 Thekla in April 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thekla Kaischauri (1993-04-30)30 April 1993 (age 32) Vienna, Austria |
| Alma mater | University of Applied Arts Vienna (MFA) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Thekla |
| Billed height | 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) |
| Billed weight | 52 kg (115 lb) |
| Billed from | Vienna, Austria |
| Trained by |
|
| Debut | 18 June 2017 |
Thekla Kaischauri (born 30 April 1993), better knownmononymously asThekla (Japanese:テクラ,Hepburn:Tekura), is an Austrianprofessional wrestler. She is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is the currentAEW Women's World Champion in herfirst reign and a member of the Triangle of Madnessstable. She is also known for her time inWorld Wonder Ring Stardom,[1] where she became one of the few high-profilegaijin in Japanese women's wrestling.[2][3]
Known for hervillainous character work, Kaischauri is nicknamed the "Idol Killer" for her brusque and antagonistic in-ring persona, which contrasts sharply with the cute and cheerful "idol"archetype expected of most female wrestlers in Japan.[3] As a founding and principal member of Stardom's villainousH.A.T.E. stable, she was portrayed as someone who sought to "rid thejoshi wrestling scene" ofidol culture, which drove most of herfeuds and storylines.[4] She is also billed as "The Toxic Spider" for combining an aggressive and agilewrestling style (which emphasizesgrappling,submission, and fluidacrobatics) witharachnid-themed attires and moves.[3][5]
Considered one of Stardom's top wrestlers and its "breakout star",[6] Kaischauri is recognized for her uniquegimmick, which challenges traditional conventions ofjoshi puroresu, and for utilizing her diverse background in dance, gymnastics, music, and visual art in her performances.[3][7][8] She is a formerGoddess of Stardom Champion (alongside tag-team partnerMomo Watanabe), a formerArtist of Stardom Champion (alongsideGiulia andMai Sakurai), and a formerSWA World Champion.
Before joining Stardom in 2022, Kaischauri toured theindependent circuit in Austria and Japan, achieving breakthrough success in the latter atIce Ribbon,[9] where she won theTriangle Ribbon Championship and earned a reputation for her technical fighting style and heel work.[10]
Thekla Kaischauri was born inVienna on 30 April 1993,[11] the daughter of a Georgian mother and Austrian father.[12] She grew up in the city'sLandstraße district.[13] She was an active child who practised ballet, gymnastics, martial arts, and swimming,[12] as well as playing the violin.[14] As a teenager, she played guitar and formed apunk rock band called the Death Row Groupies.[12] She continued her education after beginning her professional wrestling career, and graduated from theUniversity of Applied Arts Vienna with anMFA in 2020.[15]
As a student, Kaischauri was highly active inVienna'sDIY andpunk scene,[13] which overlapped with the city's underground wrestling subculture. She was inspired to become a professional wrestler after she "accidentally happened to run into a wrestling show" around the age of 19.[16] She also frequently visited theWeberknecht for its underground wrestling matches, which were held in the basement by Wrestling School Austria (WSA).[17]
Kaischauri trained at WSA in Vienna under Gerhard Hradil, one of many professional wrestlers who used theHumungus character,[18] and later recounted creating her signature "spider-like moves" in a "basementdojo" inLeopoldstadt.[19] Using the mononym Thekla (Kaischauri's firstreal name),[20] she made herprofessional wrestling debut on 18 June 2017, for the Vienna's chapter of World Underground Wrestling (WUW), a Japan-based federation of independent promotions from around the world.[21][22] For most of the following year, Thekla performed inVienna's underground wrestling scene, which lacked many of the rules and conventions of mainstream professional wrestling, such as an enclosed ring and time limits.[21] Most matches were at Weberknecht, with the rest taking place atpub cellars and other informal venues.[23] Kaischauri fondly recalled the city's wrestling scene as "loud, chaotic, and cheeky", and described "Viennese audiences" as "the best".[19]
Thekla's in-ring debut took place on 21 April 2018 at IPW Germany Eishaus Explosion 2, an event promoted by Independent Pro Wrestling (IPW) Germany inLübeck.[24] On 8 July 2018, she returned to Weberknecht to wrestle in the main event ofWUW Summerfest, failing to take the WUW Austria Women's Championship in a Triple Threat Submission match.[25] Thekla would perform only sporadically in her native Austria, mostly for WUW and Rings of Europe (RoE) in Vienna, as her career increasingly shifted towardsJapan.[26]
