WWE has shown that the UK and Europe are flush with talented wrestlers. It’s a fact. Becky Lynch’s arrival into NXT pathed the way for the likes of Piper Niven, Nick Cross, and Kay Lee Ray. The UK and Euro are now.
But not every women’s wrestler has a fat contract. Many talented women are making a name for themselves in the indies. This list looks to highlight just a tiny sample of what the UK and the rest of Europe have to offer. Some are gravity-defying high flyers, goofy party-animals, all the way to second-generation wrestlers. They are all women you should know about.
Charlie Morgan
If you punch Charlie Morgan into YouTube, you’ll find a bold declaration. A Pro-Wrestling EVE video, the title in blistering all-caps THE FEMALE JEFF HARDY. While the comparison to Hardy may feel clickbaity, a few minutes into the video, or any of Morgan’s matches for that matter, you will quickly see the comparison is entirely apt.
Dubbed as ‘fearless,’ Morgan has earned a reputation as a high flyer known for throwing caution to the wind and never compromising who she is as a person. The aforementioned video is one of Morgan’s crowning moments as a wrestler, her EVE World Championship Title win against Sammii Jayne, which involved a 20ft Swanton off a balcony.
Sadly Morgan’s career came to an abrupt end in 2019. After sustaining a broken foot at her debut for Shimmer, Morgan announced her retirement, thinking she would never wrestle again.
But like most wrestling retirements Morgan’s was not permanent. Returning to huge fanfare in August last year, Charlie is back and looking to make a huge impression. As an out a proud wrestler Morgan proudly wears the rainbow flag to the ring. She wears herLGTBQ+ on her sleeve to serve as a reminder that you should never hide who you are. She truly is fearless.
Laura Di Matteo
An Italian superstar Laura Di Matteo has become a staple amongst the women’s roster of wrestling promotions across the UK. With a unique hybrid style, Di Matteo is a ground-based and high-flying wrestler rolled into one. A firecracker of a wrestler who deserves more recognition.
Breaking ground Di Matteo has also taken part in various inter-gender matches. Her match with Chris Brookes for Defiant is definitely worth checking out. A match type that is often hard to navigate due to social issues of violence against women, Di Matteo has shown she has the talent to turn this difficult subject into a compelling story.
As of this date, Di Matteo is the proud holder of Pro Wrestling Eve’s Intercontinental Championship and has recently teamed up with Hyan to take on The Hex for RevPro.
Session Moth Martina
If you are up for some fun, what her fellow countrymen and women refer to as a wee bit o’ craic, look no further than Session Moth Martina.
The Session Moth is a play on the Irish party-lass. The kind of girl who spends her Saturday night downing pints, dancing to trance, and can be found at the end of the night outside a kebab shop with half a Donna on the floor the other across her face. Martina’s gimmick is unquestionably 10/10. More impressive is how astutely she plays off a stereotype without coming across as mean-spirited or offensive.
Channeling this persona into her in-ring work, Martina bounces to the ring, beer in hand and high-jinx ensure. It could be getting her opponent to dance, grinding on a ref, but it’s all great fun.
@mothfromdaflats is still amazing @CharlieMorganuk pic.twitter.com/0UC0dJeBUV — Katie Jackson 🏳️🌈 (@stingray250) February 21, 2022
The Queen of Moth Style is no slouch in the ring either. Her wrestling skills have landed her a WWE tryout, which she passed on to become the first Irish woman signed to Ring of Honor. She also holds Over The Top Wrestling’s Gender-Neutral Championship. Her positioning on the cards of multiple promotions is a testament to her skills as a wrestler.
KEEP CALM & JAGERBOMB 🍻🍻🍻 pic.twitter.com/PYYWnwr6am — Session Moth Martina🍻 マーティナセッション (@mothfromdaflats) August 12, 2019
At the very least, you should follow Martina on Twitter. When she’s not demanding a match with Stone Cold, she is crushing on John Cena and sliding into his DMs. The Session Moth is a well-rounded combo of charisma and wrestling ability. A star in and out the ring.
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Xia Brookside
I’d be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t mention at least one wrestler from my hometown of Liverpool.
I first saw Xia Brookside as a fresh young rookie with a little over a year in the business. Facing Kay Lee Ray and Carmel in a triple threat match for Insane Championship Wrestling back in 2017. Battling a soon-to-be NXT UK Women’s Champion for, at the time, the hottest promotion in the UK, Xia was certainly thrown in at the deep end. In the coming years, she has risen to the challenge into a capable wrestler.
Xia comes from UK wrestling royalty, a second-generation wrestler trained by her father, Robbie Brookside, a longtime friend and tag team partner of William Regal. She has built out from her father’s lessons and is now tearing it up on NXT UK and the local UK indie scene. A true workhorse.
This list is by no means an exhaustive one. There are hundreds more women just as skilled, just as talented, all worthy of praise. Who are some of your favorite UK and EU wrestlers that people should know more about? Let us know. Sound off in the comments. We love hearing from you.
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