One of the most unique books to grace shelves was officially launched over the weekend.
The History of Professional Women’s Wrestling in Australia by Blue Mountains local Mark Slater had its official launch at the Penrith Gaels Irish Club in Kingswood where there is often wrestling matches.
“We launched the book last weekend at the Penrith Gaels Irish Club,” Slater told the Weekender.
“Every two weeks, Wrestle Strong Dojo is at the Gaels Irish Club, and we picked the last event of the year to do the book launch.”
The topic of professional women’s wrestling is not something that has had a lot of coverage in the past and Slater thought as a lover of wrestling he would do something to change that.
“These days women’s sport is so big. We’ve got the NRLW and the AFLW, it’s so big,” Slater said.
“I thought I’ve grown up with wrestling all my life, I’ve got to put my money where my mouth is!
“My whole life has always been about wrestling. I thought I had to do something for equality and made this book. There are women’s wrestlers out there, but how come no one is talking about them?”.
After watching a wrestling event in Blackheath where there was no championship belt for the female wrestlers, Slater thought he would offer to get one made costing him $1,000 of his own money.
“At the end of their wrestling match, one of the wrestlers got the microphone and said ‘This is discrimination. There should be a wrestling belt made for us women’,” Slater recalled.
“I gave the offer to the person running the event that I would pay for the belt to be made. Two years later, he never took me up on the offer.
“Then the Australian Wrestling Federation did an event at Springwood, and I gave the commissioner the offer that I would pay for the Women’s Championship belt, and he said, ‘You’re on!’.”
Slater has been a fan of wrestling his whole life after his grandfather used to take him to watch it decades ago.
“My grandfather in the 1960s used to take me to Sydney Stadium and watch the wrestlers there,” Slater said.
“When they shut down Sydney Stadium… I used to go to different stadiums around Sydney to watch the wrestling.”
Slater’s book is the first comprehensive history of female wrestling in Australia, something he is proud of.
“I am quite proud to be part of history,” Slater said.
“I’ve learned a lot writing my first ever book.”
The History of Professional Women’s Wrestling in Australia by Mark Slater is now available to purchase in book stores throughout Penrith and the Blue Mountains.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.