Sometimes, working your way up through the ranks of pro wrestling can be a thankless job. Other times, like those that Madi Wrenkowski is currently experiencing, you end up as a champion in one of the most storied promotions in North America run by a literal rock star.
Such is life for Wrenkowski, as the Texan is one half of the NWA World Women’s Tag Team Champions with her M95 partner, Missa Kate. The hard work in places like Thunder Rosa’s Mission Pro Wrestling and Natalya and TJ Wilson’s “Dungeon 20” is definitely paying off, but sometimes it surprises even her.
As she told Under the Ring host Phil Strum ahead of the NWA’s HP Cares for Cooper benefit show in Highland Park, Ill. on July 8, the wrestler who calls herself Miss Reality is still letting actual reality sink in.
“It honestly doesn’t hit you right away, it’s kind of in the weird moments that it hits you,” Wrenkowski said. “Just the other day, I was at the River Walk and we went to Hard Rock Cafe. And we were sitting at the bar, and I looked on the television screen and was like, ‘Why does this man who has hair look familiar?’ And then it registered to me, oh my God, that is my boss, that is Billy Corgan with hair. … It kind of hits you that your boss is a rock star when you’re eating in the middle of a restaurant.
“So it’s kind of a whirlwind that’s slowly starting to hit me. Every time we do these podcasts and people are like, ‘oh, what’s it like being one half of the NWA Women’s Champions?’ It kind of takes me aback every time and I’m like, ‘oh yeah, that’s me!’ It’s all very surreal, it what it’s sounding like I’m saying.”
Listen to Strum’s full conversation with this rising star above for Wrenkowski talking more about:
- How she feels about being part of the HP Cares for Cooper event
- Why both of the two tag teams she’s in work — though in very different ways
- The creation of her Side Character Spotlight series on social media, and who she’d most like to have as a guest
- Her personal journey into pro wrestling, beginning with watching shows with her brother
- Why a background in competitive sports is helpful to a pro wrestler
- Who she looks up to most in the business … including a current WWE champion
Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included legendary wrestling journalist Bill Apter, veteran grappler Barry Horowitz, and NXT star Bron Breakker.
To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Under the Ring on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice, or check out the Under the Ring YouTube channel to see all of the interviews in video form.