Through WSA's membership in the Japan-based WUW, and Hradil's professional ties to the Japanese wrestling scene, Kaischauri began performing in the Japanese independent circuit in late 2017.[14] She considers her entry into Japan as the first time she truly began to perform as a professional wrestler.[27] Over the next two years, she divided her time between Vienna and Japan, with the vast majority of her appearances in the latter. In winter 2020, following a six-week tour in Japan, she opted to remain in the country in the wake of theCOVID-19 lockdowns, seeing an opportunity to continue advancing her wrestling career in the Japanese market.[14] Thekla subsequently appeared in several independent Japanese wrestling promotions, includingFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling,[28]Gleat,[29]Seadlinnng,[30] andWorld Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana.[31]
Kaischauri later described adjusting to Japanese professional wrestling, which differed significantly from the Viennese underground scene: "In the cellar of theWeberknecht it is hard, damp, and dirty. You fight on a small stage on 5 cm thick mats, which can be painful. But it's raw and awesome, the audience is fully involved and very close to you. The Japanese, on the other hand, are much quieter and more distant, especially during theCorona period. It was often really quiet as a mouse during fights, because clapping and screaming were forbidden. So you're fighting in front of an audience that makes 'Yikes!' to the maximum – but when that happens, then you know: 'now I've got it.'"[14] She also recounts having to break through cultural and linguistic barriers as a foreigner working in Japan, including her successful efforts to learn the language.[14]
Thekla made her first appearance atIce Ribbon on 27 July 2019, teaming up withHamuko Hoshi andSuzu Suzuki in a losing effort against Asahi,Matsuya Uno andTsukasa Fujimoto in asix-woman tag team match.[32] She spent most of the summer performing at Ice Ribbon shows in Japan before briefly returning to Austria in September, where she later won her first championship title, the World Underground Wrestling (WUW) Women's Championship, on 15 December 2019 at theWeberknecht.[33]
Thekla returned to Ice Ribbon in 2020 and spent most of the year wrestling in their events; her tenure was focused on defending the WUW Women’s Championship, which she briefly lost toCherry in July before reclaiming it the following month.[34] Thekla successfully held the title for the rest of the year, traveling to Austria in September to perform in a few shows for WUW and ROE through October.[35] She returned to Japan in late 2020 and opted to settle in the country during COVID-19 lockdown. Due to the subsequent stoppage of live shows, Thekla trained at Ice Ribbon's dojo on the outskirts of Tokyo; she described the period as "lonely" but "extremely focused" and "the basis for the success I have now." Her 2020 run with Ice Ribbon was highlighted for noteworthy matches againstRisa Sera,Suzu Suzuki, andMaya Yukihi.[34]
In January 2021, Thekla announced her return to Ice Ribbon full time.[34] The following month, she unsuccessfully challengedTsukushi Haruka for theIW19 Championship.[36] Behind the scenes, she began receiving more wrestling training from Haruka andMio Shirai.[37] On 21 April 2021, Thekla was likewise thwarted by Risa Sera in a title match for theFantastICE Championship.[38] On 3 May, at the promotion's Yokohama Ribbon show, Thekla captured the Triangle Ribbon Championship title after defeatingIbuki Hoshi and defending championMatsuya Uno in a three-way contest, becoming the 40th Triangle Ribbon Champion.[39]
On 13 November 2021, Thekla lost the WUW Women's Championship toAkane Fujita, having had the second longest single reign in the title's history as of February 2025, at 441 days; her combined reign of 658 days likewise remains the second longest.[40] The match against Fujita would be her last appearance for Ice Ribbon, where she was described as a "big hit" for her distinctively aggressive persona and fighting style, which included engaging in "psychological warfare" against opponents on social media.[39]
