Author: Kristen Ashly

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RHIO Talks U.K. Dominance, AEW All In and WrestleMania Weekend

SINCE THE TITLE’S INCEPTION in 2017, 28-year-old Rhio has defended the PROGRESS Women’s championship more than any champion has during one reign. Successfully defeating a dozen-plus challengers, including Lana Austin, Kanji, Nina Samuels, Delmi Exo, and Session Moth Martina, is no easy feat.

Rhio’s PROGRESS title run has reached more than 400 days, but it’s by no means her only accomplishment worth celebrating. The U.K. powerhouse ranked #25 on the 2024 “PWI Women’s 250,” making her the highest-ranked U.K. freelancer on the 2024 list.

PWI‘s Kristen Ashly spoke with Rhio about her record-breaking year.

ASHLY: Congratulations on your “PWI Women’s 250″ ranking! You made #25. What do you think made this year so special?

RHIO: This year, I’ve broken records and made history in some of the top independent promotions in Europe. I feel this year has been my best work so far, and with every challenge I’ve come out stronger. Also, this year I made my debut in the U.S., which is another big milestone for me. I think this year has had many special moments for me, so many amazing matches and incredible opponents. Opportunities have come and I’ve just run with it. Just as I think it can’t get any crazier, it does.

ASHLY: You’ve held multiple titles during the evaluation period for this year’s list. Do you have one that you’re particularly proud of? Is there one you think is missing from the list?

RHIO: I’m particularly proud of holding both the ICW and PROGRESS Women’s championships, especially when I was holding them at the same time. Both of these championships are legitimate world championships and have such a rich lineage. So, to be able to join the list of incredible women that have held these championships means a lot to me. In terms of one I feel is missing, I am definitely going to be working towards the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s championship. 

Rhio holds aloft the PROGRESS and Insane Championship Wrestling Women’s belts. Given the breadth and depth of competition surrounding each prize, she believes both championships to be legitimate world titles. (PHOTO BY ISSA MARIE)

ASHLY: One title you should feel incredibly proud of is the PROGRESS Women’s title, which you held the entire evaluation year. What defense did you find the most difficult?

RHIO: I’m extremely proud of holding the PROGRESS Women’s world championship. It’s hard to say which is the most difficult defense as there has been quite a few. But some of the ones that spring to mind are: the 4-way ladder match I had at this year’s Super Strong Style 16, myself versus Emersyn Jayne, myself versus Lizzy Evo, and myself versus Kanji, off the top of my head.

ASHLY: What defense do you think is still missing?

RHIO: I feel me [against] the DEFY Women’s champion is something that is missing. Especially with the partnership of PROGRESS and DEFY. So, hopefully that is something we can do. 

ASHLY: U.K. women’s wrestling is known as some of the best in the business. How do you feel the U.K. stacks up against other countries?

RHIO: Oh, I agree the U.K. women’s wrestling scene is incredibly strong at the moment, and I’m proud to be a part of it. We have one of the best women’s wrestling scenes in the world. So many beautiful, strong, and talented women that will step to anyone to prove themselves. Women putting in consistent hard work.

Rhio joins Saraya’s entourage at Wembley Stadium during the second AEW All In event.
(PHOTO BY LEE SOUTH/©ALL ELITE WRESTLING)

ASHLY: One incredible moment to see as a Rhio fan was your in-ring appearance at All In, supporting Saraya. How did that moment feel?

RHIO: I loved appearing at AEW All In supporting Saraya. And being a part of a moment that involved two incredible British women [Saraya and Jamie Hayter] in front of a huge crowd at Wembley was very special.

ASHLY: How did that opportunity come about? AEW has a wonderful group of U.K. talent. Is that somewhere you’d like to wrestle on a regular basis?

RHIO: The opportunity came about after I received an email inviting me to Cardiff and All In. AEW has so many amazing British wrestlers and is definitely somewhere I could see myself wrestling regularly.

