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Filmmaker Tony Melanson joins Jason Bryant to discuss his new documentary Iron Maidens: Wrestling for Glory, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The film chronicles the rise of girls’ high-school wrestling in Pennsylvania through the stories of North Allegheny’s Leyna Rumpler and Hickory’s Avry Ryhal, two pioneers whose friendship and rivalry unfolded as the state sanctioned girls’ wrestling for the first time.
RELATED: Kyle Klingman's interview with Leyna and Avry.
Melanson explains how the project began after following Leyna’s journey as a family friend, how he built trust with high-school athletes unaccustomed to cameras, and how he captured both the human and historical sides of this breakthrough season. He discusses the challenges of editing a year’s worth of footage into a tight 55-minute feature, the importance of balancing authenticity with clarity for non-wrestling audiences, and the behind-the-scenes choice to use Jocko Willink as narrator.
Bryant and Melanson dive into the film’s emotional moments with coaches Dan Heckert and Eric Mount, the archival work from Tom Elling and Jeff Byers’ recreated championship call, and how former World Team member Erin Tomeo connects the trailblazers of the past with today’s generation. The conversation explores what Iron Maidens means for the continued growth of women’s wrestling in Pennsylvania and nationwide.
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Short Time Wrestling Podcast: Episode 793 –Recorded October 23, 2025.
