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When you think of Australia, Professional Wrestling probably won’t pop up in your mind as the most popular entertainment. That is true – in Australia it is just a small part of Australian culture. Visit here to see popular attractions that are truly Australian in nature.
There are just 30 small and independent circuit promotions that exist only in Northern territory. If we compare this with Japan or North America, they have globally renowned organizations like WWE, Impact Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, AEW, etc., with numerous promotions. Hopefully, the face of Australian professional Wrestling will change soon, and we will get to see more wrestlers from Australia.
There is a lot of interest in the Australian wrestling scene with the launch of the WWE Network. Wrestling fans have been introduced to a variety of wrestling styles from all around the world, and in doing so, have gained a greater appreciation for the skills of wrestlers from other parts of the globe.
As professional Wrestling is not that popular in Australia, the wrestlers originating there have struggled very much to get international recognition. Some of the names that have made Australia proud on a global level include –
- Australian wrestler Peter Stilbury got to enter WWF in the mid-1980s with the name ‘Outback Jack’
- Nathan Jones appeared twice in WWE at Survivor Series and WrestleMania XIX in the year 2003. He was the first one to perform on WWE pay-per-view event
- In 2014, Tenille Dashwood got a chance to perform at a WWE pay-per-view event.
- Buddy Murphy went to NXT in the year 2014 and defeated Lucha Dragons to win the NXT championship.
- Toni Storm defeated Zelia Vega and made her debut in WWE SmackDown.
Let us talk about them in brief:
- Peter Silbury
The Australian Wrestler Peter Stilbury made his debut in WWF with the name Outback Jack in the mid-1980s. The name Outback Jack was chosen due to its popularity in the Australian film Crocodile Dundee. Peter Stilbury hyped his debut with several pictures of Jack in the wilds of Australian Outback, and his theme song for coming down to the ring was “Tie Me kAngaroo Down, Sport” by Rolf Harris. Peter Silbury has defeated big superstars like Iron Sheik(former WWE champion) and Nikolai Volkoff
- Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones made two appearances in WWE in the year 2003 at Survivor Series and WrestleMania XIX. In the same year, Nathan Jones became the first Australian Wrestler to perform in a WWE pay-per-view event. He is also an actor, strongman, and powerlifting champion. In World Wrestling All-Stars, Jones won the WWA Heavyweight Championship. In the championship, he did performances on pay-per-views.
- Tenille Dashwood
WWE signed Tenille Dashwood in 2011. She was from Melbourne and debuted as ‘ clumsy dancer Emma’ and then uplifted to the main roster. In 2014, Tenille Dashwood became the second Australian Wrestler to perform in WWE pay-per-views. Dashwood is the first female Wrestler (Australia) signed by WWE and was active in the NXT division, SmackDown, and Raw. She even competed for ‘Ring of Honor.’ Tenille Dashwood wrestled in North America and Australia in independent circuits for promotions like shimmer women athletes and elite Canadian championship wrestling with the name ‘Tenille Tayla.’
- Buddy Murphy
Buddy Murphy’s WWE career started in 2013. His television debut was on May 15, 2014, on NTX in collaboration with Elias Samson. In 2014, Buddy began teaming with Blake, and in 2015, both of them scored a victory against Vaudevillains and then defeated Lucha dragons. Afterward, they won the NXT Tag Team Championship. Buddy Murphy was the first Australian Wrestler to win a championship in WWE. In 2018, Buddy joined the Cruiserweight division and took part in the Cruiserweight title tournament.
- Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley participated in Mae Young Classic in 2017 with the name ‘Demi Bennett.’ She became the first Australian woman wrestler to win a WWE-controlled title by defeating Toni Storm. Rhea Ripley made her pay-per-views appearance in 2019 at Royal Rumble.
Conclusion
Many more Australian wrestlers have out-shined on the international platforms and made the Australianwrestling committee proud. It would be best if you continued to enjoy the Australian talent that is out there. We feel that the Australian wrestling scene is indeed alive and kicking. So many talented wrestlers from Australia have gone overseas and have had the chance to shine on the international platform. As mentioned in the article, there is a growing Australian wrestling scene.