Lena Kross looks ahead to PWA Tag Race.
In the same spirit as Sydney Mardi Gras, Pro-Wrestling Australia will run Tag Race, a show aimed at spotlighting the PWA roster while also supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Hosted by wrestling’s favorite drag queen Sidney Rail, PWA Tag Race will emanate from The Factory Theatre in Marrickville, New South Wales on January 31. WrestleZone’s Ella Jay caught up with Australian superstar Lena Kross ahead of the event, in which she will face Ben Braxton.
PWA Tag Race will mark the first ever singles encounter between Kross and Braxton, a six-year pro. As such, Kross is excited for the fresh fight as well as the opportunity to showcase the range in her offense.
“I am very confident that without a doubt, this could be the match of the night, match of the year contender,” Kross said. “When I first kind of crossed over to New South Wales training at Newcastle, that’s when I met Ben. Straight away, the athleticism and what he can do people his size can’t typically do.
“I’m also really excited creatively of what we can put together because generally I’m facing women that are smaller than me, where that limits what I can do offensively, which isn’t a bad thing. But if I’m in a ring with someone like Ben, that’s going to open up sort of my range of offense, which maybe people haven’t been able to see from me. So it’s going to provide more opportunity creatively with what we can do.”
The Importance of PWA Tag Race
As a nod to Sydney Margi Gras, Australia’s biggest LGBTQ+ celebration, several LGBTQ+-identifying competitors will be on Tag Race as well, including Nikki Van Blair, Charli Evans, and Shay Kassidy. Van Blair has previously praised Pro-Wrestling Australia for fostering an environment of equal opportunities and safety. While speaking with WZ, Kross echoed those sentiments.
“I think inclusivity is such a big one, and creating a space where people feel that they are safe,” Kross said when asked about the importance of Tag Race. “I think safety is such a big thing where you can feel safe on a physical level of no one’s going to harm me and you can feel safe on an emotional level. Feeling comfortable in the way you communicate and the way you express yourself without judgment, is so important to everyone.
“The LGBTQ community don’t always get that in areas of their life, so something like PWA spotlighting it, which I think they have done in recent history, since I’ve kind of been within PWA, I feel that they have done that very well. [PWA has] sort of put a spotlight on the LGBTQ roster members, giving them the opportunity to have a platform that allows them to advocate for themselves, but also for other people in their community who might not feel safe enough to voice those feelings and those emotions. PWA provides that environment where people have that opportunity, not only for their rosters, but their fans as well.”
Watch our full interview with Lena Kross below:
