Alex Lee
Alex Lee OZ Academy
Lee in June 2017
Born (1985-06-24) June 24, 1985[1]
SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Irena Janjic
Leah West
Alex Lee
Billed height165 cm (5 ft 5 in)[2]
Billed weight65 kg (143 lb)
Billed fromSarajevo, Bosnia and Hercegovina
Trained byLance Storm[3]
Debut2010

Irena Janjic, better known by her ring name Alex Lee, is a Bosnian professional wrestler best known for her tenure with the Japanese professional wrestling promotions Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling and Oz Academy.[4] Irena the only foreign female professional wrestler to have wrestled full time as a freelancer in Japan for 10 years. During her career Irena has developed a style that is a combination of classic joshi puroresu and strong style. She is best known for an array of powerful kicks, strikes and suplexes. Due to her kickboxing background and long tenure on the Japanese women's wrestling scene she is known as "The Queen of Strong Style".

Professional wrestling career

Irena started her professional wrestling training with former WWE, WCW and ECW superstar Lance Storm in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Irena spent 6 months training daily in the ring and made her professional wrestling debut on August 27, 2010 for PWA in Edmonton, Canada.

Independent circuit (2011–present)

While part of the Pure-J promotion, Janjic competed in a tournament for the Pure-J Openweight Championship. All the matches took place at house shows, and she started by defeating Rydeen Hagane on August 20, 2017, Leon on September 23, but lost to Hanako Nakamori in the semi-finals from October 9.[5]

Florida Championship Wrestling (2011)

Janjic made her debut in Florida Championship Wrestling by the time when the promotion was still in relationships with WWE under the name of Leah West at FCW TV #158 on October 9, 2011, where she fell short to Naomi. She made sporadic appearances such as at the FCW TV #159 event where she unsuccessfully challenged Audrey Marie for the FCW Florida Divas Championship. On November 31, 2011, she teamed up with Aksana in a losing effort to Audrey Marie and Kaitlyn. Her last appearance in FCW was in a dark match which took place on FCW TV #159 where she got defeated by Cameron.[6]

Oz Academy (2016–2018)

Janjic had a brief period in Oz Academy, promotion for which she debuted at OZ Academy Disorder on May 14, 2017, where she competed as part of the Ozaki-gun teaming up with fellow stablemates Maya Yukihi and Yumi Ohka in a losing effort to Aja Kong, Syuri Kondo and Yoshiko.[7] An important confrontation was at OZ Academy Plum Hanasaku on August 20, 2017, where she teamed up with Yumi Ohka, unsuccessfully challenging Mission K4 (Akino and Kaho Kobayashi) for the Oz Academy Tag Team Championship.[8] She participated at Manami Toyota 30th Anniversary, an event which portraited Manami Toyota's retirement on November 3, 2017, where she competed in a 50-woman gauntlet match where she and other 49 superstars unsuccessfully faced Toyota herself.[9] She was involved in a last woman standing no. 1 contendership match for the Oz Academy Openweight Championship at The Wizard Of OZ 2018 event also involving Kaori Yoneyama and Rina Yamashita and Sonoko Kato, Yumi Ohka and the winner Akino.[10]

Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling (2014–2021)

Janjic started working for Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling on June 22, 2014 at a house show hosted by the promotion, where she came short to La Comandante.[11] A notable confrontation of her was at Sendai Girls Big Match In Niigata from October 18, 2014, where she teamed up with Kaho Kobayashi to defeat Dump Matsumoto and Yumiko Hotta.[12] At a house show from August 26, 2018, Lee teamed up with Mika Iwata as Strong Style Rush and unsuccessfully challenged Cassandra Miyagi and Heidi Katrina for the Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship.[13] She is known for competing in various multiple-person matches where she faced notable opponents. One of these appearances was at a house show of the promotion hosted on May 25, 2019, where in a 12-woman battle royal she competed against the winner Mika Iwata, Meiko Satomura, Chihiro Hashimoto, Dash Chisako, Hiroyo Matsumoto and others.[14] At Joshi Puroresu Big Show In Sendai on October 13, 2019, Lee participated in an eight-woman battle royal also involving the winner Hikaru Shida, Jaguar Yokota, Mei Suruga and Kaoru.[15]

World Wonder Ring Stardom (2015–2016)