Thekla first appeared forWorld Wonder Ring Stardom at its 2021Super Wars trilogy event, during which she andMirai performed as unknown masked assailants who kept attacking various wrestlers from the start of the first event on 3 November through the last event on 18 December 2021.[41] On 25 December,Giulia announced that both masked wrestlers would join herDonna Del Mondo (DDM) stable at the beginning of 2022.[42] On 3 January 2022, Thekla and Mirai were unveiled as the masked assailants and teamed up with Giulia to defeatCosmic Angels (Tam Nakano,Unagi Sayaka andMai Sakurai).[43] DDM would come to enjoy "unprecedented dominance" of the Stardom promotion, as it was now composed of "seven members who are all legitimate contenders for the World and Wonder of Stardom Championships".[44]
AtStardom Nagoya Supreme Fight on 29 January 2022, Thekla defeatedMina Shirakawa for the vacantSWA World Championship, earning her first title at the promotion.[45] She lost the championship on 5 May toMayu Iwatani during theGolden Week Fight Tour.[46] AtFlashing Champions on 28 May, Thekla unsuccessfully challengedAZM for theHigh Speed Championship.[47] Thekla was announced as one of the2022 5 Star Grand Prix participants, to compete in the Red Stars Block,[48] but was unable to take part in the tournament due to injuries.[49][50] She would ultimately take part in the2024 edition of the event, instead performing in the Blue Stars Block, for which she would receive the5★Star GP Award for her match againstSuzu Suzuki.
In February 2022, roughly a month after her debut at Stardom, Thekla was described as one of the promotion's "10 best wrestlers" byThe Sportster, which cited her bout against Shirakawa and subsequent winning of the SWA World Championship in her first attempt;[51] the same publication later identified her as one of five wrestlers at Stardom who would "thrive" at WWE, the largest American promotion.[52] In October 2022, Thekla was inaugurally listed among the top 150 female wrestlers in thePWI Women's 150, ranking No. 69;[53] she would subsequently make PWI's 2023 and 2024 lists the top 250 female wrestlers worldwide.
AtFlashing Champions 2023 on 27 May, Thekla and DDM stablemates Giulia and Mai Sakurai—collectively known as theBaribari Bombers—defeatedREStart to win theArtist of Stardom Championship.[54] Thekla would later be named alongside Giulia and Sakurai as forming one of PWI's top 100 tag teams of 2023, ranking No. 17.[55] In November 2023, Thekla made her first major appearance outside Japan since January 2021, performing in matches in Singapore as part of the three-day Bushiroad Expo Asia 2023, which was co-produced by Stardom and Singaporean promotion Grapplemax.[56][57]
AtNew Years Stars 2024 on 3 January 2024, the Baribari Bombers participated in the2024 Triangle Derby. After reaching the finals and deciding to defend the Artist of Stardom Championship, they lost the match and titles toAbarenbo GE.[58] The next day, just before Stardom's main event at NJPW'sJanuary 4 Tokyo Dome Show, Thekla and Mai Sakurai joined Giulia as the latter announced the dissolution of the Donna del Mondo faction.[59] Kaischauri stated she would temporarily step away from the promotion and focus on artistic projects.[59]
Following her brief hiatus, Thekla returned to Stardom on 27 April 2024, causingMina Shirakawa to lose her match againNatsuko Tora, and joining the latter's villainousOedo Tai faction. In a subsequentpromo, Thekla denounced her former faction and stablemates and said she was coming back to "completely eradicate idol culture".[60] She subsequently appeared at Stardom Nighter in Korakuen II on 23 July alongside her new Odeo Tai stablemateMomo Watanabe, with whom she successfully won the Goddesses of Stardom Championship by defeatingGod's Eye membersSyuri andKonami. Five days later, during theStardom Sapporo World Rendezvous, Tora, surrounded bySaya Kamitani and the members of Oedo Tai, Thekla included, declared that Oedo Tai was dissolved and the assembled stable would be known by the newly created unit,H.A.T.E..[61]
Thekla was a main contender at theHistoric X-Over II pay-per-viewcrossover event between Stardom and its parent promotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling, which was broadcast live on 17 November 2024 from theEDION Arena inOsaka.[62] She also wrestled at the fourth annualStardom Dream Queendom 2024 on 29 December, where she and fellow H.A.T.E. stablemate Momo Watanabe lost their Goddesses of Stardom Championship titles againstHanan andSaya Iida of theStars faction. AtStardom All Star Grand Queendom 2025, Thekla was defeated bySayaka Kurara. Due to the stipulation, Thekla would have had to join Kurara in Cosmic Angels, but instead she attacked Stardom president Taro Okada, who (kayfabe) fired her, writing her off and officially ending her four-year tenure with the promotion.[63]
