The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling Magazine
Volume 29, 2009 Issue
TARA Q&A “I was a caged animal and now I’m loose”

LISA MARIE VARON’S wrestling career was thought to have ended on January 13, 2009, when she wrestled what was billed as her retirement match at a Smackdown taping in Omaha, Nebraska. The hastily arranged affair — a loss to Michelle McCool — was not the storybook ending Varon had envisioned, but, in her mind, she had closed a chapter in her life and had new worlds to conquer.
Varon intensified her mixed martial arts training and dedicated more time to her growing business, Black Widow Customs. She enrolled in classes to become a remixing, record-scratching hip-hop DJ. Maybe she would take up acting or dancing. She’d finally be able to pursue the dreams that were put on hold for the past 10 years.
Then TNA called. A 90-day non-compete clause had prevented Varon from immediately jumping from WWE to TNA, and resuming her wrestling career so soon was not in her plans anyway. But the allure of the business, particularly her relationship with the fans, was so strong that she could not resist. On May 24, TNA announced that Varon would be the newest addition to its Knockouts division.
She was quite a catch for the Nashville-based company. The Diva formerly known as Victoria had been a loyal WWE employee for close to a decade. She was a two-time WWE Women’s champion. She was part of what many consider WWE’s “Golden Age” for Divas, an era that boasted Trish Stratus, Lita, Ivory, Molly Holly, and others. She became a mentor to WWE’s latest generation that includes Maryse, Beth Phoenix, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, and Melina.
Moreover, Varon — still in her 30s and in MMA fighting shape — is in her physical prime. TNA did sacrifice name recognition, however, replacing WWE’s trademarked “Victoria” with a new moniker “Tara”.
Varon is tackling her new adventure in TNA with the same gusto she has approached everything else in her life. After just a few weeks in her new promotion, she unseated Angelina Love as TNA’s Knockouts champion on June 23. From her formative years in Ohio Valley Wrestling and as one of The Godfather’s hos, to her crowning achievements on WWE pay-per-view, the California native has been considered by many to be the hardest-working female wrestler in the industry.
In addition, Varon has earned a reputation as one of the most fan-friendly stars around. Quick to grab a hug or sign an autograph, Varon keeps in touch with her fans at myspace.com/victoria_lisamarievaron and twitter.com/tnalisamarie.
“With two women’s title reigns, Lisa Marie had established herself as an all-time great in the business, and we were anxious to speak with her after she left WWE,” noted Senior Writer Harry Burkett, who landed a 90-minutes “Q&A” with the Diva-turned-Knockout. “Then Lisa Marie signed with TNA, making an interview with her all the more timely. I found her to be one of the most enthusiastic and driven people I’ve ever encountered, and fully expect the TNA chapter of her career to be very exciting.”

Q: Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been struck by how many reasons you’ve had for postponing our interview. You had big news you wanted to talk about, but all of a sudden you had to go to class, you had to go to bed early … I think you even had to wash your hair one night. Obviously, you were stalling because you wanted to talk about your move to TNA, but TNA had asked you to keep quiet because the contract was not finalized yet. How hard was it for you to keep that kind of a secret from your family and friends?
A: Very difficult! I only have about three friends outside the wrestling business, so everyone I know was asking if I was going to TNA. Went as far as to tell my mother and father not to tell my niece and nephews because I didn’t know who they might talk to at school. I avoided the phone as much as I could. Got a lot of text messages from the WWE Divas asking if the rumors were true. I pretended I didn’t get those messages because I didn’t want to lie! Then was caught by surprise when TNA made the announcement through its mobile text service (laughs). Despite that, all the of them were very proud and happy for me.
Q: The were probably relieve that you weren’t retiring after all, and that you were staying in the business.
A: Keep in mind I never said “retirement”. I made sure that I never mentioned retirement in my goodbye speech in WWE, although I believe WWE did call it a retirement match. You never say never in this business. I’m not the type of girl to sit home, eat bonbons, and watch TV all day. That’s why I’m currently taking MMA classes here in Louisville. Alex “The Brazilian Killer” Stiebling is my MMA coach and Helio Soneca is my jiu-jitsu coach. In fact, I went with Helio to watch a UFC fight and ran into Dixie Carter, which started the rumor that I was going to TNA. But it just so happened she was on the other side of the cage. One of the guys who works in the TNA office is a good friend of mine, and he said, “Dixie Carter wants to meet you.” It was just a simple introduction. At the time, I had a 90-day non-compete clause and I didn’t want to risk breaching my contract, so we left it at that.