Janjic debuted in World Wonder Ring Stardom on July 26, 2015 in a loss to Reo Hazuki.[16][17] Another promotion which Janjic worked for was World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she made a notable appearance at Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix 2015 from September 4, where she teamed up with Sendai Sachiko in a losing effort to Mayu Iwatani and Kairi Hojo.[18] Janjic participated in the 2015 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League, where on the fourth night which took place on November 8, she teamed up with Kaori Yoneyama, falling short to Thunder Rock (Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani) in a first-round match.[19] On the first night of Stardom New Years Stars 2016, she participated in a 15-women battle royal, also involving the winner Momo Watanabe, Dakota Kai, Kellie Skater, Hiromi Mimura and others.[20] Another notable event in which she participated was the Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2016, where on April 29 she fell short to Santana Garrett in a first-round match.[21] Janjic took part in the Stardom Premium Star Wars, a two night event starting on June 4, 2016, where she teamed up with Hiroyo Matsumoto, falling short to Candy Crush (Chelsea and Kairi Hojo). On the second night she teamed up with Azumi, scoring a defeat against Eimi Nishina and Natsumi Maki.[22]

Championships and accomplishments

  • Pro Wrestling Alliance Queensland
    • AIWF Australian Women's Championship (1 time)[23]

References

  1. ↑ Saalbach, Axel. "Alex Lee • General Information". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  2. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Alex Lee/Career Data". cagematch.de (in German). Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Joshi Wrestler Profiles - Alex Lee". joshicity.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ Internet Wrestling Database (IWD). "Leah West Profile & Match Listing". profightdb.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  5. ↑ Pure-J (October 9, 2017). 【試合結果】１０月９日（月・祝）両国・ＫＦＣホール １３時. jwp-produce.com (in Japanese). Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  6. ↑ WWF Old School. "FCW Florida Championship Wrestling (WWE) [2011]". wwfoldschool.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  7. ↑ Wrestling Epicenter (May 14, 2017). "OZ Academy Disorder 05/14/2017". wrestlingepicenter.com. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  8. ↑ Oz Academy (August 20, 2017). 8/20後楽園 全対戦カード決定！ ■2017年8月20日(日)12:00試合開始. oz-academy.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  9. ↑ Oz Academy (November 3, 2017). 豊田真奈美引退興行 ◆2017年11月3日 15:00試合開始. oz-academy.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  10. ↑ Dark angel (January 12, 2018). "OZ Academy: Results "The Wizard of Oz 2018" AKINO is Yoshiko's challenger". superluchas.com. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  11. ↑ Purolove (June 22, 2014). "SENDAI GIRLS, 22.06.2014 Tsukidate Town Movement Park Gymnasium". purolove.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  12. ↑ Online World Of Wrestling. "Home / Profile / Alex Lee". onlineworldofwrestling.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  13. ↑ Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling (August 26, 2018). 色麻10周年記念大会(2018年8月) 2018年08月26日(日曜日) 15:30試合開始. sendaigirls.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  14. ↑ Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling (May 25, 2019). 青森はまなす会館(2019年5月) 2019年05月25日(土曜日) 17：00試合開始(16：30開場). sendaigirls.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  15. ↑ Daly, Wayne (October 14, 2019). "Sendai Girls Results: Joshi Puroresu Big Show In Sendai – Sendai, Japan (10/13)". wrestling-news.net. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  16. ↑ 2015年7月26日 Stardom×Stardom2015~真夏の祭典～. World Wonder Ring Stardom (in Japanese). July 26, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  17. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (July 27, 2015). "Mon update: More Hulk Hogan, HOF questions, WWE looking for replacement for Lee, WWE stock falls". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  18. ↑ World Wonder Ring Stardom (September 4, 2015). "Kanazawa 9.04.2015" スターダム金沢9.04.2015. stardom-world.com (in Japanese). Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  19. ↑ Dark angel (November 11, 2015). "Stardom: Results "Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2015" - 08/11/2015 - Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani winners". superluchas.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  20. ↑ Purolove (January 3, 2016). "Stardom "NEW YEAR SPECIAL 2016", 03.01.2016 Shin-Kiba 1st RING". purolove.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  21. ↑ Bryn Edwards Gunn (May 4, 2016). "STARDOM CINDERELLA TOURNAMENT 2016 RESULTS & REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com/. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  22. ↑ Dark angel (June 8, 2016). "Stardom: Results "Shining Stars 2016" and "Premium Star Wars in Nagoya" - 2 titles at stake". superluchas.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Reference at www.cagematch.net".
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