Family duo MJ Eagles and Michael Spencer are ready to take to the ring for PWA’s Prize Fight at Thirroul. Photo: MJ Eagles/Michael Spencer.
A wrestling family legacy will rile up Illawarra crowds and bring life to the ring at a pro wrestling event set to showcase extreme athleticism, showmanship and entertainment.
MJ Eagles has been surrounded by wrestling her whole life.
The 19-year-old is the daughter of one of Australia’s greatest female wrestlers – Madison Eagles, and many family members and friends are also involved in the sport.
But it was only a couple of years ago that MJ considered giving it a go.
“I didn’t really think about it much because it was just everyday life for me when I was growing up,” MJ said.
“I felt that I kind of wanted to do something with my life and I had a talk to one of the wrestlers, Paris de Silva, and he was like, ‘Why don’t you try wrestling?’
“Then I feel like I actually thought about it for the first time and said, ‘Wow, actually this would be a really fun thing to do.”
She started going to the gym every day to prepare and was thrown in the deep end with her first attempt just a few months later.
“I wasn’t the most athletically inclined person but I did like the drama and the storytelling and that sort of aspect of wrestling,” MJ said.
“But I had to overcome the hurdle of actually becoming strong.”
MJ made her debut in July and has quickly become popular in the sport. Photo: New Photography Studios.
That combination of performance and athleticism is part of what has kept her step-dad Michael Spencer coming back to the ring for more than a decade.
“For me it’s not only the entertainment and the character work of it all, which is a big, big part of it because obviously we want people to be entertained, but I really enjoy just getting in the ring and doing the actual physical work,” he said.
“I’m very athletic; I like to move, I like to actually do the work.
“It’s the mix of sport and drama, a bit of dance, a lot of showmanship which I’ve grown to embrace more.”
Although he was initially a bit surprised when MJ decided to follow in the family footsteps, the whole experience has brought them closer together, with the pair both involved in a number of events together since MJ’s debut.
“She didn’t let on that she wanted to be a wrestler or anything but obviously I’m going to support her whatever she wants to do,” he said.
Michael Spencer has been entertaining crowds for years. Photo: Britt Andrews Photography.
That supportive environment has flowed through the entire pro wrestling community, with the sport that’s known for throwing down actually dedicated to lifting others up.
“I have connexin 26 which is a genetic hearing loss and I think at first we thought it might be an issue but everyone at training’s so supportive and it’s just like a family,” MJ said.
“Even training is so inclusive and all the coaches are amazing and understanding, so I feel kind of blessed to be a part of PWA.
“If people have disabilities like me, I’m hearing impaired, or some people have other physical health problems, and we have LGBTQ+ people at training, and I never hear anything negative.
“We get people of all walks of life and all backgrounds and we just try to be very inclusive as much as we can,” Michael said.
“We’re all just here because we want to wrestle and love wrestling; we all want to lift each other up and make each other the best they can be.”
Michael and MJ have been brought closer through pro wrestling events and performances. Photo: MJ Eagles.
Now MJ and Michael are set to be part of a stellar line-up performing in front of a home crowd when PWA comes to Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul for Prize Fight.
While they’re expecting some dedicated, regular fans, there could also be some familiar faces for the first time.
“When I’m in Sydney, it’s like OK I’m in front of a new crowd, I don’t have to be as stressed,” MJ said.
“But performing in front of your friends and people you know, you’re a little more nervous about it.”
“Once I go through that curtain, I’m not thinking about who’s out there,” Michael said.
“Usually if you have friends or family who aren’t wrestling fans that come watch they’re like, ‘Woah, that’s what you do? That wasn’t what I was expecting!”
The line-up is set to excite even the newest wrestling fans, with crowds encouraged to embrace the interactive, loud and invigorating atmosphere.
“Fun, entertainment, hard hitting, high-flying action,” Michael said.
“We’ve got championship matches; heavyweight championship is the main event; we’ve got a tag team tables match which is where one team has to put someone from the other team through a table to win.”
“We’ve got some tournament matches; there’s two different tournament matches which is for a different championship down the line.”
“I’m in a four-way, so I’m wrestling three other people,” MJ said.
“It’ll be a challenge but I’m dedicated.
“It’s all-ages, it’s a family event, so I think it will definitely be a fun Saturday night outing.
“Even non-wrestling fans, it’s something different to spice up your week.”
PWA’s Prize Fight will be on Saturday 26 September at 8 pm, tickets are available now through Anita’s Theatre website.
