IF YOU’VE BEEN following wrestling on the Emerald Isle in 2022, there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed the performances of one Debbie Keitel. The five-year Irish ring veteran has reigned as the champion of Dublin’s Over the Top Wrestling (OTT) since March, when she defeated the dominant Emersyn Jayne for the honors.
In addition to her impressive run at OTT, Keitel has also held gold in Glasgow, Scotland’s Fierce Females promotion, and previously reigned as tag team champion at Pro Wrestling: EVE—as one-half of The Woke Queens with NXT U.K.’s Aoife Valkyrie.
Today, Keitel is perhaps best recognized as a coffee-toting, preening presence on cards across Ireland, as well as British promotions such as EVE, PROGRESS Wrestling, and RevPro. It hasn’t always been the easiest journey: Between a global pandemic shutting down BritWres (and Irish wrestling) and the fraught power dynamics and abusive behavior that led to her being a force for change within the #SpeakingOut movement of 2020.
Through it all, Keitel remains upbeat and resilient. And, by most objective standards, she’s now reaching the next level in her career at age 33, with multiple championships on her CV (along with a brief experience at NXT U.K.).
Now, for the first time, she’s spoken at length with Pro Wrestling Illustrated, discussing her career journey, developing as a professional wrestler, and much more with PWI Contributing Writer Jason McVeigh.
Follow Debbie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebbieKeitel
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