From books to brawls: this Montreal high school teacher is a wrestling champion

A Montreal high school teacher, who moonlights as a professional wrestler, has been crowned one of four winners of a national wrestling competition, earning her a stay at one of the best wrestling facilities in the world.

"I'm smiling from ear to ear!" said Rosemount High School teacher Jessika Neri, known in the ring as Jessika Black. "I'm going to give it my all and have fun with it."

As much as she loves teaching, she is excited to pursue another dream: wrecking opponents in the ring.

"I think [wrestling and teaching] are very similar. As some of my students may know —or may not know — it's a performance," she said.

After an all-expenses-paid stint at the Nightmare Factory in Atlanta, Neri will make her debut at All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in October. In addition to the $5,000 cash prize, she will also have a figurine of her wrestling persona made.

Neri is one of four Canadians — and one of two Quebecers — getting the chance to study her passions in Atlanta. One of the other winners is her boyfriend of six years, Jeremy Barnoff, known as Jeremy Prophet.

"I'm extremely proud," he said. "We've put in so much hard work together and we supported each other through this and I think that's one of the reasons we're so successful, we had each other to lean on."

Neri is the only woman to win the competition, which she said "means everything" to her.

"I feel very strongly about women's struggles," she said.

"I'd love to help inspire any other woman, or any other minority … to always go after what they want, no matter what the obstacles are and no matter what anyone says about them."

Jacques Rougeau, a former professional Quebec wrestler and the founder of the Wrestling Academy competition, said he's happy to feel like he's