ASHLY: WrestleMania Weekend in Philadelphia was the time to see Rhio! You had two title defenses that weekend, one for PROGRESS and one as part of Kevin McElvaney’s ThrashElvania. Both were incredible matches; did you have similar mindsets going into them?

RHIO: I loved wrestling in Philadelphia over Wrestlemania Week. I loved all of my matches. I would say my mindset going into them was very different, as the one for PROGRESS was a singles match with the former champion I beat, and someone I know very well (Lana Austin). So, with that said, I knew she was coming into this with extra motivation. Whereas my match at ThrashElvania was a triple threat with two women I have never wrestled before. So, I went into that match knowing that I didn’t have to be pinned to lose. I didn’t fully know what to expect from my opponents. So, I had to watch my back even more in that one.

Delmi Exo gets clobbered by Rhio’s side headbutt during their triple-threat bout for the PROGRESS Women’s title at ThrashElvania, which took place over WrestleMania Weekend.
(PHOTO BY ISSA MARIE)

ASHLY: Do you approach a match differently when you’re facing more than one opponent, or an opponent that you don’t face often?

RHIO:  When it comes to approaching my matches, I always approach them differently. Because I know that all my opponents are different, they think differently, and they move differently. 

ASHLY: Also that weekend, you faced Shoko Nakajima on a TJPW show. This isn’t your first time wrestling for TJPW. Is it different wrestling in the U.S. for TJPW, as opposed to Japan? Do you find wrestling British Style is different from joshi? Are there adjustments to make?

RHIO: It did feel different wrestling for TJPW in the U.S. as opposed to wrestling for them in Japan. I don’t really know why, I can’t quite figure that out. But it was definitely different for me. The British and joshi style do have their differences, but the prominent similarity is they are both a hard-hitting style, which I think transcends well. If I get to face Shoko Nakajima again, which I hope I do, it’s more [that] I need to adjust to her in particular, not the style. Again, it goes back to me taking every opponent as they come.

Rhio catches Alex Windsor with a missile dropkick (rendered all the more devastating by a trash can) during the exceptionally violent 10-woman tag at RevPro’s latest anniversary event.
(PHOTO BY SCOTT LESH)

ASHLY: Looking at your resume, your match in August for the 12th Anniversary of RevPro featured what was easily one of your best matches of the year: the no-DQ 10-woman tag team match. Do you find it’s harder to create a memorable and maybe cleaner match with so many opponents?

RHIO: The 10-woman tag at RevPro for their 12th anniversary was very special. A match of that caliber is definitely not an easy task, but I feel everyone in that match was so different, so everyone showed out in their own unique way. When you have so many experienced and talented people in one match, it does make it easier. We also had an amazing person who helped and supported us. (Thank you, Will Ospreay.)

ASHLY: Wrestling fans can agree your career trajectory is amazing to watch. What’s next for you?

RHIO: I’m so proud of my career trajectory so far, and I plan on keeping the momentum going and the good times rolling. I don’t know what’s next for me, but I’m very excited for my future. I’m going to keep working hard and be open to every opportunity that is presented to me. 

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HYAN On Her Global Wrestling Campaign

SHE CALLS HERSELF “The Renaissance Woman” … and, as 2024 draws to a close, no one is questioning that moniker. Hyan has remained one of the highest-ranking indie wrestlers on the annual “PWI Women’s 250,” ranking at #35 in 2024 after coming in at #45 last year. Not holding a full-time wrestling contract is no problem for the Texas native, whose in-ring abilities and proven drawing power continue to garner her bookings worldwide.

Hyan had plenty to share with PWI’s Kristen Ashly regarding her 2024 global wrestling campaign.

ASHLY: This has been a big year for you when it comes to PWI lists. You made the “PWI 500″ for the first time and are back in the 30s at #35 on the “Women’s 250.” What made this a pillar year for you?

HYAN: I think taking a chance on myself by going on long excursions overseas, as well as making wrestling my full-time job, (contributed) to my success this year. I’ve been putting in the work for a long time and it’s very cool to see it pay off.

ASHLY: You, as I wrote in your bio, really had a fantastic global campaign. You returned to Europe, this time in Germany, competing for the wXw Women’s title. Now, outside of the “W250” evaluation period, you’re spending time in Japan (at Marvelous and Pro Wrestling NOAH). Does traveling step you outside your comfort zone?

HYAN: Going overseas, especially for the first time, 1,000% takes me out of my comfort zone. New culture, new opponents, new languages (at times). It’s all a learning experience and really puts your skills to the test.

ASHLY: What do you feel wrestling internationally does for your style?

HYAN: I try to add something from every place I’ve wrestled into my style. The U.K. has a fast and explosive style that’s been molded by Will Ospreay, and that is something that I’ve definitely taken with me to the States.

ASHLY: You faced Giulia for the NJPW STRONG Women’s title at Fighting Spirit Unleashed. How did that opportunity come about?

HYAN: I’d been very vocal about wanting to wrestle for NJPW. And I feel like I just kept putting it out there in the universe for it to come to fruition! It definitely helps to network and meet people. I don’t think I would have gotten that opportunity without Andy Quildan and RevPro.

ASHLY: Fighting Spirit Unleashed was an incredible card. What was your experience working side-by-side with joshi talent, luchadoras, and NJPW legends?

HYAN: It’s a crazy thing to say, “I was on the same card as Tanahashi.” His match was before mine, and when he came through the back I did a little air guitar gesture at him and he did it back. It was a cool li’l moment for me. I have a cool life [laughs].

Hyan poses with a copy of the October 2024 PWI, which contains a writeup on her recent acting exploits.

ASHLY: You won this year’s Queen of the Indies by defeating Masha Slamovich. You lost to Masha in the first round of the 2023 tournament. How did it feel defeating Masha this year? Did you use anything that you perhaps learned from last year’s match? How did you prepare for it?

HYAN: It’s hard to prepare for something like Queen of Indies, because you don’t know who you will end up wrestling past the first round. It’s a literal marathon of wrestling. I thought it was a cool, full-circle moment to wrestle Masha in the finals. I genuinely believe she is the best woman on the indies, and one of the best wrestlers, period. It’s always an honor to get in the ring with her.

ASHLY: Finally, any goals for your upcoming year? How does the 2025 “Renaissance Woman” campaign look?

HYAN: My hope is to wrestle in more countries next year! Australia, Canada, and Mexico are on my lists for sure. My family is Mexican, and I still have family that live there. It’s one of my dreams to have my mom watch me wrestle in Mexico.

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MINA SHIRAKAWA Talks Mariah May, Toni Storm, And Staying Authentic

THOUGH REGARDLESS OF where MINA SHIRAKAWA ranks, fans demand more of her, “The Venus'” spot in the 2024 “PWI Women’s 250″ mirrored how much fans clamored for the 36-year-old Stardom sensation. 

Her year was fantastic. Shirakawa became a phenomenon in All Elite Wrestling as the savior to her tag team partner and friend Mariah May. She traveled extensively across the globe to assert her dominance. She challenged and defeated some of the best wrestlers in the world. All of this without sacrificing her sense of self or originality. Authentically Mina.

In celebration of Shirakawa’s spectacular 2024—and ahead of her appearances with May on AEW Rampage and at Full Gear—we present her written interview with PWI’s KRISTEN ASHLY.

ASHLY: Congratulations on making it to number 16 on the “PWI Women’s 250″! You jumped 35 spots to make the top 20. What do you think changed this year that created such a big leap?

SHIRAKAWA: That jump is because I’m the most international women’s professional wrestler; for most of the year I’ve been flying to wrestle on weekdays in the United States and then on weekends back in Japan. I think the reason I’ve managed to rank so high this year is because there’s a lot of wrestling fans that know who I am now.

ASHLY: You wrestled in the U.K. for the first time this year. In your first appearance for RevPro, you defeated Dani Luna for the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s title. Are there any differences between wrestling British style vs. joshi? Any differences when wrestling in North America?

