| Thekla | |
|---|---|
 Thekla in April 2025 | |
| Born | (1993-04-30)April 30, 1993 (age 32)[1] Vienna, Austria |
| Alma mater | University of Applied Arts Vienna |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Toxic Spider Thekla |
| Billed height | 155 cm (5 ft 1 in)[2] |
| Billed weight | 52 kg (115 lb) |
| Trained by | |
| Debut | 2017 |
Thekla Kaischauri (born April 30, 1993), better known by her mononymousring nameThekla (Japanese:テクラ,Hepburn:Tekura), is anAustrianprofessional wrestler. She is best known for her time inWorld Wonder Ring Stardom, a subsidiary ofNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).[4] She is among the few high-profilegaijin (foreigners) in Japanese women's wrestling.[5][6]
Best known for her work as aheel (villain), 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;[6] as a founding and principal member of Stardom'svillainousH.A.T.E.stable, Thekla is portrayed as seeking to "rid the joshi wrestling scene" of idol culture, which drives most of herfeuds and storylines.[7] She is also billed asThe Toxic Spider for her aggressive and agilefighting style—which emphasizesgrappling,submission, and fluidacrobatics—combined with herarachnid-themed costumes, gear, and moveset.[6][8]
Considered one of Stardom's top wrestlers and its "breakout star",[9] 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.[6][10][11] She is a formerGoddess of Stardom Champion (alongside tag-team partnerMomo Watanabe) and formerArtist of Stardom Champion andSWA World Champion.
Before joining Stardom in 2022, Kaischauri toured Japan'sindependent circuit, achieving breakthrough success atjoshi puroresu promotionIce Ribbon,[12] where she won theTriangle Ribbon Championship and earned a reputation for hertechnical fighting style and heel work.[13] Since debuting at Stardom, Kaischauri has been ranked annually byPro Wrestling Illustrated as one of the top female professional wrestlers in the world, most recently placing No. 77 out of 250 in 2024.
Thekla Kaischauri was born on April 30, 1993 inVienna, Austria to aGeorgian mother andAustrian father.[14] She grew up in the city's densely populated 3rd municipal district,Landstraße.[15] Kaischauri was an active and athletic child, practicing swimming, gymnastics,ballet, and martial arts,[14] as well as learning theviolin.[16] As a teenager, she playedelectric guitar and founded apunk rock band, Death Row Groupies.[14] She enrolled in theMaster of Fine Arts (MFA) program at theUniversity of Applied Arts Vienna and continued pursuing her studies after embarking on her professional wrestling career, graduating in 2020.[17]
As a graduate student, Kaischauri's was "highly active in Vienna'sDIY andpunk scene",[15] 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" when she was 18 or 19 years old;[18] she also frequently visited the Weberknecht club and bar for its underground wrestling matches, which were held in the basement by Wrestling School Austria (WSA).[19]
Kaischauri trained at WSA in Vienna under retired Austrian professional wrestler Gerhard Hradil (known professionally as Humungus); she recounts creating her now-signature "spider-like move" in a "basementdojo" in Vienna's 2nd municipal district,Leopoldstadt.[20] Using the mononym Thekla,[21] she made herprofessional wrestling debut in June 2017 for the Vienna chapter of World Underground Wrestling (WUW), a Japan-based federation of independent promotions from around the world.[22][23] For most of the following year, she 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.[22] Most matches were at Weberknecht, with the rest taking place atpub cellars and other informal venues.[24] Kaischauri fondly recalled the city's wrestling scene as "loud, chaotic, and cheeky" and described "Viennese audiences" as "the best".[20]
Thekla's first career match took place on 21 April 2018 atIPW Germany Eishaus Explosion 2, an event promoted by Independent Pro Wrestling (IPW) Germany inLübeck, Germany.[25] On 8 July 2018, she returned to Weberknecht to wrestle in the main event of WUW Summerfest, failing to take the WUW Austria Women's title in a three-way submission match.[26] Kaischauri would perform only sporadically in her native Austria, mostly for WUW and Rings of Europe (RoE) in Vienna, as her career increasingly shifted towards Japan.[27]
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.[16] She considers her entry into Japan as the first time she truly began to perform as a professional wrestler.[28] 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.[16] Thekla subsequently appeared in several independent Japanese wrestling promotions, includingFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling,[29]Gleat,[30]Seadlinnng,[31] andWorld Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana.[32]
