'The Smash Hit' Joel Bateman
Founding a brand new wrestling company in the midst of a global pandemic was always going to be tough, but add to that the difficulty of placing deathmatch at the core of the promotion & Deathmatch Downunder (DMDU) owner Joel Bateman had a tough task on hand. Despite this Joel told Pario that there was "no time like the present" & that he "wouldn't have had it any other way."
As a deathmatch wrestler himself, Joel is no stranger to pushing through pain & overcoming adversity. According to Joel the key to succeeding against all odds simply comes down to mindset, whether that be in business or when covered in blood in the middle of the ring. Looking at the photos of Joel post-match one might ask what would make somebody want to put themselves through that, & how does somebody discover this style of wrestling? We asked Joel this very question, to which he responded by saying, "I've always loved bloody wrestling, even if it's not hardcore stuff. I've always liked really gory matches because they have that heightened sense of stakes & emotion." When it comes to deathmatches specifically Joel said, "I love the theatricality, the consequence, the high stakes & the spectacle of it all. I've always loved horror movies, so the bloodlust is there too."
Joel told Pario that he competed in his first deathmatch at just 15 or 16 years of age & was instantly hooked despite the nerves pre-match.
"I did a couple of matches in South Australia which had barbed wire & stuff like that... There were tons of nerves before that first deathmatch though because I was going in relatively sight unseen, but it was great fun & from that very first one I was hooked."
Whilst the matches are physically demanding Joel says all deathmatch wrestlers make peace with the cuts, bruises & scars that are inflicted upon their bodies. For Joel, it is the mental aspect of this style of wrestling that is the most exhausting.
"It takes a lot of mental energy & mental preparation to get yourself ready for what you are going to go through. That is where the exhaustion comes from... In a normal wrestling match if you aren't 100% in the moment or focused you can hurt somebody but in a deathmatch the stakes are higher because there are elements that are legitimately dangerous. If you make a mistake in a key moment of a deathmatch it’s not 'Oh I'm going to be sore tomorrow, it's oh shit we need to go to the hospital because this person might die!'"
Bearing that in mind Joel takes his role as a deathmatch veteran very seriously, particularly when it comes to allowing a wrestler to participate in their first deathmatch at DMDU. Before any wrestler is allowed to take part in a deathmatch in DMDU they must first have a series of conversations with Joel to ensure they are in it for the right reasons. Safety is paramount for Joel & DMDU, which is why they have implemented an extensive list of safety measures to ensure all of the competitors are as safe as possible.
"We pay paramedics to come to every show. We have a treatment team on standby. With all of the deathmatches we have 2-3 wrestlers around the ring with tape & towels, just in case something goes wrong. We have a mental health officer. All of the management team have first aid certification. We are the only wrestling promotion in Australia, as far as I know, that mandates blood testing for all of its wrestlers. Deathmatch or otherwise we require a blood test every 6 months, but for deathmatches specifically that is reduced to every 3 months. We do all of this because if we are going to do something as dangerous as deathmatch wrestling we need to show that we are doing it safely."
Physical safety wasn't the only area where the team from DMDU wanted to bring about a positive change in the Australian wrestling industry. From their very inception, DMDU implemented an Acknowledgement Of Country & also included the pronouns of all of their wrestlers in the entrance graphics.
"As a First Nations man the Acknowledgement Of Country was something that was super important to me," said Joel. "It's really not hard. It's a sign of respect & literally the least anybody can do.
"The pronouns were also something that we wanted to do as a management team. We all come from different walks of life & experiences. We wanted to make sure that everyone, whether that's a wrestler, a fan, staff or auxiliary talent all feel welcome at DMDU. We're all fans of this big geeky, stupid thing called wrestling. Why we wouldn't try to include as many people who like the same stupid thing as we do boggles my mind. DMDU is a place to come & forget about the real world for a few hours. You can come to our shows & be the person that you want to be."
Obviously implementing all of these measures has helped DMDU build a very loyal & understanding fanbase, even when shows have needed to be regularly postponed because of the pandemic.
"We've had to move dates 4 times in 8 months because we simply can't run these shows with 50-person caps or we'd be losing thousands of dollars per show," explained Joel. "We have the most understanding fanbase, there have been very few refunds requested when we had to move dates & those are typically only from people who simply can't make the new date because of family commitments or border closures."
Once DMDU is able to return with a live show they will be coming back with their most ambitious event to date, the Death Rules Everything Around Me (D.R.E.A.M) Deathmatch Tournament. An event that Joel described as his "magnum opus" of wrestling.
"For me personally this tournament is all I've ever wanted since I watched King Of The Deathmatches in 1995. So to be able to put this tournament on under a promotional banner rather than just as a one-off standalone show is super super special."
Frustratingly for Joel though the latest pandemic-induced delay means he will no longer be able to compete in the tournament due to the imminent birth of his child. "I have to withdraw from this one because my baby is due 8 days after the tournament. I can't do a deathmatch & be in the condition that you are afterwards with a newborn."
According to Joel, the pressure on this tournament is immense, "before the tournament has even happened we have a bit of recognition both domestically & internationally, so the pressure is on for the participants to show up & show out! As a company we won't be half-arsing this, we've already got well over 1000 light tubes for this tournament & there is an almost $3000 bill just for weapons."
Looking ahead Joel has set his sights on bringing Australian deathmatch legend Lobo out of retirement for one last match & many more international talents.
"When the world opens back up you will see an influx of international deathmatch talent coming to Australia!"
Keep up with Joel on social media at: @TheSmash_Hit
Support Pario Magazine
Become A Publisher
$5 / Month
- Name Added To Publisher List
- Physical Print Issue
- Early Access
