The Piss Break Match By Michelle K Hasluck
By Michelle K Hasluck
“It’s alright, we can come back out when the women’s match is on. Dad always says it’s the piss break match.”
It’s crazy that I can not remember the year I heard this but I can SEE it: 2 boys, no older than 12 years old, waiting in line at a canteen at a wrestling show I was going be wrestling on. I was coming out of the canteen, full gear and makeup. It took over 12 years myself to get into a one on one match at Explosive Pro Wrestling on a main show at that time after managing, announcing and just being involved. And having a match AT ANY TIME, ANYWHERE was a big deal for me. Western Australia at that point wasn’t exactly known for its number of women’s wrestlers. I’ve been around wrestling since 2002 in Australia in different capacities. And I know these boys had never seen me or my opponent before. That fight to gain their respect, or their dads respect, was already long gone.
I heard it. My heart fell to the floor. I know deep down inside, it probably shouldn’t have hit like a tonne of bricks to the face… but it did. Me and my opponent had put in a lot of work, the same as my male counterparts. The same drills, same training, same kind of sacrifices. Not that I’d change that for anything. But it was never going to be viewed the same. Purely because we had vaginas.
My mum is incredible. A well versed athlete in her own right (the amount of trophies and accolades FAR outweigh mine) always had dozens of trophies for MIXED indoor cricket and bowling proudly on display. Her team mates respected her! And she was very fucking good at what she did. I grew up believing if you do the work, the respect will come with that.
I realised at that point, I might not change their minds and I was also taken a bit by surprise by it, but I shouldn’t have. I started after The Attitude Era in WWE. Where it was a parade of amazing women, working their butts off to be good wrestlers and entertainers but also working to get their spots doing Bra and Panties matches, Evening Gown Matches and having some morally ambiguous storylines BUT THOSE GIRLS WERE WORKING. It wasn’t really for me though. After starting training in 2002 and knowing most people equated Pro Wrestling for women to be along those lines a very shy Michelle would get responses like “OH, you wanna wrestle me?” or “I could beat you” or “You’re just a girl! You must not be very good.” Or “OH, JELLY WRESTLING? I’d pay to see you do that” thinking it was a super smart pick up line but I had already heard it hundreds of times. Being out with friends and them saying they do wrestling being met with “Oh that’s awesome!” and them mentioning I also do it and I have wrestled around Australia…. being met with… nothing. An eye roll maybe? A subtle insinuation I couldn’t have gotten there “purely through hard work…. if you know what I mean?” and yes I do know what you mean. The amount of jabs from people in hinting at things where I could do nothing more at that point than politely giggle in a very “Oh you!” manner as to not make things even more awkward. For them. Not for me. My self esteem and worth about this was already on the floor somewhere.
But I kept at it. I got to wrestle so many places and meet so many people. I got to train with legends of different times. I got to train with and wrestle other women which I never really had too much opportunity to do before! I loved it. And even though some of that same suggestible questioning came in, I tried really hard to get better and learn and am forever grateful for every place that allowed me to do that. I wouldn’t be who I am now without those experiences. That allowed me to grow as a person and performer and I am always going to hold those people who treated me well so close to my heart.
I’m a lot older now. I actually turn 40 this year. I have 2 amazing daughters of my own who know I’ll be there behind them, supporting them in whatever they want to do. WA has a growing number of women rising through the ranks as wrestlers, presenters and managers. I have Dude, Where’s My Ring? Where I have a bit more control on things and am able to present some really different and unique experiences to the fans of Perth with a team that I couldn’t be more grateful for.
So for every time I have a flashback to those little boys who didn’t really know better… I hope every woman is aware there is another girl who is so EXCITED to see them represented well on a show, being shown they CAN do this! That YOU could be their favourite person that night. And like Lara, my oldest daughter suggested…. maybe one day we can just get a 30 PERSON BATTLE ROYAL because she really believes if given the chance…. we are equal. And I hope I have been able to contribute to that with all the incredible women who have put in the work, fought those struggles we don’t always talk about and have pushed to be the best version of a wrestler they can be.
We aren’t the Piss Break Match anymore.
