Yeet Stevens Interview, QLD Scene, PWL, Three Count, Thirteen, Bobby Bishop and more..

Interview by Jayde Flesser

The new #1 contender for the Pro Wrestling League Championship may not be clad in his signature purple attire right now, but there is no missing the 6’6 frame of Yeet! Stevens as we sit down for our interview.

Stevens made his professional wrestling debut in August 2020 at UPW’s annual ‘Over the Top’ show and has since grown to become a fan favourite and staple of the Queensland wrestling scene. When the opening notes of OhBoyPrince’s ‘Teach Me How to Yeet’ hit, fans know it’s time to throw their arms up in Stevens’ signature ‘Y’ pose, and chants of “YEET!” rattle the rafters.

Stevens tells me wrestling is something he’s always wanted to do, recalling fond childhood memories of watching WWE/F pay-per-views on VHS as his best friend’s house in Warwick, QLD. “Despite being naturally shy, I’ve aways enjoyed performing and wrestling is such a great platform for creative expression.”

A move to Brisbane presented opportunities to explore this calling, and in 2019 Stevens joined the Australian Wrestling Alliance training school. He now continues to hone his craft and give back to the scene as a trainer at Three Count Pro Wrestling Academy.

I ask Stevens how he feels about a certain WWE superstar who is currently known for using “YEET” as a catchphrase and he admits that it was a little frustrating. “It was so outside my control, he’s got a much bigger platform. If I’m to wrestle anywhere else, it’s (his gimmick) going to have to change.”

As his name suggests, Stevens is known for throwing or ‘Yeeting’ people around (and sometimes out of) the ring, using his size to his advantage to overpower opponents. He lists other big men such as Mark Davis, Thirteen, and the Undertaker as having an influence on his wrestling style. “Mark Davis (currently wrestling for AEW) is someone who’s given me a lot of advice on how to work. We’re of very similar height and size and he’s had a lot of success. He’s given me a lot of tips on how to carry yourself and things to differentiate to help you stand out. Also Thirteen (UPW), again we’re of similar height and weight. The main permission these guys granted me was that I needed to acknowledge my size. A lot of wrestling is about capitalising on your strengths and what is unique to you, there’s nuances to it. Outside of people who I’ve actually met, Undertaker is a big influence, watching what he does and doesn’t do as a big man.”

In August 2022 Stevens travelled to the United States to attend the Rhodes Wrestling Academy in Texas, run by Dustin Rhodes. He tells me one of the main things that drew him to the school was the variety of topics offered within the 12-week curriculum. Alongside standard offerings such as physical fundamentals, character development, and in-ring psychology, the RWA also offered sessions on financial literacy and legal advice, with Rhodes even bringing in his personal lawyer to offer advice to students.

When I ask about his biggest takeaway from his time at RWA, Stevens speaks highly of the insight, knowledge, and character of Rhodes. “Genuine is the word I keep coming back to. He genuinely wants wrestlers to do better and genuinely cares. He was there constantly, training 2-3 times a week for 12 weeks. He only missed one session because he had a pay per view that day. He and his partner really want to give back to the business and create the next generation that is going to have the best start possible. I would highly recommend the school.”

Stevens tells me that his experience in the United States “reinforced something that I think a lot of people would agree with, which is that we have very high quality wrestling here in Australia.” He speaks of attending indie shows with other RWA students and thinking “our guys are just as good if not better than what I’m seeing here. It galvanised my faith in Aussie wrestling. It’s not surprising that there’s so many Aussies over there killing it.”

When asked for his take on the local wrestling scene, Stevens says he feels that he came in during what seemed to be a turning of the tide in Queensland wrestling. “I can’t say there’s been a shift as I didn’t know the scene before I started training.” The formation of Three Count Pro Wrestling Academy

I think I was very fortunate in that I came in during what seemed to be a turning of the tide, older guys spoke of a time when QLD had a bad rap, promotions weren’t very reputable. I can’t say there’s been a shift as I didn’t know the scene before I started training, I’ve Bobby Bishop could easily be called one of the greatest things to happen to QLD wrestling, he’s not the only one but he’s the one who’s been closest to me and that I’ve had the closest connection with. When he and Jess (Lucille Brawl) created 3 Count that seemed like a real shift – they had a clear vision of what they wanted it to be and they’ve worked hard to make it happen. It was a really exciting time as the standard was set not only for shows, but what would and wouldn’t be tolerated backstage. We wanted to make wrestling more inclusive, more accessible for women.

Commenting on the passion of promoters within the state. “It’s not just Three Count. Three Count is very close to my heart. The people behind QLD promotions are very passionate in their love for wrestling. Thirteen at UPW, Anthony, Kate, and Todd at Wide Bay, and Jesse at PWL have put in a lot of work.” He cites the PWL/ROW Australian Super Show held in February of this year, the night before the AEW Grand Slam Australia event in Brisbane, as a culmination of the work being put in by QLD promoters. “It was a testament to what we can do. That doesn’t happen without all the work that preceded it. People were reaching out from all around because they wanted to be on that show.”

I ask what’s next for Yeet Stevens and he tells me that he plans to return to Rhodes Wrestling Academy in July of this year to further develop his creative and professional knowledge. “I’m not content to stay where I’m at in wrestling, my goal is to take it as far as I possibly can before I can’t do it anymore. I want to look back and say I worked to my full potential in wrestling, whatever that happens to be.” He also has his sights set on wrestling in the UK and experiencing the scene over there.

Stevens is set to challenge Ricky Utomi for the PWL Championship on 26 July at the promotion’s ‘Homecoming’ show, being held at Kedron-Wavell Services Club on 26 July.

More info and tickets here: Pro Wrestling League: Homecoming – Kedron-Wavell

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