SHIRAKAWA: I think that British wrestling is quite similar to Japanese wrestling, and the fans were happy when we had a technical wrestling match. One of my signature moves is the figure four, and the fans erupted in cheers when I tapped the champion out with it to win the title. It’s really gratifying to know that my decision to become a professional wrestler wasn’t a mistake. In comparison, I think American-style wrestling is more dynamic. I don’t really change my style of wrestling when it comes to big matches, but I’ll change the types of moves that I use.

Mina Shirakawa uses her signature figure-four leglock to submit Dani Luna and capture the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s championship. (PHOTO BY SCOTT LESH)

ASHLY: You’re returning to the U.S. in what is being reported as a longer tour. Are those reports true? What are your hopes for this time in the U.S.?

SHIRAKAWA: I’ve been making Mariah (May) wait a lot, and I plan to stay in the United States until her feelings of loneliness are gone. I’m here to celebrate her championship win and wrestle a lot of matches as [our team] Rose Gold.

ASHLY: Mariah has turned into what you could call a primadonna. Has your friendship changed since she turned on her idol, Toni Storm?

SHIRAKAWA: Our friendship hasn’t changed in the slightest. We’re still best friends forever. However, I am a little concerned that she’s acting a bit weird recently … but I think with me by her side, she’ll calm down again soon enough.

At Mariah May’s urging, Toni Storm and Shirakawa shake hands after their Forbidden Door AEW Women’s title bout. (PHOTO BY KEVIN McELVANEY)

ASHLY: Your triangle with Mariah and Toni created a huge title opportunity for you at Forbidden Door 2024. Are you still hungry for the AEW Women’s title? Would you face Mariah for it?

SHIRAKAWA: I know that Mariah has worked so hard, both in AEW and in Stardom. Right now, I just want to be able to celebrate her championship win with her. The two of us overcame a lot of hardships together in Japan, so I’m celebrating with her as if I’d become champion.

ASHLY: Since Mariah’s betrayal, you’ve tagged with Toni Storm. Has your relationship with Toni changed? Do you feel closer because of Mariah?

SHIRAKAWA: Well … I’d still like all three of us to be friends. I know that Toni must’ve been really hurt after Mariah betrayed her like that, so I wanted to give her my emotional support. I believe that if I love them both, then we’ll all be able to be friends again. Toni and I are good friends back in Japan. Not only in matches, but privately as well.

Shirakawa and Storm prepare to a tag-team hip attack on AZM. (PHOTO ©STARDOM)

ASHLY: Within Stardom, you’re well-known for amazing tag team wrestling. You won the Artist of Stardom championship with Maika and Xena in March. Do you feel differently about tag team wrestling over singles action? Do you have a preference?

SHIRAKAWA: Xena and Maika are both powerhouse wrestlers, and when the three of us are in the ring together, we’re very smart and synchronized—we defeat anyone! But honestly, I prefer singles matches to tag team matches. With tag team matches you have the support of your partners, whereas in singles matches you have to try and manage everything by yourself. I love the feeling of tension that comes along with singles matches because I think to myself, “How am I meant to take down a bigger opponent if my strength is much less?” It’s like playing chess within your own mind, and I enjoy it a lot.

ASHLY: Stardom has really opened itself to work with international partners, and you seem to be a main beneficiary of that advantage, appearing everywhere. Do you feel it’s easy working with other companies? Have you learned anything in the process?

SHIRAKAWA: To be frank, it’s difficult! It kind of feels like I’m starting a new life all over again. Everyone in Stardom already knows the kind of person that Mina Shirakawa is—the fans, the staff, and other wrestlers. Yet I love meeting other wrestlers when I go to different companies. You have to start off by getting to know others; when I’m in attendance at shows run by other companies, I make the effort to talk to as many staff members as possible instead of just sitting in the waiting room. I have to study the matches of my opponents because I’m not familiar with their movesets. But by watching an AEW show from beginning to end, I can see the types of things that I can add to the show, so I always make sure to watch it the whole way through … and it helps me study English, too.

