Professional wrestling is a behemoth in the United States - promoting hypermasculinity, wealth and even political influence in the Trump era. In Australia, it's a bit different. Increasingly, events exist at the local level - in suburban halls on the fringes of cities, with a family friendly environment and promoters not driven by the dollar.
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00:00In a suburban factory, trainee wrestlers are learning how to fight and entertain.
00:12Jared Parr is a disability aid worker.
00:15Seven years ago, he and his mate decided to be wrestling promoters.
00:26Kiara Brown has become an experienced performer.
00:30I have a lot of anxiety as a person away from wrestling, but the second my music hits and
00:36the second I need to switch into that character, it just all fades away.
00:43Aussie wrestling had its heyday with World Championship Wrestling in the 1970s.
00:48Then came America's turn, Hulk Hogan in the 1980s and Vince McMahon's production machine
00:54ever since.
00:56Female characters were once called divas.
01:00The type of wrestling that I grew up with was that style of wrestling.
01:03I didn't think it was for me.
01:07This is modern Friday night pro wrestling in the burbs.
01:20Kiara is now Nova Nichols, taking on Natasha Valentine.
01:27That was one of my idols, she inspired me to wrestle and to share a ring with her is
01:32super important and super emotional.
01:34Promoter Jared is also a star too.
01:39I'm stoked.
01:40The entire time I was in there, I was like, man, I'm keeping up with it.
01:47Small shows like these are so popular now, promoters are able to fly in American guests
01:51like Bobby Fish.
01:53Pro wrestling has its roots in the carnivals.
01:57Boo the ones you don't like, cheer the ones you do, and have a good time.
02:02People coming here might be scraping their last dollars and cents just to come to these
02:05shows, so I want to make sure that I'm on top of my game.
02:07No one makes a great profit, just enough to do it again in another fortnight when the
02:12crowd will return in full voice.