Throughout its history, women have served in the professional wrestling scene. but, have you heard of Muslim hijabi wrestlers? We found out about little petite Nor ‘Phoenix’ Diana is not only the first hijabi wrestler in Malaysia but also in the world!
1. Meet, Nor ‘Phoenix’ Diana a 19-year-old professional wrestler
The 19-year-old has three years of experience in wrestling as she started at the age of 16. It all started when she played wrestling video games with her little brother and surprisingly, it turned into a passion. Nor Diana attended her first live WWE event in KL in 2015 which then inspired her to begin looking for wrestling classes.
2. She is trained under Malaysia Pro Wrestling (MYPW)
Ultimately, she decided to join MYPW (previously known as Persatuan Gusti Malaysia) to train with them. She spent two months training with Ayez Shaukat Fonseka and entered the professional wrestling arena when someone needed a replacement wrestler.
3. She is the only female in the group but they treat her equally
Even though she trains with males, her team doesn’t treat her differently. They constantly encourage her to perform various moves and prepare her to enter a tournament.
4. The moment when she took off her mask, everyone was shocked
Initially, Nor ‘Pheonix’ Diana was known to wrestle with her mask on. Something odd, because most female wrestlers would dress revealingly at matches. She then decided to take off her mask and donned a hijab instead during Singapore’s SPW: Ladies Night in 2018. That was the moment when people realised that Pheonix is a hijabi Muslim wrestler.
5. “I’m a completely different person outside of the wrestling ring”
Her family and friends describe her as a quiet and reserved young woman. But, in the ring, she is no longer Nor Diana – but Phoenix with a completely different personality, a bold hijabi girl.
Check out her Instagram to keep up with her latest update. Be bold Nor ‘Phoenix’ Diana!