One company Shirakawa knows well is New Japan Pro Wrestling. In December, she’ll face Johnnie Robbie, an outstanding talent from the U.S. indies. 

ASHLY: You’re wrestling Johnnie Robbie at Strong Style Evolved. Mercedes Moné also happens to be main-eventing. Are there any plans to challenge her for either of her belts at the show?

SHIRAKAWA: I’ve been friends with Mercedes Moné for around five years now, but we’ve never had the opportunity to meet in the ring, even though I’ve always wanted to wrestle her. I’d like to challenge her when I’m at my best mentally. I don’t know when that will be, though.

While Shirakawa’s talent is undeniable, one important aspect of her greatness is her ability to stay true to herself, despite pressures otherwise. It’s a trait that many fans relate to and hold on to for inspiration.

ASHLY: In a recent installment of my PWI women’s wrestling column (“The W Column”), I explained how inspirational you are to women with your refusal to hide from your past. How is staying true to yourself important in wrestling? What would you say to a woman who is feeling shame for who they are?

SHIRAKAWA: There are no answers in wrestling, so you have to go through with the decisions that you believe are the best ones. Really, it’s a test to see how much you believe in yourself. With life, people will try and tell you that you can’t do this, or that you can’t do that. You can’t let yourself be fooled by those people. I hate the saying, “This is how a woman should be.” I want to face the world as a human being regardless of what my gender is. You’re the only person responsible for what happens in your life, and you’re the only person who can make it interesting. If there’s no example of that, then there’s no shame in beginning now. No matter when you start, it’s never too late; you can make it work if you try your absolute hardest!

(PHOTO BY SCOTT LESH)

The past year was a pillar year in the career of Mina Shirakawa. The fans continue to chant “We Want Mina,” and Shirakawa is more than happy to oblige. The future looks bright for “The Venus.”

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Charli Evans Has “Never Been More Ready” for PWA Gold

TEXT BY KRISTEN ASHLY / PHOTOS BY NEW PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS

CHARLI EVANS IS READY to face anyone for her first Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA Black Label) championship—including her soul sister.

PWA brings back its Colosseum two-day tournament event on October 12 and 13, 2024, showcasing eight of the best of Australia’s wrestling empire. The elimination-style tournament starts on Night 1 with four first-round matches. Night 2 hosts the semifinals and final of the tournament. The last grappler standing wins the honor of holding the coveted Colosseum Sword.

As if the tournament wasn’t reason enough to tune in, Night 1’s main event will turn up the volume. Charli Evans challenges her self-confessed “soul sister” Jessica Troy for the PWA heavyweight championship.

If Evans wins, this will be her first PWA heavyweight championship; and winning it from someone she considers practically family ups the stakes.

“I think it’s kind of beautiful in a way, and poetic that we started so close to each other,” Evans tells PWI. “We clicked instantly, and our paths have always mirrored each other in some way. And no matter what, we’re always brought back together … and you hit your friends a little harder.”

Jessica Troy and Charli Evans share the ring, foreshadowing their eventual title match at Coliseum 2024.

Night 1 has completely sold out at the iconic Metro Theater in Sydney. Brawling in the main event in front of a sea of passionate Australian fans would be understandably stressful, but Evans stands firm in her relationship with Troy.

“There’s a little more room for forgiveness, but this is the biggest match of my career,” Evans shares. “This is the biggest match of her career, and there’s no stress going into it, which is crazy when you think about it. We are main-eventing the show, and we are both not stressed in the slightest. And I think that’s amazing, because anyone else, I would be petrified. But I know her, she knows me, and we’re ready to literally tear the house down.”

In the Fall 2024 issue of PWI, “The Main Event: Australia’s Women Wrestlers Shine Bright” details how special Australia’s scene is for women, allowing them to be wrestlers first and foremost. The result is more eyes on Australian wrestling, and the payoff is a stronger grappling landscape.

