The path to a wrestler’s end destination is never a straight line; however, there may be no better example of that in Alberta’s wrestling scene than Kayla Jaye.
Since making her wrestling debut just over three years ago, Jaye has quickly ascended to the apex of the Alberta indies through her work with names like Zoë Sager, Kylie Morgan, and former MYC competitor Nicole Matthews. An epic feud with Angelica cemented the pair as two of the foundations of the Prairies independent scene, with their battles a major reason for the resurrection of the RCW Women’s Championship. Not since the likes of Natalya, Taya Valkyrie and Rachael Ellering plied their trades in Alberta has the province seen such an influx of female talent. All three major Albertan promotions now prominently feature women’s titles, a statement in and of itself.
It’s a testament to not only the work that the women of the province have put in over the past three years but something Jaye takes great pride in being a part of.
“I feel like (the RCW Women’s Championship) is ours,” says Jaye when asked about the relationship between herself and Angelica. “Some people think it’s just a championship; they’re flat-out wrong. We’re proud to be part of the reason the title was revived.”
Now a former two-time RCW Women’s Champion, the former Envy is beginning to attract attention from promotions outside of Alberta, recently working for Thrash Wrestling in British Columbia. However, while the accolades are starting to pile up, the path to the top hasn’t exactly been linear for Jaye. While the talent has always been evident, today’s version of Kayla Jaye has been a work in progress since her fledgling days with Monster Pro Wrestling. It’s certainly been a case of taking the path less traveled, but one that’s defined Jaye’s career thus far.
Square One
Jaye began her wrestling career in January 2017 as a trainee with Monster Pro Wrestling in Edmonton, Alberta. “In the beginning,” she admits, “I never knew what I really wanted to get out of this, and had no idea what I expected from the experience.”
“All I knew is I wanted to wrestle.”
While having no prior grappling experience, Jaye’s previous athletic experience proved essential to her early days in the ring. Within months, Jaye was set to make her professional wrestling debut under the name KJ Kash. Under the name, Kash would earn her a reputation as one of the top developing wrestlers in the province. Early matches against Phoenix and Sexy Sam in Monster Pro Wrestling and Kat Von Heez for the Prairie Wrestling Alliance had wrestling fans across the province speculating that Kash would quickly become one of the top females in Alberta. While that would eventually be true, KJ Kash left Kayla Jaye yearning for something more.
“My whole first year of wrestling, it felt like I was wrestling as someone who wasn’t me,” remarks Jaye. “It felt like I was going through the motions of a wrestler like a robot, and doing what I should do, rather than what I wanted to do.”
It was clear to Jaye that a change was needed. Unbeknownst to her, it would come sooner than expected.
“KJ Kash is Dead”
2018 was, as Jaye puts it, a year of pure growth. Finding herself at a career crossroads, an opportunity presented itself in a partnership with another rising star at the time, Pride. Like Jaye, Pride was experiencing a shift in character, and the duo’s undeniable chemistry made it a natural decision to align. However, the pairing wasn’t a fit for KJ Kash. A darker gimmick required a darker shift in character, and the bubbly KJ Kash was simply a square peg attempting to fit in a round hole. A decision was made: with Jaye already growing disenchanted with her initial gimmick, it was time to kill her off.
KJ Kash was dead, and in her place came one of the most recognizable names in Albertan wrestling: Envy.
The move proved to be immediately fruitful. Under the guise of Envy, Jaye’s development accelerated quickly. The pairing of Pride & Envy rapidly became one of the most dominant tandems in not only Alberta but beyond the province’s borders, with the duo pushing each other to not only develop, but excel.
“Having someone who consistently is watching my matches, and providing feedback was the most important thing in the world to me,” said Jaye in a recent article for Pro Wrestling Post. “We (Pride & Envy) worked more shows than I ever had and partnered in numerous different promotions. Along the way, I learned about the business and the numerous personalities associated with it.”
Angelica and the RCW Women’s Championship
Upon debuting, Jaye quickly set her sights on RCW’s resident top woman, “the Bombshell” Angelica. It was a rivalry that would establish both as two of the premier wrestlers in Alberta’s pro wrestling scene.
“(Angelica) pushes me every single time,” admits Jaye on her greatest rival. “Whether it’s a 6-man tag or a last woman standing match. I honestly wouldn’t be in RCW without her, or even half the wrestler I am now if it wasn’t for her. I wouldn’t have made it this far without Angelica, in or out of the ring.”
For the better part of a year, the two embarked on a bitter rivalry, with the duo at each other’s throats at every turn. The two were the perfect foils to each other; Angelica’s technical prowess meshed flawlessly with Envy’s in-ring savvy to not only put on a series of excellent matches but truly prove what makes the women’s wrestling scene in Alberta a standard-bearer in the industry. With Angelica and Jaye as the lynchpins of RCW’s women’s division, the decision was made in August 2018 to revive the defunct RCW Women’s Championship. It’s a title that Jaye’s claimed twice since the championship’s inception; however, despite the accolades, Jaye soon found herself in a familiar position. Not entirely satisfied with her direction, Jaye made another decision.
