Getting Comfortable With My Own Voice - International Women’s Day

As part of our celebration of International Women’s Day, we’ve asked some of the hard-working and most passionate fans in the British wrestling scene to share their experiences of the industry. In this feature I spoke to Ella Jay, podcaster, interviewer and above all wrestling fan. She shares her experiences as a woman working in the industry and how far things have come for women in wrestling.

When was your passion for wrestling ignited?
I started watching wrestling in August 2009 after flipping through television channels, and I saw a guy with a really cool face paint, and it turned out to be Jeff Hardy.

From there, I would watch Smackdown every week and was really captivated by the characters and storylines. It gave me an escape from reality during a dark period in my life. I related to characters like Mickie James, while DX provided me with a lot of great laughs. The athleticism of the performances really impressed me too. 

When did you know you wanted to work in the wrestling industry?
June of 2019. I had been a closeted wrestling fan for years, and I wanted another outlet to express myself. I had seen people like Chris Van Vliet and Alicia Atout interview a lot of wrestlers and have their own channels.

My good friend Samira also had her own YouTube channel (and still does), and those three really made me want to begin my own content, so in July of 2019, I launched my own podcast -- A Wrestling Gal. From there, it gradually evolved from a hobby to a full-time career in content creation, writing, hosting, etc. 

Was it difficult to break into the industry? Do you think you faced opposition because of your gender?
When you start in anything new, it's going to be difficult, especially when I had no background in podcasting or journalism. I had to do a lot of research about how to edit, what equipment to use, how to record, etc, so a lot of my journey was self-taught or help from online how-to guides.

Getting comfortable with my own voice was also another hurdle to overcome, but with time, I got more comfortable. I think I slowly adapted over time with more practice, and from forcing myself to listen to it when editing it and listening back to my interviews/podcast. So, I gradually, and naturally, became more comfortable and confident with it, which in turn, made me better at my job. 

Being in a male-dominated industry definitely had some challenges as well, as I feel some people don't take me as seriously because I'm a female. 

What do you enjoy most about your role in the wrestling community?
I have multiple roles, but I really enjoy interviewing and connecting with a lot of the people in the community and getting to know their stories within the landscape, and of course, their stories beyond wrestling and them as a person. There are so many great people in this community who have really powerful stories and are just great people and performers.

Do you think you get treated differently because you’re a woman in wrestling?
Sometimes. As I alluded to before, I feel like sometimes I'm not taken as seriously because I'm a woman in wrestling, and I feel more scrutinized. 

Do you think there are more roles for women in wrestling now than when you started?
Definitely. I've only been doing this for about four years, but especially when the pandemic started, the community became REALLY saturated with people starting up new podcasts or taking on new roles, but it's also really encouraging to see more women involved in the wrestling space, whether as a wrestler, referee, announcer, commentator, writer, host, producers or other roles. 

Do you think things are changing for women in wrestling now?
I think there's still a lot to be done in the fight for equality, but the scene has definitely gotten a lot better now. There are a lot more women in power positions and in general across all different areas of the business. I think we're taken a lot more seriously overall, but there are still some ignorant or sexist people out there who try to hinder the progress that women have made. 

Who are three women in wrestling who inspire you?
Mickie James, Mercedes Martinez, Hannah Taylor

Who is one female wrestler people need to check out?
Kingsley of Australia <3

What’s your favourite wrestling promotion?
Always WWE, but there are a lot of great all-women's promotions out there that I support 

What’s your women’s wrestling dream match?
Mickie James vs Charlotte Flair