Michelle Falsetta Takes on Challengers

W is for Wrestling, and also for Women

It’s not every day that you come across female wrestlers game for wrestling men. But once a month, at Greenpoint’s Shangri-La, you can find these competitors along with female bodybuilders, power lifters and martial artists, ready to battle the boys, at personal trainer, former competitive bodybuilder and wrestling video star Michelle Falsetta’s “Mixed Wrestling Event.”

Last Thursday, July 28th was one of the hottest nights of the summer. In a 5,000 square foot air conditioner-less room, Falsetta held her most recent mixed wrestling event. As has been the case since last June when she started mixed wrestling, the men are invited to wrestle women using a predetermined system of levels—competitive, semi-competitive, and yes, it’s in there, in case you were wondering, fetish/fantasy. (The latter is certainly not the intended point of the event, but merely one option that’s offered.) Multiple matches take place at the same time, and FYI, Falsetta is not only the organizer, but takes her own turn on the mat.

Falsetta was approached in a gym, when she was 24, to star in wrestling videos and has worked in the field since. The motto that she swears by: muscle has no gender. “I’ll take that to my grave. If you’re a woman that’s 150 pounds of muscle and you’re going to wrestle a man that is 150 pounds of muscle, if both of you have experience, the man isn’t going to win just because he’s a man,” Falsetta said.

The men that attend Falsetta’s wrestling events are not professional wrestlers but most take themselves seriously. They all really wrestle the ladies, no matter the level. Falsetta’s assessment is that a lot of the men probably wrestled in college or maybe even did wrestling videos, possibly as her co-star! She explains that some of the men just like athletic women, and others are there as spectators. One of the “regulars” is a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, and a “really great wrestler,” according to Falsetta. “Everyone has their own preference; some of the men like to wrestle more competitively than others,” she said.

Of course, these mixed wrestling events are not just for the men. “It’s empowering for women because they’re getting on the mat with this guy and it’s not about hurting them or making them feel foolish,” said Falsetta. It’s about saying, ‘Hey, I’m a woman and I’m athletic!’”

Ideally, Falsetta would like to see mixed wrestling events become more mainstream. “I would love for people to realize that there is a call for this. Women can wrestle men competitively or semi-competitively, and they don’t have to be ring girls, or the blonde with big boobs that walks into a ring and smushes the guy with her boobs.” Without a trace of irony she added, “She can do that also, but I want people to realize that it’s not a sex thing; it’s an athletic thing.”

Falsetta is not looking to be famous, per se, but like everyone else, she wants her efforts to be recognized. “I ultimately would like for this to really take off—for it to either be broadcast on television; or maybe I could travel around and take this to another country or state,” Falsetta said.

Mixed Wrestling Event takes place once a month, usually the last Thursday of the month, save for occasional holidays. For more information, or to find out when the next event will take place, check out Falsetta’s Web site: www.mixedwrestlingevent.com.

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