by Dynamo Allan Sko
It’s a damn fine time to be a Professional Wrestling fan. AEW’s game-changing explosion onto the scene in 2019 broke WWE’s 23-year monopoly on the industry, forcing WWE to produce some of the best wrestling the company’s history.
And Australia’s surging too, going from test-of- strength to test-of-strength, exemplified by the world-class wrestling about to descend on Canberra, when SLAM! Pro Wrestling rocks the National Convention Centre on Saturday, 16 December with the biggest indie event in Australia’s history.
In a night of Firsts, a kaleidoscope of high-octane match types await. The best pro wrestlers from around the country will jockey and jive in the centre of the ring, competing in a $10,000 invitational over-the-top-rope Battle Royale. There will also be… Hold on a minute, folks…
<puts fingers to earpiece> I’m just getting word from my broadcast colleague, Spitz MacKenzie, that he’s managed to track down a very special guest. We’ll cross to him live now… Spitz, you there?
SPITZ MACKENZIE: Yes, Allan. Joining me at this time is SLAM! Board of Directors Mark Riley. Mark, to those looking to check out the glittering world of live wrestling first-hand, tell us a bit about the history of SLAM!
MARK RILEY: Since its debut event in 2021, SLAM! quickly became entrenched in Canberra culture as one of the hottest pieces of live entertainment, and the premier pro wrestling experience, in the southern hemisphere.
SPITZ: It’s been an exciting time for Australian wrestling fans, especially those here in Canberra. What can people expect on 16 December at the National Convention Centre?
MARK: It’s going to be a night of firsts! The SLAM! Championship will be defended inside Canberra’s first steel cage match!
SPITZ: Speaking of firsts, I believe there’s something special in store to show off SLAM!’s thriving women’s division.
MARK: The two top-ranked female wrestlers will compete to crown the first-ever SLAM! Women’s champion.
SPITZ: That, of course, being the Unstoppable Force of Kingsley meeting the Immovable Object of Gymbro Jesse, two of the country’s most dynamic competitors.
Mr Riley, I know you’re extremely busy putting this all together, so we’ll finish with this. I’m talking tag-team wrestling; what does 16 December have in store for the two-team hometown throwdown?
MARK: We have the tag-team rematch of the century when The Natural Classics take on The Velocities… With the SLAM! Tag Team championships on the line!
SPITZ: O, the humanity! Mark, thank you for your time.
Thank you, Spitz, and it’s all happening right now as I’ve just got word from my other colleague, Penne Raquette, who has managed to grab some time with the no.1 contender for the big belt, the pride and hope of Canberra, The Hope From The Top Rope himself, Lightning Luke Watts. Over to you, Penne.
PENEE RAQUETTE: Thank you, Allan. Joining me at this time is the No 1 for SLAM’s top prize, the SLAM! Belt, Lightning Luke. Luke, thanks for taking the time to chat to us.
LUKE WATTS: My pleasure.
PENEE: Luke, you’ve had a glittering career filled with many highs and some lows but now you’re competing in one of the biggest matches of your career. This has been a long time coming, hasn’t it?
LUKE: Thanks, Penee. I had my first match at the Turner PCYC right here in the nation’s capital in 2004. The 16th of December will mark 20 years since my pro wrestling journey was first embarked upon.
PENEE: An amazing legacy in a challenging sport. In this time, you’ve competed worldwide. What does it mean to wrestle for SLAM!
LUKE: In 20 years of wrestling, in Australia and abroad, nothing compares to competing in a SLAM! ring. The SLAM! Pro Wrestling League never fails to bring the hardest-hitting, highest-flying wrestlers from the sport. The very best-of-the best in the grapple game are all trying and vying to get the gold.
PENEE: How do you keep yourself in peak condition for these high-profile matches?
LUKE: When The Hope From The Top Rope isn’t in the gym, he can be found at the SLAM! Pro Wrestling League Academy. The academy is the only world-class pro wrestling school in the Canberra region. I encourage all wrestling hopefuls to check it out.
PENEE: You have a big championship title match inside a steel cage against the Top Shelf Champ, Mikey Broderick. How do you feel leading into this highly anticipated matchup?
LUKE: I’ve been training my whole life for this moment. There will be a record breaking 1,000 plus in attendance, and all eyes will be on the steel cage championship match. I intend on proving to the SLAM! Fans and the world that The Hope From The Top Rope has the hold to get the gold and the pin to get the win.
PENEE: Your gusto is admirable, but it’s no mean feat.
LUKE: Don’t get me wrong, Penee. There’s a reason, many reasons, many damn good ones, why Mikey Broderick is at the top of the league. He is one of the most capable, agile, and ruthless competitors the sport has ever seen.
PENNE: Thank you, Luke. All the best for the bout. Back you to, Allan.
Yes, it’s a helluva Main Event for a helluva of a card.
Your WWEs and your AEWs are all well and good, but I know where I’ll be this Saturday, 16 December. The National Convention Centre; staring at the top
rope, with a heart filled with hope.
Rage in the Cage tickets available via Ticketek