Kaischauri described adjusting to the Japanese professional wrestling, which differed significantly from the Viennese underground scene: "In the cellar of the Weberknecht it is hard, damp and dirty. You fight on a small stage on five-centimeter-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 the Corona 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."[16] 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.[16]
Thekla made her first appearance atIce Ribbon on July 27, 2019, teaming up withHamuko Hoshi andSuzu Suzuki in a losing effort against Asahi,Matsuya Uno andTsukasa Fujimoto in asix-woman tag team match.[33] 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 December 15, 2019 at Weberknecht.[34]
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.[35] 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.[36] 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.[35]
In January 2021, Thekla announced her return to Ice Ribbon full time.[35] The following month, she unsuccessfully challengedTsukushi Haruka for theIW19 Championship.[37] On April 21, 2021, Thekla was likewise thwarted by Risa Sera in a title match for theFantastICE Championship.[38] On May 3rd, 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 November 13, 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 November 3 through the last event on December 18, 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 January 3, 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 January 29, 2022, Thekla defeatedMina Shirakawa for the vacantSWA World Championship, earning her first title at the promotion.[45] She lost the championship on May 5 toMayu Iwatani during theGolden Week Fight Tour.[46] AtFlashing Champions on May 28, 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 May 27, 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 January 3, 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 April 27, 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 July 23 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 declared the dissolution of Oedo Tai and the birth of the newly created stable,H.A.T.E., featuring herself, Thekla,Saya Kamitani, Momo Watanabe,Konami,Rina andRuaka.[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 November 17, 2024 fromEDION Arena in Osaka, Japan.[62] She also wrestled at the fourth annualStardom Dream Queendom 2024 on December 29, 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]
Kaischauri's wrestling style has been called "very unique, hyper energy and frenetic",[64] due in large part to her childhood training in ballet and gymnastics, which allows her to be "hyper flexib[le]".[8]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".[6] During her tenure at Ice Ribbon, she was identified as having "excellent technical wrestling skills",[65] 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.[14] 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.[66]
She is also known to design her own wrestling gear and apparel,[3] 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.[67]
Kaischauri once participated in a production at the nationalBurgtheater in Vienna.[68][69]
In parallel to her professional wrestler career, Kaischauri continues to paint, make music, and exhibit her artworks;[70] she used her hiatus from the ring in early 2024 to focus on artistic pursuits.[71] In November 2024, she announced that she would be hosting an art exhibition in Tokyo the first week of January 2025 duringNJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19.[67] Kaischauri believes her work as an artist and a wrestler is interrelated, stating that "wrestling inspires the painting and then the painting inspires what I do in the ring".[67] She considers professional wrestling to be a form of creative expression in its own right,[68] stating that "the ring is my canvas and I paint a pretty wild picture".[20]
Kaischauri has a self-described "soft spot forJapanese culture",[68] which she cited as one of her reasons for moving to Japan in 2020.[3] She has been compared to Canadian professional wrestlerKenny Omega who likewise found success performing primarily in Japan;[72] her manager Kanae Imai claims she is "one of the few foreigners who started their careers in Japan themselves".[14]
Kaischauri has also expressed interest in performing outside Japan, including Cambodia, Nepal, and North America;[73][74] in a November 2024 interview, she stated she was exploring opportunities in the United States and that there would be future developments to be announced.[75]
In addition to her native German andGeorgian, Kaischauri reportedly also speaks English, French,[76] and Japanese, being self-taught in the lattermost.[77]
,Wrestlingdata.com,Internet Wrestling Database
