Indy Spotlight: Shazza McKenzie

Yet another name has been announced for the huge PWWA show taking place on September 3rd at the Liverpool Masonic Center in Sydney, and it is a name that should be very familiar to anyone regularly checking out Australian Wrestling News and results on this site… Shazza McKenzie. But now is your chance to learn a little more about the bubbly and excitable superstar’s back story.

Shazza McKenzie began her training in September 2007 with the New South Wales based, Australasian Wrestling Federation (AWF). Almost an entire year later, at the end of August 2008, she debuted as a manager for Bluey Bonza and went on to wrestle her first match in September. That match was against another mainstay of the Australian scene, Harley Wonderland (then known as Alison Wonderland), a wrestler who go on to become one of the biggest rivals of her rookie year. In fact, Shazza even ended up defeating Wonderland for her first championship title in wrestling, the ICW Women’s Championship.

Making the jump to PWA Australia in early 2009 opened many doors and created even more opportunities for McKenzie. She also earned her stripes, wrestling in virtually every state in the country. During her time in Sydney, she also became engaged in a bitter feud with The Pink Ladies’ Jessie McKay. In Queensland, for PWA Queensland (PWAQ), Shazza and Jessie mended fences, and teamed together to become ‘The Mac Attack’, wrestling The Brotherhood’s female representatives Kellie Skater and Sway on several occasions. McKenzie classes their August 2009 tag bout as one of her all-time favourite encounters (you can view the match below). When pressed on other defining moments, she named her hard fought battle against Madison Eagles at PWWA’s ‘Last Woman Standing’ show and her match with Tenille Tayla at MCW’s Ballroom Brawl.

A move to Melbourne, Victoria was a fresh start for her. At first, she found it hard to wrestle to find a new home base wrestling-wise, as the scene was floundering and she found it hard to get frequent bookings. In the last year or so, this has really turned around and Shazza could not be happier. Melbourne City Wrestling (MCW) appeared on the scene with a bang, and its well regarded shows and strong talent base have given her much to work towards. Not content only to wrestle, McKenzie also manages Adelaide wrestler Rocky Menero… and in another moment that could possibly help to define her young career, she recently bested WWE developmental diva Tenille in what was described as her last ever Australian match. Always on the lookout for new opportunities, Shazza also appears regularly for Warzone Wrestling.

A ZUMBA instructor outside of wrestling, McKenzie uses her flexibility and speed to her advantage – with a wheelbarrow bulldog and a split-legged leg drop amongst her signature moves. She wins her matches via a ‘Shaztastic Stunner’ or a ‘Shazzadriver’ (Overdrive).

Shazza cites the main influences on her training as AWF’s Jay Law and Billy Flyswat, PWA’s Madison and Ryan Eagles and most recently, Champagne Pyro. Her inspiration as a wrestler is the legendary seven-time WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus – McKenzie claims that she saw her and ‘knew that she wanted to become a wrestler‘, as Trish proved that ‘you could be hot and still kick ass‘. Her future goals include the desire to wrestle overseas, in particular for Chicago, Illinois’ SHIMMER Women Athletes promotion, where four of her country-mates have appeared… could Shazza McKenzie be the next Australian star to appear under their banner?

Fans can also check Shazza out in action at PWA’s “Battle Lines” event on September 2nd at the Liverpool Masonic Center. She will be taking on Canada’s Nicole Matthews. She will also be wrestling the next night on the PWWA show, also at the Liverpool Masonic Center.