Alexis Marvin
Page 10
March 2016
Madi : Senior shares her journey Maxx in becoming a pro wrestler
Alexis Marvin spread editor
S
ince the age of eight, when Northwest senior Madisyn Spagnola attended a wrestling match with her father, she has loved pro wrestling. She enjoys watching it on television and even attending independent shows in Greensboro. To the surprise of many, Spagnola is a paid professional wrestler herself. Spagnola has been wrestling since the summer of 2015, when she began searching for schools where she could do her training. “I went online and looked for training schools,” Spagnola said. “When I was younger, I would search for every single wrestler and look at where they went to school.” In June, Spagnola discovered the United States Independent Wrestling Foundation (USIWF) training facility in Kernersville. She contacted Josh Gerry, general manager of USIWF, and told him what she was interested in doing. “Madisyn came to me and said she’d been a fan of women’s wrestling since she was around eight,” Gerry said. “She stated that she wanted to enter this business and wrestle.” At the time, she was under 18 and required a parent’s consent to allow her to train. Her mother and father agreed after sitting down and talking with Gerry. “Madisyn has gotten into pro wrestling at the right time, I believe,” Gerry said. Money tends to be what divides the line from pro wrestling and team wrestling, which schools like Northwest have. “As soon as you get your first paycheck, you’re considered a pro,” Spagnola said. “Once I become more established in the business, I can choose my price. Once that happens, I’ll charge between $50 and $100 per show, but right now I get between $20 and $50 depending on where I am.” Pro wrestling is a sport, but it is also a form of entertainment. Op
Photos contributed by Madisyn Spagnola
In these matches pictured above, senior Madisyn Spagnola conquers her opponents, already confident she will be the winner of each match. Spagnola has been a pro wrestler for USIWF since June of 2015.
ponents climb into the ring with a winner already picked. They talk to each other the whole time they are wrestling. “We put on a fighting show that is choreographed,” Spagnola said. “The moves are supposed to be safe, but they can be scary.” The players are always thinking about what they’re going to do next, how they’re going to get the crowd involved and how they’re going to make it look good, according to Spagnola.
“It’s like acting, but we beat each other up.” There were a few things Spagnola had to overcome initially in order to become more involved in the sport. “I was intimidated to start because everyone at my training school was a boy and they’d been training a lot longer than I had,” Spagnola said. Another issue that Spagnola encountered was the fact that she was so much younger than every-
one else at the facility, being only 17 at the time. “I’m also small, so everyone was--and still is--bigger than me. It’s hard because people underestimate you,” Spagnola said. Spagnola prefers to look at the more optimistic side of things, though. “People compliment you all the time,” Spagnola said. “It’s so different because it’s like you’re famous for a little while.” Spagnola is always looking for
ways to improve herself and her technique. “I watch WWE every week and go to independent shows. It helps me learn new moves,” Spagnola said. “When I go to indie shows, I peek backstage and talk to the wrestlers and it helps me learn new things and it’s fun to watch.” Not only does she watch other people doing her sport, but she also throws herself into her training. For four hours a day, four days a week, she practices new moves and learns new ways to entertain the crowd while making the whole show look realistic. “I wrestle against both girls and boys,” Spagnola said. “The moves are choreographed to what makes sense.” In the past, women in pro wrestling have been seen as sexual objects, but that stereotype is evolving along with the profession. “Women have started to become more of an equal attraction on pro wrestling events,” Gerry said. “The idea of women wrestling men has taken hold lately and there are several female competitors that do so on a regular basis.” Even though Spagnola is a female, that does not necessarily mean she is treated differently from the males. “She wrestles, gets hit, and hits back just like any other trainee I have,” Gerry said. Spagnola has become very popular with all age and gender groups at the events she attends, according to Gerry. Spagnola has some dreams of her own when it comes to pro wrestling. Even though she wants to go to college, she will remain wrestling as a pro for as long as she can. “People look at me and they don’t think I fight people every day, but I’m committed,” Spagnola said. “My goal is to be on TV for this.” Spagnola’s committment has brought her this far and will continue giving her new opportunities. Not only is Spagnola aware of what she wants for her future, but she also encourages others to find their calling as well. “Follow your dream,” Spagnola said. “It’s scary, but do it.”