“I think we have, collectively, a little chip on our shoulder, do you know what I mean? And we’re ready to prove a point,” says Evans. “We’re so far from the rest of the world, so it’s either go out and get noticed or be so good that they notice us. And I think we’re finally getting to the point where people are just noticing us from being here.”

Evans eliminates Ben Braxton to win the 2024 King of the Metro Rumble.

Evans continues, “And 10 years ago, you had to go to America, you had to go to England, you had to go to Japan. Not saying you shouldn’t, and not saying that that isn’t great, because I’m blessed and I have loved every second of traveling and wrestling in different countries. But to have eyes on us in our home country is just an unreal feeling.”

The excitement is boiling, but Evans is keeping her eyes on the prize. Troy has held the PWA heavyweight championship for more than a year now, defending it against some of Australia’s top competitors. The possibility of ending Troy’s historic reign as the first woman PWA heavyweight champion adds a little extra spice to the match.

“Chevs” is ready to take home the prize that has, until now, eluded her.

“I’ve put so much pressure on myself this whole year,” Evans reveals. “I don’t know, I’ve just had a resurgence of going after [what] I want, and I’ve done so much that I never would’ve even imagined. I didn’t plan to go back to England, and it just happened. And I didn’t think I’d ever get to get the Wrestling Resurgence title back, but I did. And I’ve laid out very specific things that I want, and every single one I have knocked off. This is the last one to do, and it’d be crazy of me to not do it.”

The 2024 PWA Black Label Colosseum event will offer wrestling fans a look at Australia’s finest, and it’s only fitting that two women are battling for a heavyweight title in the main event. If you’ve been paying attention, it should come as no surprise. Win or lose, as Evans tells it, she’s never been more ready than now to announce her supremacy.

If you can’t make it live, catch 2024 PWA Black Label Colosseum for free on PWA’s YouTube channel on October 12 at 5am ET/8pm AET and October 13 1am ET/4pm AET.

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Sobriety and Wrestling: A Place To Belong

Jon Moxley makes his emotional return after taking away from AEW to fight his addiction.

Sobriety and Wrestling: A Place To Belong

Jon Moxley makes his emotional return after taking away from AEW to fight his addiction.
All Elite Wrestling fans warmly welcome back Jon Moxley, celebrating his courage to grapple with addiction. (Photo by JayLee Media)

TEXT BY KRISTEN ASHLY

SIX YEARS AGO, I decided to stop drinking and using drugs.

I spent 15 years (half of my life) wasting any and all potential I had on numbing my emotions and stuffing my pain. Addiction stole everything from me: education, careers, family, friends, freedom, and my future. June 10, 2016—a little over two months after my 30th birthday—I decided I’d had enough loss for one lifetime, and started to rebuild from the bottom up by sobering up.

In the following two years, I still experienced many setbacks. I was selfish and self-centered. And focusing solely on myself created a hole so big I didn’t feel like I could ask anyone for help. The storm kept raging, but, somehow, I kept sober. In AA, they tell you as long as you have your sobriety, anything is possible.

Jon Moxley makes his emotional return after taking away from AEW to fight his addiction.
Jon Moxley addresses AEW fans in his first appearance after working to get clean and sober. (Photo by JayLee Media)

In August 2018, after spending two years of sobriety completely miserable, I decided I had to be honest with myself and everyone else—even if I didn’t think they needed the truth—and the end result was beautiful. I recouped everything I had lost, plus more. I was starting to see the sun behind the clouds. Working a 12-step program while also being miserably sober was not what I wanted out of life … I needed more.

Around the same time I was getting my act together, I started writing for various wrestling websites. I only became a wrestling fan in 2014, through my family’s insistence. And, ultimately, I only started writing about wrestling after being recruited by a friend. But, with my background in sports journalism, I felt at ease writing about the athletes who put their bodies on the line every day for our entertainment—especially the female wrestlers, who, from day one, had obviously been treated as “less than.”

