PWTorch Livecast – Wade Keller interviews TNA KO Tara
Fri, October 5, 2012
By PWTorch Staff
TNA Knockout Tara says she feels flattered that TNA selected her for the Knockouts Title match on TNA’s biggest PPV of the year, Bound for Glory, next Sunday, but she also feels deserving of the slot.
“Everybody of course wants to be on the biggest show of the year,” Tara said exclusively on the October 5 PWTorch Livecast with PWTorch editor Wade Keller. “It’s really hard being competitive in this business. It’s flattering, but I feel like it’s well-deserved. Ya know, 13 years, I feel like I paid my dues.”
In the same breath, Tara also advertised surprises on the PPV. “You’re going to see a lot of good stuff from Miss Tessmacher. She’s been working in the ring a lot, I hear,” Tara said. “And, I’m excited – there’s a lot of surprises there. I can’t tell too much, but I’m really excited to be a part of it. Don’t get me wrong, I like to be on every PPV, but this one (is special).”
Tara would likely not be in the same title match position if she were still with WWE. She said on the Livecast that WWE established a ceiling for her career, which prompted her to part ways with WWE in 2009. Tara eventually joined TNA, where she says she has not experienced the same restrictions.
“I’m never going to talk bad about them (WWE), (but) I wish I was told that I was used to train the new girls. I would have been okay with that,” Tara said. “I blatantly asked, ‘Do you ever see the championship belt in my future?’ They said, ‘No.’ I was like, ‘Really. If I’m that awesome out there, why isn’t the title belt in my future?’
“I just think I reached the peak of where I was going to go there. Don’t get me wrong, I am appreciative of what I did there, but it was time to close the book and move on. I really thought I was retired from wrestling. I really did.” Tara then recalled TNA calling her after her 90-day no-compete clause expired and working out a favorable travel schedule to join TNA.
Tara also provided background on why she briefly parted ways with TNA in 2010 and 2011. Tara said she operates on a year-to-year contract so that she can determine how her body is holding up before deciding to re-up, but it led to contract issues in the TNA office.
“I signed for a year and they wanted to a three-year (contract), but I said, ‘I just do year-to-year. I have to listen to my body, and I don’t want to be locked into anything,'” Tara said. “Then, my contract expired (in 2010) and it was just negotiations. It was not that I wanted to leave, but it was the paperwork. I don’t like that part of the business at all. Then, the next year (2011), it expired again and we had to go through it again.”
Tara then updated her current status: “I just recently signed another year, so I’m pretty happy. I hope everyone knows the passion – I love what I do. I hope people see that love.”
The interview concludes with Tara discussing the shift in tone for females on TNA’s roster, notably the Knockouts being treated with more respect by TNA Creative as wrestlers “who can go in the ring” and perform at a high-level.
Tara’s full 17-minute interview with PWTorch editor Wade Keller can be heard on Friday’s PWTorch Livecast available at this link – HERE – or on iTunes or on the free PWTorch Livecast App available in your phone provider’s App/Mobile store .