But I know they were interested. I’m still a fighter. I’m in the best shape of my life, more so than when I was in WWE. I train like a madwoman in MMA class, hitting tires with a sledgehammer, pushing weights, carrying a big dummy around. It’s hardcore — almost like Army training. It reminds me of wrestling school because I was usually the only woman in the class training to be a wrestler. Here, there is one other girl, who is a pro boxer, and the rest are men. But I thrive in that environment. I’m crazy, I’m telling you.
Q: How serious are you about having a professional MMA bout?
A: I’m enjoying the training, but that is in the back of my mind. People say I’ll be just like Bobby Lashley doing MMA and pro wrestling. I’m picking up the craft very well. I’d love to shoot toward [top female MMA fighter] Gina Carano, although I know she has many years of experience. I don’t want to commit though. I still have a ways to go.
Q: This is the male chauvinistic question of the day. As someone who cares about your looks and your body, do you feel any squeamishness about getting into the octagon? Do you worry about the cosmetic effect a punch might have on your face?
A: There’s definite fear. It’s the same with pro wrestling. I don’t want to get hurt, and I don’t want to seriously hurt someone else. I know some people are looking at me, and want to welcome me to MMA by bopping me in the nose. A week before going to NTA, I got popped in the nose by someone in our class we call Doc. I said, “Doc, who made you mad today?” He said, “You need to block your face.” He was right, and that certainly corrected my mistake. I don’t want to get jacked in the face, but I can take a punch. I think it makes me more aggressive. It fuels the fire.
Q: It gets the adrenaline going, that’s for sure.
A: Exactly. It’s a miracle drug. Then again, in pro wrestling, you have to offer sex appeal as well. I get the facials, get my nails done, go to the chiropractor, and occasionally get a massage. I always feel guilty for getting pampered, but I do take care of myself. I always tell the girls in this business that their looks will only last so long. You need to take care of your skin, and rest is super-important. Fortunately, the good thing about TNA is the minimal schedule, basically filming four shows in three days and having the rest of the month off. There’s so much I can do now. I take DJ lessons three times a week, spinning and scratching and all that stuff. I have a passion for that. I’m happy I can do things I never got to do before.
Q: I think one secret of your success is your interest in such a variety of things. I’ve read the background on you. Do you regret not completing medical school and becoming a doctor or a forensic specialist? Now you’re a wrestler, an MMA fighter, and a DJ!
A: I don’t regret anything I’ve done. For my old job, I worked at an eye and tissue bank, procuring tissue for transplantation. It was great hands-on experience for medical school, and it was a job in which I helped people, and that made me feel good about myself. It’s like being a pro wrestler or entertainer, helping people forget about their problems.
Q: Of course, I forgot to mention that you customize cars.
A: I own Black Widow Customs, where I trick out rides and fit them out. It’s a passion, I love it. The only thing I haven’t done is be a backup dancer in an Usher video. I know it sounds silly … you’re laughing!
Q: No, no, I can picture you doing that, for sure.
A: Me, too. When I was a cheerleader, hip-hop was a big part of our community. It’s something I’ve never done, but I’m not dead yet. It’s refreshing that I’ve had this time off. When I went back for WrestleMania 25, everybody asked if I’d had plastic surgery done. I was like, “Wow, thanks.” The fact was that I was well-rested and still working out. I lost a lot of weight because the MMA training kicked my butt. When you’re not traveling 25 days out of the month, you’re going to look better.
But I’m not here to bash WWE. I’m thankful every day for my experience in WWE. I got to travel the world, and worked with some awesome athletes and talented people. When I told Vince this chapter was closed, I said it was the best roller-coaster of my entire life. People ask me if I think Vince is upset that I’ve gone to TNA. I think if I’m happy, they’re happy for me. I was there 9 1/2 years, that’s like a family. I don’t think anybody has any bad feelings for me.