As you can imagine, almost every addict has a story about “not fitting in,” and I am no different. I’ve never felt like I belonged anywhere; always on the outside looking in at what addicts call “normies”—people who have never felt the cold draft of addiction, the demon on their shoulder waiting for one false move. However, throughout the past four years or so of writing wrestling news and opinion, I have found myself more and more at home among the fans, media members, and wrestlers.

Creating lifelong friendships, a solid support system, a strong circle of friends, mentorships, and even a romantic relationship, I found a place where I felt like I could be myself and let my guard down; something I hadn’t done in years. In every social sphere, you’ll find hate and toxicity. But I found my crowd.

Still, I had trouble reconciling who I was in the past and the struggles I was facing in the present with those around me. I had told a few friends close to me about who I was back then—most of whom were not able to picture that version of Kristen—and everyone was kind and understanding. But I still felt like I was on the outside, looking in at those who had not experienced the hardships I had.

Most of these friends were either always sober, never had an addiction problem, or couldn’t understand the concept. These were friends, but they couldn’t relate. Most people can’t relate, and it’s never been a prerequisite for new friendships. Still, something was missing: representation and complete understanding.

The more I watched shows, covered news, and began to personally interact with wrestlers, the more I realized that sobriety was not a new concept in wrestling. In prior generations of wrestling, addiction was so prevalent it killed off countless bright and talented athletes. It cut short so many promising futures. And those who it didn’t kill still struggled with life-long illnesses … a reality I was always one relapse away from.

The wrestlers of today saw that pain, and many didn’t need to learn the hard way to stay clean. Those I related to most, however, were those who, like me, had to go through hell to see the light.

William Regal, a man so many in wrestling fight to call their mentor, wrote the autobiography Walking a Golden Mile, which details his own struggles with alcoholism, describing experience that so closely related to mine that it was like reading my own story.

Eddie Kingston has publicly said in interviews and during promos that he had to fight away his own demons, which threatened to take away his freedom. Man, did those revelations ring true to my own life!

Nick Gage has been to hell and back, including prison. I have my own history of jail time. Seeing how beloved Gage is, how his strength is celebrated, gave me strength.

In Jon Moxley’s autobiography, Mox, the reigning AEW World champion also detailed a family history that looked familiar. And, without even having to say it, I knew he was a kindred spirit. Last November, Moxley checked himself into rehab for alcoholism.

The public nature of that struggle, the positive reaction from fans, coworkers, and Tony Khan, and the triumphant return gave me hope. I had hope that not only was I not weird or different, but that there was hope for me to stay sober and make something of myself.

If Regal, Kingston, Gage, and Moxley could do it, couldn’t I? Couldn’t I stay sober and do great things?

And they weren’t the only ones, were they? Kylie Rae, Saraya, Dustin Rhodes, Shawn Michaels, Alicia Fox: all incredibly public with their struggles, all having the ability to inspire me to do more.

It’s hard to be this vulnerable when writing for a very historic publication. Every wound opened both inspires others and draws ire. But writing this has also opened a flood of emotion that I so clearly needed to feel. Healing starts with honesty. Those brutally honest wrestlers have taught me that.

It took a long journey of searching and scratching before I found a place I called home. Six years after getting sober, I still often struggle with fitting in and finding like-minded people outside of an AA meeting. Wrestling, though, gave me that home. Those who share their struggles and celebrate their victories have given me hope and strength that I didn’t think would ever come from a sport.

This is my thank-you letter to every person I have encountered during my career in wrestling who has been kind, understanding, and supportive. More than that, it’s a letter of sincere gratitude to every wrestler who has had the strength to tell their story. Your truths have given me a place to stay when I feel cold and alone.

I laugh as I write this last paragraph, because I know that if this was hand-written, it would be illegible from the sheer amount of tears I’ve spilled writing this. I’m so lucky to have stumbled onto wrestling. I’m so lucky to know where I belong.