Meet Kristara known in the wrestling world as “The Sweetest Pea” a Montreal-born professional wrestler who’s steadily etching her name in to the annals of Canadian wrestling. Four years in, Kristara is already doing what few women before her have managed: holding a top men’s championship.
Kristara grew up on Montreal’s South Shore, following what many would call the “right path.”
“You go to school, you work, you do everything your parents want you to do,” she said to the CONTACT. “I did all that university, part-time jobs, long-term relationship but I felt unfulfilled. I was bored.”
Wrestling had always been in the background something she loved as both sport and performance, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that she finally made the leap.
“We were all stuck at home thinking about our lives,” she said. “I had just graduated university and thought, ‘I don’t really have an excuse anymore.’”
As soon as training reopened, she enrolled at the International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) school and never looked back.
“I said, ‘Let me just try it,’” she recalled. “And once I tried it, I just never stopped going.”
IWS has been a fixture in Montreal wrestling for more than 27 years, with alumni who’ve gone on to perform on global stages. Stepping into that ring comes with expectations and Kristara exceeded them.
She became the first woman to hold IWS’s major championship, a title historically held by men.
“That was a pretty cool accomplishment,” she said with a laugh. “It still feels surreal.”
“I’m always the babyface,” Kristara said though she originally thought she’d play the villain.
“As a fan, I always liked the bad guys more,” she said. “They had more layers.”
But wrestling has a way of revealing who you really are. Thus, The Sweetest Pea was born a character that contrasts warmth with raw physicality.
“I wrestle men a lot,” she said. “So naturally people want to root for me. If it’s me versus a big dude, most of the time the crowd’s on my side.”
Don’t let the nickname fool you. Kristara’s offense is crisp, technical, and punishing.
Her signature arsenal includes, L
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ow Enzuigiri, German Suplex and the Spinning Side Slam Backbreaker.
Kristara’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed beyond Montreal. She has shared the ring with internationally recognized talent like Ruby Soho and is preparing for a major IWS matchup against Shayna Baszler, a former NXT champion.
Perhaps most validating was her recent ranking by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, where she placed 50th out of 250 women wrestlers worldwide.
“If you’re a wrestler, that list means a lot,” she explained. “It’s great exposure. I was also the highest-ranked Canadian not signed to a major company that made me really proud.”
Off camera and outside the ring, Kristara describes herself as quiet and reserved, a contrast that often surprises people.
“People think you’re rough and tough all the time,” she said. “But that’s a persona. That’s my character. It’s a part of me, not all of me.”
Four years into her career, Kristara says wrestling has taught her just how ambitious she really is. One of her proudest achievements wasn’t a title it was independence.
“I’ve travelled before, but never by myself. Wrestling pushed me to do that.”
“I went to Winnipeg, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Wales all because of wrestling. I don’t think I would’ve done that before.”
Now approaching 30, Kristara is focused on pushing exposure, and sustainability.
“I want to wrestle as much as I can, while I can,” she added, “And honestly, my biggest dream is to be able to live off wrestling to have my passion support you.”
Keep up with all things Kristara through her Instagram
@_kristara.
