Leela Feist will finally make her delayed Grand Slam debut when she faces Shawna Reed at Grand Slam 2 on Saturday, August 15, at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.
Feist told WrestlingHeadlines.com that watching the inaugural event from ringside after a collarbone injury forced her off the card created additional motivation that continues to drive her following her return to the ring.
Feist suffered the injury during a match at another Indiana wrestling event. Although she immediately realized something was wrong, she did not understand the severity until the adrenaline began to wear off.
“I broke my collarbone during a pro wrestling match at a local Indiana show. When I hit the mat, I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know how severe until my adrenaline wore off and I was on the floor in some of the worst pain of my life.”
The injury forced Feist to cancel several scheduled matches, including her appearance at the first Grand Slam in August 2024.
“I had to cancel several matches that I was looking forward to, including Grand Slam at the time. There is a short docuseries up on my YouTube channel including more details about the injury and the recovery process. It’s called Divine Drama: The Second Act.”
Feist has documented the injury, rehabilitation process and her eventual return in Divine Drama: The Second Act on her official YouTube channel.
Despite being unable to wrestle, Feist still attended the inaugural Grand Slam and watched the event from ringside. She enjoyed the stadium presentation and the opportunity to watch most of the card, but the women’s match served as a difficult reminder of what the injury had taken from her.
“I remember it feeling larger than life. The stadium itself is such a cool venue in which to have a wrestling event. Sitting ringside was a lot of fun. I was able to watch most of the men’s matches and simply enjoy them.”
“When it came time for the women’s match, though, I could feel my heart sink. I had so many opportunities taken away from that initial injury, but it put a fire inside me that still pushes me now post-comeback.”
Two years after missing her original opportunity, Feist acknowledged experiencing a range of emotions as she prepares to compete inside Kokomo Municipal Stadium.
“There are a lot of heavy emotions with me as I prepare for my Grand Slam debut. Some positive and others not so much, unfortunately. I’m prepared to do my best, though, and see where the night takes us. No matter the outcome, it’s going to be one heck of a wrestling event.”
Feist and Reed have previously met in one singles match and shared the ring during a fatal four-way match. Reed won their prior one-on-one encounter, while Feist described both experiences as physical tests.
“Shawna Reed is going to be a tough opponent. I’ve had one singles match with her in which she defeated me and another fatal four-way in which we encountered each other, and she gave me a massive beating. She’s got several years of experience on me going into this match, but I feel prepared to go ten toes down with her.”
Grand Slam 2 will feature two championship matches, including Jake Omen defending the Grand Slam Championship against Elijah Eros and The Hardway defending the NWA United States Tag Team Championship against The Trifecta.
The event takes place Saturday, August 15, at Kokomo Municipal Stadium, located at 400 S. Union Street in Kokomo, Indiana. Gates open at 19:00 before the first match begins at 20:00. Ringside tickets are $25, while general admission tickets are $15. Advance tickets are available through the official ticket portal.
Feist believes her match against Reed and the remainder of the announced card will give local fans an event worth attending.
“You’re all in for an awesome night of wrestling. I know they have quite a few fantastic matches on the card. Of course there’s Shawna and myself, Kokomo’s own Chris Owens against Jacob Brawn, Elijah Eros versus Jake Omen and so many more you won’t want to miss!”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Leela Feist and provide a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the exclusive interview.
