Carluke wrestling star Jayme Mason wins first major championship belt

Mason, 25, whose wrestling name is Rayne, said it felt surreal to win at Colliery Championship Wrestling’s Fight Or Strike show in Easington on January 29.

It came almost two years after she was denied a bout against Canada’s Maddison Miles, in Mason’s home city of Aberdeen.

She said: “I had only had a handful of matches by March 2020, but enjoyed a number of wonderful opportunities that a lot of people new to wrestling wouldn’t have had, so I’ll always appreciate that.

"But then the day of the Maddison Miles contest was when everything got locked down. It was really frustrating for me but at least at that time I was still working in retail, at B & M in Motherwell.

“So while a lot of other people had time off and were enjoying new things – not taking away the struggles of lockdown – I was out at work every day.

"Nothing changed apart from the fact that I couldn’t go to the gym, I couldn’t go to training.”

Fifteen months away from wrestling followed, before Mason got back into the sport when she started attending training sessions run by industry superstar Lana Austin in Manchester.

Mason typically travelled south at least once a fortnight, learning moves in a wrestling ring instead of on the mats she’d been used to.

"Lana is absolutely amazing,” Mason, who has also been coached by TJ Rage, added.

“Even before I had this opportunity she’s someone I looked up to and I never thought I would have the opportunity to wrestle her. I get to do that in training when I’m there which is incredible. It’s so professional.

"She has helped me refine my moves. I can punch better and I’m comfortable being in a ring.

"When you are five feet 10 and rather big, going to the top rope when you’ve never been in the ring is terrifying.

"Initially we were doing the rolls, doing the bumps, getting our bodies used to it again.

"This moved on until I reached the stage of two weeks ago when we were all doing really fast paced drills.”

Mason then revealed how much of a buzz she gets from performing at wrestling shows.

"It’s completely daunting,” she said. “It’s exciting to go out and then when you go out and experience it you realise you’ve still got a lot to learn.

"I always absolutely worry about matches and I want to do my best. And I want to improve whatever I’ve just done.

"But see when you go through that curtain – because I’m often the big bad guy – and hear the music I’m a completely different person.

"You become your character in that moment. My colour is usually purple to go with my wrestling name Rayne."