March 2016
Madi : Senior shares her journey Maxx in becoming a pro wrestler
Alexis Marvin spread editor
S
ince the age of eight, when Northwest senior Madisyn Spagnola attended a wrestling match with her father, she has loved pro wrestling. She enjoys watching it on television and even attending independent shows in Greensboro. To the surprise of many, Spagnola is a paid professional wrestler herself. Spagnola has been wrestling since the summer of 2015, when she began searching for schools where she could do her training. “I went online and looked for training schools,” Spagnola said. “When I was younger, I would search for every single wrestler and look at where they went to school.” In June, Spagnola discovered the United States Independent Wrestling Foundation (USIWF) training facility in Kernersville. She contacted Josh Gerry, general manager of USIWF, and told him what she was interested in doing. “Madisyn came to me and said she’d been a fan of women’s wrestling since she was around eight,” Gerry said. “She stated that she wanted to enter this business and wrestle.” At the time, she was under 18 and required a parent’s consent to allow her to train. Her mother and father agreed after sitting down and talking with Gerry. “Madisyn has gotten into pro wrestling at the right time, I believe,” Gerry said. Money tends to be what divides the line from pro wrestling and team wrestling, which schools like Northwest have. “As soon as you get your first paycheck, you’re considered a pro,” Spagnola said. “Once I become more established in the business, I can choose my price. Once that happens, I’ll charge between $50 and $100 per show, but right now I get between $20 and $50 depending on where I am.” Pro wrestling is a sport, but it is also a form of entertainment. Op
Photos contributed by Madisyn Spagnola
In these matches pictured above, senior Madisyn Spagnola conquers her opponents, already confident she will be the winner of each match. Spagnola has been a pro wrestler for USIWF since June of 2015.
ponents climb into the ring with a winner already picked. They talk to each other the whole time they are wrestling. “We put on a fighting show that is choreographed,” Spagnola said. “The moves are supposed to be safe, but they can be scary.” The players are always thinking about what they’re going to do next, how they’re going to get the crowd involved and how they’re going to make it look good, according to Spagnola.
“It’s like acting, but we beat each other up.” There were a few things Spagnola had to overcome initially in order to become more involved in the sport. “I was intimidated to start because everyone at my training school was a boy and they’d been training a lot longer than I had,” Spagnola said. Another issue that Spagnola encountered was the fact that she was so much younger than every-
one else at the facility, being only 17 at the time. “I’m also small, so everyone was--and still is--bigger than me. It’s hard because people underestimate you,” Spagnola said. Spagnola prefers to look at the more optimistic side of things, though. “People compliment you all the time,” Spagnola said. “It’s so different because it’s like you’re famous for a little while.” Spagnola is always looking for
ways to improve herself and her technique. “I watch WWE every week and go to independent shows. It helps me learn new moves,” Spagnola said. “When I go to indie shows, I peek backstage and talk to the wrestlers and it helps me learn new things and it’s fun to watch.” Not only does she watch other people doing her sport, but she also throws herself into her training. For four hours a day, four days a week, she practices new moves and learns new ways to entertain the crowd while making the whole show look realistic. “I wrestle against both girls and boys,” Spagnola said. “The moves are choreographed to what makes sense.” In the past, women in pro wrestling have been seen as sexual objects, but that stereotype is evolving along with the profession. “Women have started to become more of an equal attraction on pro wrestling events,” Gerry said. “The idea of women wrestling men has taken hold lately and there are several female competitors that do so on a regular basis.” Even though Spagnola is a female, that does not necessarily mean she is treated differently from the males. “She wrestles, gets hit, and hits back just like any other trainee I have,” Gerry said. Spagnola has become very popular with all age and gender groups at the events she attends, according to Gerry. Spagnola has some dreams of her own when it comes to pro wrestling. Even though she wants to go to college, she will remain wrestling as a pro for as long as she can. “People look at me and they don’t think I fight people every day, but I’m committed,” Spagnola said. “My goal is to be on TV for this.” Spagnola’s committment has brought her this far and will continue giving her new opportunities. Not only is Spagnola aware of what she wants for her future, but she also encourages others to find their calling as well. “Follow your dream,” Spagnola said. “It’s scary, but do it.”
