Lena Kross
Photo: Shotweiler Photography
Over the course of the past 2 years Western Australia has felt like it was a world away from us here on the East Coast of Australia. However, whilst much of the East Coast wrestling scene was shut down due to lockdown, wrestling in Western Australia was continuing relatively unabated, with one young lady making huge waves. Over this period Lena Kross elevated her status significantly by becoming the first ever woman to hold the prestigious New Horizons Pro Wrestling (NHPW) Art Of Fighting Championship.
Reflecting back on the title win Lena said it was an "amazing opportunity" to hold a title which has previously been held by the likes of Julian Ward, Michael Morleone, Adam Cole, Chris Vice & Homicide.
"Being the first female to hold that title & have my name alongside all of those names is a pretty cool thing," reflected Lena. "Being the first female & showing that we can do everything that guys can do on the same level is something that I really want to be able to do with wrestling."
Given her physical size Lena is the perfect athlete to prove that women can be just as good, if not better, than some of their male wrestling counterparts. Changing the perception of women in wrestling & removing the negative stigma attached to intergender wrestling is a major focus for Lena.
"I am 6 foot tall & probably look on par with most male wrestlers, "Lena explained to Pario. "So to me, I don't think believability is a thing which is relevant when I step into the ring with a male, it's more about telling a story."
Thankfully Lena is not alone in this thinking with intergender wrestling becoming much more common place both here in Australia & abroad.
"With the way wrestling is going I think there will be a lot more intergender opportunities. We're already seeing that when compared to 5-10 years ago, which is exciting because there are so many more things you can do story wise."
By removing gender boundaries within wrestling the talent on both sides of the spectrum are able to improve much faster as well. A fact which has been proven here on the East Coast at Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA). As Lena said, "PWA have been the front runners here in Australia, particularly when they announced that there would be no more gendered belts. They are doing such an amazing job with their talent, they are on a whole other level sometimes."
Witnessing the growth of the PWA female talent was one of the major factors behind Lena briefly relocating to Newcastle at the beginning of 2020. During her time in Newcastle Lena was able to wrestle people such as Steph De Lander (now Persia Pirotta in WWE), Shazza McKenzie, Jessica Troy & Kingsley - all of whom Lena has on her extensive target list for when she is able to return to the East Coast in 2022.
"Honestly I want to face anyone & everyone from PWA," Lena told Pario. "With Frankie B just debuting I'd love to step into the ring with her. Taking on Kingsley in a singles match would be really good because we've faced off in a tag match before but never a singles match. Jess Troy & I had 2 singles matches when I was over there, which in my eyes were really good matches & I think now 2 years later we could grow on that. Finally, I'd really like to step into the ring with Delta. She has come out blazing, so a big girl fight with her would be amazing."
Obviously having the world put on hold due to the pandemic was "disappointing", especially since it saw Lena missing out on an opportunity to wrestle in Japan. Despite this Lena has managed to keep a positive mindset.
"I've been pretty fortunate living in Perth where we've been able to live a relatively normal life without restrictions. So in regards to wrestling I've been able to wrestle a lot compared to Melbourne & Sydney."
Now as the world begins to open back up Lena said she is returning to the mindset which first saw her begin training, "you've got to take opportunities & do what you want, because at the end of the day you don't want to be 50, 60, 70 having regrets."
Lena first developed this mindset as a child watching wrestling with a dream which she initially felt was "impossible." However when Australian wrestler Tenille Dashwood made her way over the United States to wrestle for WWE Lena's "eyes were opened" to the fact that becoming a professional wrestler as an Australian was doable.
More recently the dream has become even more attainable in Lena's eyes after witnessing wrestlers she has competed against & trained with now living their dreams.
"At the moment with Persia, Indi Hartwell & Grayson Waller, who are all people I met here at independent shows, are all living their dream. Seeing that makes me so happy to see because their wins are shinning a light on what Australian wrestling can produce. I couldn't be happier for them. Their achievements are continuing to pave the path that Tenille started whilst also opening more doors for opportunities back here in Australia."
Closing out our conversation with Lena she revealed that she is excited to spread her wings & conquer new challenges outside of Western Australia.
"Honestly I think I've done a lot here in WA so I am ready to move on from here. Within NHPW I've held the Art Of Fighting Championship, which is the highest accolade there. I've held the IndyGurlz Championship since 2019. The opportunities that NHPW have given me are next to none, but I think in my journey now I would like move away from Perth & see what other places have to offer... Relocating is definitely something that I am trying to work through. You can definitely still get opportunities being based in Perth but I really want to be more accessible."
The ultimate dream for Lena would be to "travel the world & wrestle" which if that were to happen would allow her "to die happy."
Keep up with Lena on social media at: @Lena_Kross
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