Referee Hannah
Photo: Lauren Moulton Designs
During every great wrestling match, there is always one extra person in the ring who is often overlooked. That person being a referee. The referee is there to enforce the rules, elevate the story being told, assist with communication & ultimately determine a winner.
In the past refereeing was very much a male-dominated field. However, much like we have seen in all sports, women are beginning to make a name for themselves as referees in the world of professional wrestling. Over in the United States, we're seeing people like Aubrey Edwards in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) & Jessika Carr in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Back here at home, one young lady who is leading the charge for female referees in Australia is Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA) & Newcastle Pro Wrestling's (Newy Pro) Referee Hannah.
Speaking to Pario recently Hannah told us how a terrifying injury ended her dreams of becoming a wrestler but set her on a path that was perhaps her destiny all along.
After discovering wrestling late at the age of 15 years old, via her Uncles, Hannah quickly became enraptured by the spectacle of it all.
"One of my Uncles was actually the person who took me to my first Newy Pro show & ever since then I've loved watching it, especially watching live," Hannah told Pario. "As soon as I found wrestling I jumped in very quickly & haven't looked back."
As soon as Hannah found live wrestling in Newcastle she knew she wanted to be involved. At first, Hannah dreamed of stepping into the squared circle as a wrestler but less than a year into her training a terrifying injury abruptly ended that dream.
"In August of 2020 I tore my carotid artery," revealed Hannah. "Thankfully it was only a small tear so it didn't require surgery or anything, but the doctors told me I could not wrestle anymore."
Whilst learning that her wrestling career was over before it had ever really begun was initially devastating Hannah didn't let that get in the way of achieving her dream of behind involved in wrestling. It was at this point that Hannah shifted all of her focus & passion into becoming a full-time referee, which she later realised was perhaps the role she was destined for.
"Refereeing wasn't what I started out wanting to do but I don't regret the transition at all. Looking back on it now refereeing is a bit of a family thing for me. My Pop was a soccer referee, my Mum referees netball, my Aunty does touch football & I umpired netball for several years before starting wrestling. So it feels like that role is what we as a family are meant to be doing... Even if the doctors told me that my injury was fully healed & I could wrestle again I don't think I would because I'm way more passionate in my refereeing role."
Although Hannah doesn't like to be defined by her gender she is incredibly grateful for the opportunities she has been afforded. In particular, the past year has seen her booked on many more shows than she perhaps would have been as a wrestler. The most memorable of these bookings was as the referee for the main event Steel Cage Match between Mat Diamond & Dazza at Newcastle City Hall.
"I never could have imagined being involved in a cage match as a wrestler in any way," said Hannah. "Steel cage matches are not something that you see a lot, so the fact that I got to be involved in that is really cool. That match was also the first time I refereed a match where the title changed hands. So it was definitely a very impactful match for me."
Looking to the future Hannah's dream is to referee either interstate or internationally, even though that can be difficult because "referees are not someone you put on the poster."
Keep up with Hannah on social media at: @RefereeHannah
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