Is women’s wrestling increasing in popularity?
Emily: “Women’s wrestling is absolutely increasing in popularity, and with programs like GLOW and the women’s tournament that WWE are running I only expect this interest to grow and grow.”
Dann: “There’s still a hell of a fight on because of society being so slow to adapt and move with the times. There are still people out there trying to rubbish women’s wrestling down, saying that it’s a fad, saying women aren’t as good, trying to make out it’s all about perving and all that bollocks. It’s the insecurities and fear of change. You know, all the shit that’s said to keep society conforming and the farm still producing. That’s what we’re fighting, but there’s absolutely a kinetic shift occurring as those that attend are being woken up.”
What can we expect from both shows?
Emily: “You can expect the same from this weekend’s shows that you can expect from every EVE show: great and unique atmosphere, great entertainment and fucking brilliant wrestling.”
Dann: “Shit to get real… You’ll laugh, you’ll drink, you’ll dance, you’ll scream, you’ll cheer, you’ll boo, you’ll be amazed, your jaw will hit the floor, you’ll become a junkie to the action, comedy and adrenaline and you’ll come away wishing it never ended. And that’s just Saturday afternoon. Then we’re gonna drink Saturday night and come back to do it again on Sunday.”
Would you say this is the most punk-rock wrestling out there?
Emily: “EVE is a feminist, grassroots promotion. We don’t shy away from political things, we’re not afraid of removing people who say vile or offensive things. We’re not trying to make you like us – that’s your choice. What you see is what you get with EVE. This is not an act, this is how we live our lives; we are true, we’re loud, we don’t compromise and we don’t give a fuck if that offends people. So, yes, I’d say we’re pretty punk.”
Dann: “You tell me! I’m always shy to giving us labels as it makes me feel like I’m telling you what to think about us… My view is we’re gonna do what we’re gonna do and we’re passionate about that… I worry that the term is being over-utilised and killed like a buzzword, but if people say it with passion about us and they truly mean it, then that’s more than cool by me…”
Finally, where do you see the future of the sport?
Dann: “I don’t know about the future of this sport as a whole but for EVE, what Ronda Rousey did for women in MMA, I want us to be able to do that but not just for pro wrestling. I don’t want to create just one bigger sport or entertainment product – I want this to be part of a bigger sociological adjustment. I want wrestling to be something that brings people together, that helps bond people much like being part of a really cool mosh-pit bonds you all together. You bond with one another in the pit and you bond with one another in the crowd. I see it happen all the time at EVE because you don’t have to be a wrestling fan to ‘get it’.”
Emily: “There’s a big boom in British wrestling at the moment and that’s great to see, but I do feel like that is going to die down eventually as the market becomes oversaturated. I think the focus on women’s wrestling and wrestling in Japan is going to grow and grow, and the wrestling companies with real heart and passion, who don’t fear change, are going to continue to get stronger. That’s something I’m looking forward to seeing.”