Indianapolis is Dick the Bruiser’s town. My in-laws know nothing about pro wrestling of today, but all my wife’s uncles know Dick the Bruiser. Everyone in the Circle City knows where Bruiser lived. Everyone has memories of seeing The Bruiser on TV, or out at a restaurant. Or in the case of my good friend Scott Romer (Bruiser’s former son-in-law) at a ball game watching his grandson.
Indy will always love The Bruiser, but the city has room to love more than one wrestler. At promotions around the city, a new generation of Hoosier wrestlers are winning the hearts of fans. If there’s a sweetheart in the pack, it’s Rachel Armstrong.
At a recent Wrestle Arts show, no one received a bigger pop from the crowd than the current Wrestle Arts Women’s Champion. Rachel has a smile that lights up the room brighter than any pyro. Between the ropes, she can hang with anyone, and she has. It was very early in her career when she first set foot in the ring with Billie Starkz.
“There was a no show, and Mad Man Pondo put me in a match with Billie,” says Rachel. “It was crazy!”
Rachel grew up in New Chicago, a small town few hours north of Indianapolis and just outside of Gary. From an early age, she was into sports, playing volleyball, basketball, and golf while running cross country and track. “I was pretty busy in high school,” she says.
Between fifth and sixth grade, Rachel was on YouTube watching random videos when she got her first glimpse of professional wrestling. “I didn’t know what it was, but I liked it. I started liking videos and seeing more pop up. Then I discovered it was something I could see on TV every week.”
Rachel became a fan of John Cena, R-Truth, The Shield, and other WWE stars. Instead of growing out off it, she fell in love with it. In high school she let her parents know she wanted to give it a shot. “I thought, why not? It was just the coolest thing to me.”
That opportunity happened during college. Rachel moved to Indianapolis and enrolled at IUPUI (Indiana University – Purdue University of Indianapolis). After getting her bearings during the first semester of her freshman year, she learned about WCWO, a local indie promotion that offered a wrestling school.
“I saw a post on Facebook about a tryout,” she says. “It was crazy because I never heard of the place, and it just randomly popped up on my feed. It was right up the street from my school.”
Rachel began her training with Joey Owens. “Mr. International” Jake Owens also had a hand in training Rachel, along with Dex Royal. “Dex is still training himself, but his mind is way beyond his years.”
Two months after taking her first bump, Rachel had her first match against Joey Owens at a student showcase. “I didn’t know what in the world I was doing yet, but I knew I was in good hands.”
Being the only girl in her training school, Rachel was eager to connect with other ladies. Girl Fight played a big role in helping her meet other women in wrestling. So did Billie Starkz.
“I love Billie,” says Rachel. “She’s my wrestling soulmate. I have my best matches with Billie, and she’s helped me out so much.”
Girl Fight’s owner and booker Mad Man Pondo became a believer the right from the start. “The first time I saw Rachel in a locker room, she was very shy and didn’t have much to say. Then I watched her match. Totally different person. She came out of the curtain on fire, determined to get the crowd going, and at the end delivered a picture perfect 450 that blew me away.”
Pondo spent some time on the road with the young star and Gram, Rachel’s grandmother. “We had a good time before and after the show. I’m so glad to see she is still winning the crowds. She is so dedicated and good at the wrestling business. It won’t surprise me if she becomes a big name one day, but she will have to be a babyface because she can’t frown for nothing.”
For someone in a truly competitive world, Rachel is remarkably easy going. She enjoys wrestling and is always ready to hop in a car and travel somewhere new. Her willingness to do the drives and do whatever is needed opened many doors for her. She got on cards. She scored some wins. She won championships.
“I didn’t even know the first time I was going to win a championship,” she says. “It was at WCWO. When it happened, I thought something had gone wrong. It was such a surprise.”
Rachel’s almost never without a belt these days. “I’ve won and lost so many recently, I’ve lost count,” she laughs. “I currently have two. One for BMFX and one for Wrestle Arts.”
Indianapolis-based Wrestle Arts has become a second home for Armstrong. “It’s like a family reunion every time we have a show. It’s always so welcoming when I get to do one of their shows.”
The Rachel Armstrong fans see in the ring is not that different from who she is outside wrestling. She smiles a lot. She’s kind and soft spoken. In the ring, she’s learned how to turn everything up just enough to win over any crowd. She will break your heart when she’s selling. She will bring you to your feet when she mounts her comeback.
“She just has it,” says David P Staggs of Wrestle Arts. “Her positivity is infectious. When you combine that with her in ring ability and her selling, you get an ideal babyface. She’s tremendous to work with and can get over with any audience.”
“Rachel has always been impressive in the ring,” adds Legendary Larry D, who frequently books Rachel for Generation Next Pro Wrestling in Kentucky. “She’s young, athletic, talented, hardworking, and takes feedback, good or bad, with open ears. She’s an asset to any promotion. Above all she is an absolute joy to be around, full of positively and a true genuine good person. Those are the types of people we want to surround ourselves with.”
In 2024 Rachel graduated from IUPUI with a degree in finance and international business. She knows she has a world of opportunities in front of her, but she’s enjoying the ride with pro wrestling She works a shoot job during the week, and she hits the road every weekend. “I’m pretty open minded as far as where wrestling is going to take me. I don’t really have any set goals. I’m just having a good time.”
Indianapolis may the city Dick Bruiser built, but Rachel Armstrong is leaving her own mark on the Circle City. Instead of a scowl, she wears a smile. Instead of being the bad guy, she’s the lady everyone adores. With an infectious personality and eternal optimism, she might just become a favorite everywhere.
Photos in this story courtesy of Rachel Armstrong.