As a commentator on the local scene in Pittsburgh, a region known as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, I’ve seen a myriad of things that will only occur in the over-the-top genre of the squared circle. I’ve seen genuinely emotional moments based on championship glory or in-ring accomplishments, and I’ve also seen things go completely off the rails. That simply goes with the territory of the independent wrestling business. I’ve seen fans try to fight wrestlers, I’ve seen fans try to fight fans, I’ve seen fans make the mistake of getting in the ring, and I’ve even seen a fan climb under the ring.
It’s a circus of thrills, spills, and death-defying feats, which is apropos for the the sport that originated from the carnival circuit.
One of the most interesting aspects from an inside perspective the industry is the paradigm of the performers themselves, those that are often a menace to society through rilling up the audiences on the weekends, are average civilians in society during the week. Their normal 9-5 day job is mundane compared to the transformation of the persona they have once they walk through the curtain to irritate the paying customers. Of course, it’s all by design, with the prodding of the audience a prelude to when the baby face hero gets a measure of revenge against the villains.
One such example is a former wrestler and freshly-returned manager to the tri-state area, the devious Stacy Hunter. I’ve seen mere her presence at ringside prompted fans to call her vulgarizes that would make a sailor blush. Her loud and obnoxious pro wrestling persona was only her real-life enthusiasm amplified with the intention of generating jeers from the audience.
The secret is, the fans that would bellow loud obscenities toward reacted exactly as she had hoped for.
“The timing, facial expressions, body language, and the ability to get your person over and not yourself,” Stacy explained when asked what was the key to the managerial role.
“Stacy has always been committed to the visual aspect of what a manager should be. A natural heat magnet, she has always excelled being paired with those of a villainous nature,” said Mike MacGowan, who broke into the sport around the same time as Hunter.
Much different from the boom in women’s professional wrestling today, which saw females main event some of the biggest stages in the entire industry in recent years, when Hunter broke into the business in 1994, the chances to get a start in the sport were limited, and the opportunity to hone the craft was sparse.
It wasn’t until a chance meeting with the late, “Gentleman” Joe Perri, an early pioneer of the independent circuit of the steel city, that the door was opened to even attempt to pursue some level of sports entertainment for a female competitor. Being a diehard fan of “Mr. Perfect” Curt Henning, it was a chance that Hunter jumped at.
“Joe Perri found a friend of mine, asked her if she wanted to do wrestling, and she said no, but she knew I did. It went from there, I can honestly say I don’t remember who was training back then, but I also trained later with BA Briggs. Joe’s place was in New Kensington, and The first show was in Penn Hills,” Stacy said.
However, with very few opportunities for females on the national stages and even less on the independent level, Stacy was forced to spend the mid and late-90s picking up appearances and training opportunities wherever she could. Ironically, the same grappler she traveled with during those days, “Highlander” Mike MacGowan, is her current client on the independent circuit after her recent return to the business.
It wasn’t until the early-2000s, specifically after the consolidation of the national organizations in the industry that Stacy found that there were more chances for women to step inside the ring ropes. However, looking back on those meager times in her career, Hunter cites a level of excitement for the women that get a chance to excel at each level of the business today.
“It’s been amazing how far the women have come. It’s so awesome to see so many women in Pittsburgh now when, during my time, there was just me and Krystal Frost,” Stacy commented.
“Stacy is unique, a one-of-one, if you will. She is tough as nails, but she isn’t a one-dimensional character. She has depth in her ability because she can not only get heat, but she can also get physical, which from a wrestler standpoint, gives you a lot more to work with.” said BC Steele, a former manager and commentator of the Pittsburgh circuit.
During the first decade of the 2000s, Stacy was around a wrestling ring more often than not, with most weekends being spent either hitting the canvas as a wrestler or ranting on the microphone as a manager. Her travels took her around the tri-state area and along the east coast. Western Pennsylvania was her home, where she was primarily based out of the now-defunct NWA East organization, but pro wrestling took her to Ohio, West Virginia, and New Jersey for an alphabet soup of promotions.
“I did a show in Philly at the old ECW arena, I did a WXW battle royal, I did a taping for a GLOW-type show called CRUSH, I’m the first woman in the PWX Burgh Brawl, and I had a shot at the NWA Women’s title,” Hunter remarked.
“If there is one thing fans love more than booing Stacy Hunter, it’s seeing her get her butt kicked. I remember a “Fan Appreciation Night” where members of the audience chose from names on the roster to put matches together. I ended up teaming with Stacy that night against Da Munchies, because the fans thought it would be funny to see her in the ring against a 400-pound. dude. But the joke was on them because while she was mainly used as a manager, she relished any chance she got to step in the ring as a wrestler, whether it was against a man or woman,” said Dash Bennett, a former accomplished grappler that had a reign as NWA East Heavyweight champion under Stacy’s guidance.
“Once I finally realized her value and fully leaned into it, we were unstoppable. No one could touch the crowd reactions we were getting, which far exceeded any either of us achieved on her own. We found our chemistry and created a formula that worked,” added Dash as he reflected on one of the highlights of his own 20-year career.
Remember that personality paradigm from earlier?
When she wasn’t a heelish pro wrestling manager, Stacy was a mom of two youngsters by the early-2010s. When she wasn’t getting cussed at by fans at an event, she was cussing at her television in frustration as a rabid Pirates fan as she watched her baseball team struggle to find a victory. Her brash in-ring persona was a contrast to her bubbly personality that fueled her Marvel fandom. The rule-breaker of the ring actually had an extensive collection of friendly POP Funkos.
After years of bumps, bruises, suplexes, and frog splashes, Stacy stepped away from the industry in 2013 to focus on her regular job outside of wrestling and being a mom to the previously mentioned two young kids. She assumed her time inside the world of professional wrestling was over, never envisioning a circumstance that would draw her back into the business.
Just a few years ago, she was at a small independent card with her old riding partner, MacGowan when the organization was without a ring announcer at the last-minute so Hunter was a substitute, something she assumed was a one-off. It didn’t take long for the allure of the action to bring her back to ringside.
“Honestly, I was nervous coming back because it had been so long, but I’m starting to feel like my old self again and I’m having a great time,” Stacy said.
“Like so many, she is drawn back to ringside again and again with those she feels she can help elevate. I’ve known her for 27 years, and our relationship has gone through all the upstairs and downs this business could offer. We’re currently doing one last tour through various companies, seeing if we still mesh, and hopefully make one more lasting impact,” said MacGowan.
With the start of 2025, Stacy Hunter, with her kids almost as old now as she was when she started in the industry, is back at ringside to generate the jeers of the audience more than a decade after she thought for sure that she was completely finished with the squared circle. On any given weekend, her and MacGowan can be found zigzagging around the tri-state area for wrestling, the same way they did many years ago. Even when Stacy isn’t scheduled for the card, you can find her at a merch table while The Highlander is in the ring, as she cites the renewed enthusiasm she has for the atmosphere of live events. She also cited the chance to work with young talent and help pass down her knowledge as so many had done for her previously, as one of the motivating factors for her return to sports entertainment.
From a ringside menace to to a dedicated mom, back to a agitating manager, there’s no doubt that the extended career of Stacy Hunter has spanned different eras of the industry and she was able to adapt to the climate, making her one of the most memorable managers of the Pittsburgh scene.
For more information about Stacy, you can go to www.facebook.com/stacyhunterfu77
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