Q: Describe your first experience in the TNA locker room. Did it feel like you were in the locker room of the home team, and you were wearing the jersey of the visitors’ team?
A: I was excited and nervous at the same time. I felt like it was the first day at school: I didn’t know what to wear, hoped I looked cool, scared about the teachers, wondering about the cliques. When I walked in, I was received with open arms. One girl said how she had learned so much from me. Now I know how veterans like The Undertaker and Kane feel when new kids come up to them. But remember, I was not a complete stranger to all the girls, so it didn’t seem like such a strange environment. I already knew Daffney, Taylor, Angelina, Velvet Sky, Cheerleader Melissa (Raisha Saeed), there were a lot of familiar faces. I asked if I could put my suitcases down in a certain spot in the locker room, and they said “Girl, you can take any part of the locker room, you’re a veteran.” They brought me water after my first match. Harry, I can’t describe the feeling. It was so refreshing and I was so happy.
Sting and Kevin Nash gave me hugs, and said they were happy to have me aboard. And I was a fan of theirs when I was younger. After my debut match against Madison Rayne, Kurt Angel pulled me aside and said, “Victoria, you look great, you’re shredded. I’m so proud of you, your match was so phenomenal. I felt like a proud dad.” I wanted to cry because it meant a lot coming from him. Mick Foley said I would love it there because it’s so relaxed. Being the new girl, I thought there’d be someone with attitude, “What does this chick from WWE want to prove?” But there wasn’t, and it surprised me.
Q: Did you watch TNA when you were in WWE?
A: Yes, because Gail Kim and I are pretty tight friends. I watched a lot of girl matches. According to PWI magazine, Awesome Kong was ranked number one among all the female wrestlers last year, and I was ranked number 12 behind Candice Michelle and a bunch of other girls. That’s one reason I’m going after Awesome Kong, because I want to be recognized as the number-one girl in wrestling. Number 12 didn’t settle well with me. Tell whoever did that, Harry, that they’re going to get a Widow’s Peak from me.
Q: We’re in the planning stages of this year’s “Female 50,” and Awesome Kong still looks pretty tough. Come one, she took out Cute Kip.
A: I think a lot of people are looking forward to me facing Awesome Kong. I’m’ excited. It’s amazing to see such a wide range of female athletes here. There are no cookie-cutter girls. TNA likes anyone who can work. Another nice aspect is that I’m used to asking what I can do. TNA told me to do what I want. They said, “You know what you do best. We’ll tell you what we don’t like.” I’m my own boss in the ring. It’s very refreshing.
Q: What do you think you can add to the women’s division, both as a wrestler and a presence in the locker room?
A: I was a locker room leader in WWE. For the girls, I was “Dear Abby,” helping them solve their problems. I’d have meetings to talk about how they’re feeling. I was becoming a coach to a lot of the girls. I hope to bring what I learned in WWE to TNA. I do come from a company where I had to learn on the spot because there was no room to make a mistake. I hope to bring a new confidence level to the women’s division in TNA. The girls are already awesome here. I hope to learn too. Other than that, I don’t know. What do you think I have to offer?
Q: You have the star-power. I can’t think of another female who has jumped from WWE so fresh off television. At a time when the women’s division has the potential to be half the show, your star-power is very important.
A: Dixie Carter is very supportive of female wrestling. At my first TV taping, there were four female wrestling matches. Sojourner Bolt told me it’s always a great day when there are that many wrestling matches for women. I was impressed. I’m in the right place.
Q: Why were you named “Tara”?
A: I think they just wanted to own the name. I never had my own T-shirt in WWE, so I would like to have merchandise. I’ve asked TNA about a T-shirt that says “Tara Rising.” Wouldn’t that be cool?
Q: Triple-H would love that one. Tell me about your family. I understand that all your brothers were amateur wrestlers.
A: Yes, Bobby, Mike, and Mark all were amateur wrestlers. Bobby, my oldest brother, won gold in the Pan-American Games. He set the pattern with the family. He was a great athlete and a straight-A student. We all envied how the community looked at him, and that set the pace for the rest of us kids. So all of us were star athletes, whether it was gymnastics, cheerleading, or track. Our parents never forced it on us. It was in us.
