The worlds of pro-wrestling and metal have long been entwined, and at  WrestleMania 40 that bond tightened when Australia's own Rhea Ripley was played to the ring by one of her all-time favourite bands, Motionless In White.

With the popular New Jersey-based independent promotion GCW set to hit Australia this August for a series of cross-promotional battles with rising Australian promotion Renegades Of Wrestling (ROW) we sat down with 'The Bad Boy' Joey Janela for a chat about the connection between wrestling and metal and bringing GCW down under. 

The connection between pro wrestling and metal is a storied one.  That story may be on the brink of getting an epic new chapter if a flippant challenge thrown down by Slipknot and Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor to WWE Superstar 'The Viper' Randy Orton turns (scripted) violent. 

The wrestling-metal connection continued to thrive at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, Califonria over the weekend, as the likes of Slayer, Motionless In White, Alter Bridge, P.O.D, Downstait and Turnstile provided the soundtrack to some of the biggest moments of the weekend branded the 'showcase of the immortals'.

Alt-rock legends The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that they're bringing they're curated The World Is A Vampire Festival to Australia later this year. 

Featuring The Smashing Pumpkins, fellow '90s icons Jane's Addiction and killer Aussie talent including Amyl & the Sniffers, RedHook, Battlesnake and more, The World Is A Vampire Festival will hit 10 Australian cities throughout April. 

In addition to the music, each date on the festival will feature live professional wrestling, with wrestlers from the Billy Corgan-owned NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) doing battle with wrestlers from the WAOA (Wrestling Alliance of Australia).

The wrestling-metal connection continued to thrive at the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble in San Antonio, Texas over the weekend, as the likes of Motionless In White, Code Orange, Alter Bridge and Downstait provided the soundtrack to some of the biggest moments of the event.

Talking about the metal/wrestling connection with Australian wrestling legend KrackerJak.