When you think of pro-wrestling, or rock-n-roll wrestling, what images come to mind?
My mental image was aggressive muscle men with too much testosterone on board hurting each other so I was preparing to wince through Slamageddon at the Mansfield Tavern on Brisbane’s south-side.
‘Focus on the crowd’ I told myself. The neurons in my brain are wired to have no tolerance for watching people getting hurt or harmed so I don’t watch body contact sport or horror movies.
Why was I spending Saturday night at the Slamageddon wrestling event with around a couple of hundred wrestling fans?
There are some major World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) fans in my family and pro-wrestling is growing in popularity. So Slamageddon, billed as an event featuring ‘bands, bevvies, burgers and bodyslams’ seemed like a good chance to experience this phenomenon.
The first sign this event would smash my presumptions was the crowd. Diverse and cross-generational with a sprinkling of queer.
PHOTO: Vivienne Wynter
Pro-wrestling these days has a cos-play feel with wrestlers in costumes playing up their ‘villain’ or ‘hero’ status and fans play along, dressing up for the event.
The bands on the night were metal-core so there were also plenty of black band t-shirts, green hair and chains on display.
A friendly, diverse crowd. PHOTO: Vivienne Wynter
The next surprise for me was how the crowd cheered the Welcome to Country before up and coming progressive metal-core band Aeon Nexus took to the stage.
From the moment charismatic Aeon Nexus lead singer Sam Wolstenholme appeared on stage she captivated the crowd.
Sam Wolstenholme PHOTO: Vivienne Wynter
Another surprise: metal-core can mix raw heavy metal aggression with ethereal pop sensibilities and opera-trained Wolstenhome blended the two effortlessly and compellingly.
The bass guitarist dressing in hot pink yoga gear was also a delightful departure from what you expect from a heavy metal band.
When the wrestlers: KrackerJak and Brother Gore, Queensland fan favourites Kulture and Tarlee Leckie came on stage, the witty sledging between the wrestlers and from the audience began and continued relentlessly all night.
PHOTO: Vivienne Wynter
Pro-wrestling is a sport requiring athleticism, fitness, drama, humour and all around stage-craft but you don’t really get it until you see it live. At Slamageddon there was no (real) blood or injuries or pain to spoil the pure theatre. It’s pretend combat but the athleticism is real.
Frankly it was exhilarating.
To cries from the audience of: ‘Rip his dick off’ and ‘Kiss him and get it over with’ (and one winner did) the wrestlers gymnastically performed their routines of mock-hair pulling, stomping and body slams.
PHOTO: Vivienne Wynter
Moko, of the wrestlers from Polynesian team Kulture, appeared in white face which he peeled off during his match.
Fellow Kulture wrestler Eugenie Singh (pictured at top of story) gave off badass Beyonce vibes during her match with more experienced ‘villain’ Tarlee Leckie, sporting her trademark green tresses.
PHOTO: Vivienne Wynter
The nerdy ‘StepDads’ team were hilarious, sledging their competitors for ‘not doing your homework’ and engaging in bitch slapping and risqué wrestling postures.
Veteran pro-wrestler KrackerJak showed his star power and wit using a stapler as his weapon (I’ll leave to your imagination how he used it). He wore a barbed wire sleeve for a bit before admitting ‘that wasn’t a good idea’ because it scratched him up as much as his opponent.
While there was an abundance of beefcake, tight bottoms and big biceps on display, the wrestlers had a wide range of body shapes. Diversity on display.
Lighting and sound were on point. Red Castle Entertainment event promoter and Ringmaster Heath Johnson brought the booming baritone one expects when one is asked if they are ‘Ready to Rumble’.
Surprisingly, I found I was.
Pro-wrestling is fun to watch because it’s primal: it’s good versus evil, villain versus hero. There’s something cathartic about it. Slamageddon was a bit like being at the circus with more freaks, more skin on skin, more sounds of slapping and grunting and way more humour.
For four hours of wrestling and two bands, the event was good value for a $24 ticket.
Red Castle Entertainment’s next wrestling event is on 9 November 2024 at the Mansfield Tavern.
Featured image of Eugenie Singh at top of story by Bernie McKay
