best thing about this training was the comradery of the fellow trainees. We all wanted each other to succeed and be the best we could be. I was never treated any differently being a woman in wrestling, which I look back on and am grateful for. It taught me to be strong, humble and push myself to beyond what I thought was capable.
Unfortunately though, we still had a massive problem with women being involved in the scene and sticking around. At this point, there were even less women on shows in Queensland and we hoped that would all change with myself, Lucille Brawl and 2 other women training at AWA. I watched Lucille debut that year and had high hopes of getting that shot to prove myself.
And then the pandemic hit…..
While we were all stuck inside our houses, I did what I could, from tape study, to cardio in home and heading back to training with the coaching of Mark Davis. When the pandemic lifted, wrestling was in a whole different element; AWA had closed, people had walked away and the scene had once again changed.
Luckily, I had not been forgotten about, UPW reached out and HANDSOME Billie Mac made her debut against Jynx on the 16th of October in 2020. I will always cherish and appreciate everything that UPW gave me. Though I was never considered a main stay, they took a chance and allowed me that platform that I so desperately wanted after all this time.
Since then, I have had the pleasure of wrestling for multiple promotions, Pro Wrestling League, PWA, IPW, Wide Bay, Atomic Pro, All-Star Wrestling, Renegades of Wrestling and a host of others. Whether it has been out of sheer luck or talent, I now have been a 5x champion and have carried titles far more in my career then I haven’t. I have also had the privilege of being for women in QLD, one of, if not, their first match. I have always prided myself on wanting to help out and provide those opportunities for others. Whether I won or lost, just knowing that the women were able to keep going gave me hope that we would have a fully fledged division one day. Something I feel was lost in the years before me.
Currently there is a host of talented women in this state, such as Kyla Knight, “The Golden Bati” Eugenie, Tessa Armstrong, Xtina Kade, Lil Marz and more coming through schools. There is a sense of competition now, everyone is trying to outdo each other and be the best, get the best training, and have the best match. Just look at recent times, Eugenie has travelled and gotten opportunities in Sydney and is the current All Star Wrestling Women’s Champion, Kyla Knight has come back from training at the Fale NJPW Dojo in New Zealand and is about to debut in the USA and Lil Marz is the current Atomic Pro Wrestling heavyweight champion, having just returned from training in Japan and is now in the USA.
So, what does the future hold? I personally believe women’s wrestling in Queensland is on the rise, with more women signing up to reputable schools like 3 Count Academy and being pushed harder than ever to create competition to be on shows, it will not be long before QLD is known as one of, if not the best state for women’s wrestling. It may not be too long until another Toni Storm emerges from the state. As for me? I think it’s time I started branching out more to the rest of Australia and pushing myself to that next level, plus who could say no to another championship 😉
-Handsome Billie Mac – Venom Women’s Champion, IPW Women’s Champion, former Wide Bay Fraserpop Champion, former NCPW Women’s Champion, former All Star Women’s Champion