It was time for a change.
From the Ashes of Envy
In April, Pride & Envy finally dissipated following the joint RCW/CWC show in Red Deer, Alberta. The dissolution of one of Alberta’s most successful duos was a shock to many wrestling fans across Alberta. However, says Jaye, it was simply a natural progression.
“It was time for a change,” Jaye comments. “I was really enjoying what I was doing with Envy at the time, but honestly, I didn’t think she would be around that long. I don’t think she was ever really meant to take off the way she did, at least until RCW.”
For the first time since her fledgling days, Jaye found herself on her own. However, unlike her initial transition from KJ Kash, there was a clear path to follow.
Where once stood Envy now stood Kayla Jaye.
In just over a month in her newfound role, Jaye has expanded her horizons, both in-and-out of the squared circle. Currently, Jaye is enjoying a run with Meniac and Chris Perish of tagSTRUGGLE, assisting the pair in their bitter feud with Dirty, Inc – and perpetual rival Angelica. Jaye also recently made her debut for Thrash Wrestling in British Columbia, with her new persona developing a reputation of her own.
It was a transition well worth making, says Jaye.
“Kayla Jaye represents finally being able to be what I want, along with everything I want to accomplish in wrestling,” states Jaye emphatically. “Kayla Jaye is the fresh pasture that I wanted myself to walk through but didn’t know I needed until I did.”
KJ Kash is dead. Kayla Jaye is here to stay.
Doors weren’t just opened in Albertan wrestling this weekend – they were blown off their hinges.
It was a landmark weekend for professional wrestling scene in the province, with three shows hosted between the 11th and 12th throughout Alberta. Real Canadian Wrestling, Lakeland Pro Wrestling and the Prairie Wrestling Alliance were all in action this weekend, and as can be expected from any of the province’s numerous promotions at this point, all three were outstanding shows; however, a number of in-show and post-show developments that truly sent shockwaves throughout the scene.
First, some background.
Alberta Indy Dream Matches
Even prior to this weekend’s developments, Alberta wrestling was set to make a statement on January 11th and 12th. Not one, but two first-time-ever matches would be taking place over the course of two days, with “God’s Gift to Wrestling” Michael Richard Blais set to face off with Pride in Radway, Alberta, with RCW Canadian Heavyweight Champion Christian Strife set to face off with Mitch “Danger Zone” Clarke the following evening in Bonnyville.
Both were dream matches for many in the Alberta independent scene, despite only the former being advertised as such; the open-door policy (or lack thereof) in the Edmonton and Calgary areas had all but eliminated the possibility of either match occurring within city limits. The fact these matches were even booked was a statement in itself and provided an exciting opportunity for some of Alberta’s smaller wrestling scenes to truly get a glimpse of the talent contained in the province.
January 11th
TONIGHT! @rcw_wrestle in Radway! Just a short drive north of #YEG doors at 7pm & In your MAIN EVENT
The #AlbertaIndyDreamMatch – Your’s truly vs @JackPride
He’s got a ton of potential, but he’s not me & never will be. No one is on my level! He’ll learn that tonight. BE THERE! pic.twitter.com/ocx6g2xlgj
— Michael R. Blais (@GodsGiftMRB) January 11, 2019
On January 11, 2018, professional wrestling returned to Radway, Alberta for the first time in 31 years. Both the match card and the seats were packed, with many eager to get their first glimpse of live pro wrestling in over three decades. To be blunt, it was an outstanding show from front-to-back; from the opening match of Dean Richtor vs. Cameron Stevens, the action was fantastic, and the crowd was equal to the task. It was an excellent wrestling event, period; whether it be the terrific in-ring work from all involved, the RCW debuts the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Kylie Morgan – who some may recognize as the excellent manager of now-PWA Tag Team Champions the League – or simply the experience of watching a show for the first time in a new location, it truly was a unique show for all involved.
The building was raucous from the start and was completely frenzied by the time former PWA Champion Michael Richard Blais and CWC Canadian Champion Pride squared off for the Alberta Indy Dream Match.
It’s hard to undersell the importance of this match; truly, it was a dream match in every sense of the word. The sight of Pride and MRB across a ring from each other was something many hardcore Albertan fans never thought they would see and throughout the entirety of their 30-minute classic, the building nearly shook with noise. It’s a match that can’t be described as anything but must-watch, with both Blais and Pride pushing to prove themselves as the best professional wrestler in Alberta.
Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on how you look at it – it’s a question that still remains after the events near the conclusion of the match
Late in the match, just following a devastating MRB Brainbuster to Pride, an unidentified assailant ran into the ring brandishing a championship belt and began to assault both Pride and Blais, ending the match in a no contest. While it was a disappointing finish to an otherwise classic match, the anger turned to shock when the assailant was revealed to be none other than PPW Heavyweight Champion and Monster Pro Wrestling roster member Chris Perish. The tagSTRUGGLE member continued to assault the other two competitors before grabbing a microphone and verbally lambasting both Pride and Blais. There are few better on the microphone than Perish, and his fiery promo to close the show was one of the best heard province-wide in years.
So did @MPWWRESTLING just invade @rcw_wrestling and @PWAwrestlingca in Radway? Or was it just me taking a stand to say #ALBERTAWRESTLING is stepping up??
— Chris Perish (@ChrisPerish) January 12, 2019
As Perish alludes to in the above tweet, it’s hard to undersell the impact of Friday’s show. Between the three wrestlers closing out Friday’s show, five separate promotions and three separate championships were featured. More importantly, it set the stage for a continued feud between three of the top names on the independent scene in the province – and that’s without mentioning the formidable backup that each wrestler comes prepared with. While nothing has been confirmed as far as Blais goes, a match between Pride and Perish was set for February 23rd in Bruderheim, Alberta. Despite previously facing off, the two haven’t battled since Pride’s recent hot streak began. It’s yet another tilt that can be described as an indy dream match, and one that Albertan wrestling fans should be very, very excited for.
While Friday night in Radway featured some incredible developments, it was truly only the spark that set the fire for what was to come.
January 12th
Unfortunately, due to injury, the second advertised match between Christian Strife and Mitch Clarke was unable to take place. It did, however, set the stage for further developments on the previous night’s events.
Fresh off of his shocking appearance in Radway the previous evening, Chris Perish entered Bonnyville looking for a shot at Pride prior to their previously announced February 23rd match for RCW. Entering the show-opening Battle Royal for a match with Pride in the main event of the evening, Perish looked primed to win before interference from the First of the Fallen caused the PPW Champion to be eliminated.
However, it didn’t mean Perish was out of action for the evening. With neither of their scheduled opponents able to compete, the tagSTRUGGLE member took on the aforementioned Christian Strife in a champion-versus-champion thriller. Again, it was another match that wrestling fans had anticipated for a long while, but city boundaries had prevented from happening. For the first-time-ever, the RCW Champion would face off with the PPW Champion, and both men left it all on the line in what was a fantastic match. Yet again, however, it was another dream match ruined by the actions of others.
In eerily similar events to the evening before, Pride interrupted the match as it neared an incredible climax. It was the former Jack’s smirking revenge for Perish’s interference in Radway, with Strife as collateral damage in what is now sure to be a four-way feud.
Pride, however, received his just desserts during the evening’s main event. During the main event match between Pride and battle royal winner Adam Sky, Perish emerged to distract the RCW Jr. Heavyweight Champion and allowed Sky to roll him up for the victory. Immediately following, the former CWC Champion absolutely decimated Pride in yet another statement to build on the night before.
Both Pride and Perish made statements on Saturday, and while neither was able to gain an upper hand over the other prior to their match in Bruderheim on February 23, both showed why they’re two of the top names in Alberta today. Now, with Christian Strife also speaking out against the events of the 12th, the independent scene in the province has never been more unpredictable.
What’s Next?
Perish just can’t stomach the fact that he was only an after thought in the conversation of “Best in #AlbertaWrestling”, so he came and stole MY MOMENT!
MRB, we still have a 2nd chapter coming, but for now, Perish you had best keep your head on a swivel… I’ll see you soon! https://t.co/yD39Hf5ryY— The First of the Fallen (@JackPride) January 14, 2019
Well, the doors have officially been opened, to say the least.
This weekend saw five different championship belts represented across three different promotions. Subsequently, the main event scene province-wide is already being talked about on a level not seen in years. Officially, the only development to come out of the weekend is a scheduled match between Chris Perish and Pride on February 23rd; however, unofficially the scene is as unpredictable as ever in the most positive way. Outside of a post-match promo, Michael Richard Blais has been conspicuously silent on the matter, and it’s only a matter of time before the former Prairie Wrestling Alliance Champion strikes. Additionally, it will be interesting to see where Christian Strife gets involved after making comments online that Pride’s “receipts were in the mail”.
As mentioned, I don’t believe we’ve even begun to see all the key players in this inter-promotional feud get involved. Envy already made her presence known throughout Friday’s main event in Radway, and her impact on Pride’s success can’t be understated. However, it’s not as though Perish, Strife and Blais don’t come well-equipped with some backup of their own. It’s only a matter of time before tagSTRUGGLE, the Western Lions and Strife’s numerous allies in the RCW locker room come calling.
It’s a damn exciting time to be an Albertan wrestling fan. Buckle up, folks – we’re just getting started.