When looking for Wrestling performances in Newcastle, the Northumbria Pro Wrestling Society (NWS) was one of the organizations that popped up. The idea was to get both sides of the experience and also understand what it takes to organize a Wrestling show. NPWS organizes monthly shows inviting not only young wrestlers, starting their careers, but also professional wrestlers, well known in the industry.

   Marie Liz Hayton, the secretary of NWS, and David Mills, the president, received us for an interview on 19th March 2017 and shared their perspectives about Wrestling and experience in the society. When we asked them how they feel about the society's initiatives, both of them told us it is a fantastic and very enjoyable job.

   Even though, they both have their own views around Wrestling and the society, Marie said Wrestling is more about a cooperative work and that every show is an event held by two people - the wrestlers - who technically work together for everything to work smoothly. However, the way they perform on the stage is still unique and fascinating. For David, who grew up with World Wrestling Foundation (WWF) and later in life started meeting people who shared the same interest, wrestlers should not only be physically suitable for this sports but also know how to tell a story on the stage. “It is just like exceptionally storytelling but through punches and slangs. That’s just something completely different as the one on the TV".

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"Budget is the most difficult part of what we do", David said.

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   As prime organizers, there are a lot of things waiting for David and Marie to deal with. David told us that this society has not only given him a better understanding of Wrestling but also the ability to improve his organizational skills. For example, holding regular meetings, building the ring (learn how to build it), arranging the music, getting the lights right, selling the tickets and, sometimes, handling some emergencies. “This is where we need to use the money from our tickets”, David said.

   Funding might be the biggest problem they face when preparing an event like this. “Getting people to come to the show is an issue as well”, Marie said. “Budget” this is the only word David used to describe the most difficult part of what they do. “There will be at least 5 matches in an event, and that is ten people. You also need an announcer, a referee and that is 12 separate people you need to pay. We also need people to build the ring, which is expensive itself", David said. “Doing all that with a quite limited budget itself, we don’t know how we’ve done it sometimes".

   Currently, there are over 50 members in the Northumbria University Pro Wrestling society and the membership fee is 3 pounds, including the expenses of all the shows from September, and this certainly includes the fee of access to training.

   When it comes to the gender topic, the two organizers agreed saying that “I wouldn’t say there are as many women as men, but there are definitely a lot of fans”, Marie said. “It is becoming more ordinary now (for women) just the wrestlers themselves, as well as enjoying wrestling”, David said adding that “I have seen a lot more people, like women, attending shows and today we got 3 woman wrestlers". More than that, the society has a lot of women involved. "It is just good to see that representation going through.”, they said.