Thekla made herAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut on 28 May 2025 episode ofDynamite, where she attackedJamie Hayter.[64] On 4 June atCollision: Fyter Fest, Thekla made her in-ring debut, defeatingLady Frost.[65] On 12 July atAll In, Thekla participated in the women's Casino Gauntlet match, but failed to win.[66] On the following episode ofDynamite, Thekla aligned herself withJulia Hart andSkye Blue after the duo helped her win a $100K four-way match.[67] The trio would go by the name of "Triangle of Madness".[68] AtAll Out on September 20, Thekla competed in a four-way match for theAEW Women's World Championship, but failed to win.[69] On October 18 atWrestleDream, Thekla was defeated by Jamie Hayter, suffering her first singles loss in AEW.[70] On November 12 atBlood & Guts, Triangle of Madness competed in the first ever women'sBlood and Guts match, where their team was victorious.[71]
On the January 28, 2026 epiosde ofDynamite, Thekla unsuccessfully challengedKris Statlander for the Women's World Championship.[72] On the February 11 episode ofDynamite, Thekla defeated Statlander in astrap match to become the AEW Women's World Champion, marking her first world championship in her career.[73]
Kaischauri's wrestling style has been called "very unique, hyper energy, and frenetic",[74] due in large part to her childhood training in ballet and gymnastics, which allows her to be "hyper flexib[le]".[5]Profil described her "movement [as coming] from another world, one that is otherwise only inhabited by eight-year-old ballet gymnasts or floor gymnasts with bodybuilder abdominal muscles".[3] During her tenure at Ice Ribbon, she was identified as having "excellent technical wrestling skills",[75] which focuses on holds, takedowns, submissions, and grappling. In addition to practicing martial arts in her youth, she received initial professional wrestling training at the Wrestling School Austria (WSA), where she learned basic techniques of rolling, grappling, and striking, and trained at Ice Ribbon's dojo in Tokyo from late 2019.[12] Kaischauri states that her training regimen is well-rounded and focuses on "Power, muscles, cardio, technique" which she described as "all [being] important" for her performances.[76] She is also known to design her own wrestling gear and apparel,[37] and writes her own entrance theme. During her time in Stardom as a member of the H.A.T.E. stable, she often contributes creative ideas to the stable.[77]
In addition to her nativeAustrian German and Georgian languages, Kaischauri reportedly also speaks English, French,[78] and Japanese; she taught herself the latter after moving to Japan.[79]
Outside of wrestling, Kaischauri paints, makes music, and exhibits her art.[80] She once participated in a production at the nationalBurgtheater in Vienna,[81][82] and used her in-ring hiatus in early 2024 to focus on artistic pursuits.[83] In November 2024, she announced that she would be hosting an art exhibition inTokyo duringNJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 in January 2025.[77] She believes her careers as an artist and a wrestler are interrelated, stating that "wrestling inspires the painting and then the painting inspires what [she does] in the ring".[77] She considers professional wrestling to be a form of creative expression in its own right,[81] stating that "the ring is [her] canvas and [she paints] a pretty wild picture".[19]
Kaischauri has a self-described "soft spot forJapanese culture",[81] which she cited as one of her reasons for moving to Japan in 2020.[37] She has been compared to Canadian professional wrestlerKenny Omega, who likewise found success performing primarily in Japan and settled there.[84] Her manager Kanae Imai claimed that she is "one of the few foreigners who started their careers in Japan themselves".[12]
Kaischauri has expressed interest in performing outside Japan, including Cambodia, Nepal, and North America.[85][86] In November 2024, she stated that she was exploring opportunities in the United States and that she would make an announcement in the future; six months later, she debuted forAEW.[87]
,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database