Q: It was good that you rose to the occasion. Otherwise, you could’ve been miserable with an older brother like that.
A: Absolutely. He said I could have his sambo shoes for MMA class, and he let me wear his gi from the Olympics — with an American flag on it an “USA” written across the back — and I wore that in my first jiu-jitsu tournament. My brothers have spoiled me. One of my brothers bought me my first motorcycle, a Honda 80, when I was a kid. My oldest brother bought me my first car — it only cost a couple hundred bucks, but it was still a gift. People ask if I got beat up by my brothers. No, they over-nurtured me. Nobody messed with me at school, because I had my brothers behind me.
Q: Did you watch pro wrestling on television while growing up?
A: I wasn’t a huge fan like now. I remember Hulk Hogan and Superstar Billy Graham, but I was so into school at that time that I’m embarrassed to say I really wasn’t that big of a fan. When I was going to school in Ohio Valley Wrestling, Jim Cornette had us study old tapes. We’d come back, and he would ask, “What did you get out of that match?” Thank God I learned about the legends while going to that school.
Q: Your first appearance in wrestling was a vignette for WCW, right?
A: Torrie Wilson and I are best friends, and we used to do fitness competitions. This is before wrestling. I got my pro fitness card in 1999. We both did Miss Galaxy, Fitness America, stuff like that together. We represented the same company. She was awesome during her run, and we remained tight. She took me to the Staples Center with her, and someone with WCW saw me walking backstage. They asked if I wanted to be in a scene with Scott Hall. A girl backstage gave me an outfit to wear, and I sat on his lap, twirling the long curl at the front of his hair, basically flirting. I asked Torrie, “You get paid for this? Sign me up!” She passed along my stuff to WCW, but I don’t think the company was doing well at the time.
A while later, I ran into Chyna at a health club and we started chit-chatting. I mentioned I was good friends with Trish Stratus and Torrie Wilson because we all came from fitness backgrounds. Chyna said I had a good look for wrestling. I sent my stuff to the WWF, and they called back. I asked, “What do you see me doing? Obviously, I’m not Torrie Wilson.” Actually, they saw me as an active wrestler. So I googled pro wrestling schools and UPW came up in California. I went there for a while, another girl and I got in the door as The Godfather’s permanent hos.
Q: Yes, I recall Mandy was your co-ho. How did you explain that job title to your family and friends, that you were a ho?
A: I didn’t tell my mom and dad what it was because I didn’t know how to explain going from medical school to being a ho. They came to a Staples Center show, and we had a group of girls picketing outside chanting, “Save the hos, save the hos” My mom asked me what they were chanting. I said, “Oh, ‘ho’ means party girl, Mom, not a bad word. It’s someone who has a good time and gets the fans involved.” She said my father was about to leave. It was hard to describe to them what it was, I’ll be honest. Then we were told they needed someone to be thrown through a table because Godfather would be turning against us. I said I was going to wrestling school so I knew how to take bumps and run the ropes, but I was still learning. They explained they never used fake tables. I though it was time to prove myself, so I agreed to do it.
Q: The Godfather really put you through that table. Could you describe that moment?
A: It was a blur. They were worried about me not breaking the table because of my weight. He threw me so hard that my legs ended up over my head and I just didn’t move. When I got to the back, everybody asked if I was okay. I said I was just a little shaken up. Then I was told, “This means you’re off TV.” I was like, “What?!” Jerry Lawler had once told me that I should be in Memphis Championship Wrestling, and I mentioned it to Jim Ross. J.R. was surprised that I’d be willing to move. (Editor’s note: By being off TV, WWF officials meant Lisa Marie was ready to begin training in MCW so that she could be introduced later as Victoria) He said, “I thought you were a PT.” I said, “Yeah, I’m a personal trainer.” He said, “Oh, I thought you were a physical therapist!” I had only one week to get down to Memphis. When Steve Austin found out I was going down there, he said I’d be living on sugar packets and stealing syrup from Denny’s to survive.
Q: Even Hulk Hogan tells those stories about Memphis, with he and Brutus Beefcake living in a van and eating raw potatoes.
A: Exactly! Austin told me that story, too.
Q: You worked alongside Steve Bradley in MCW, and he passed away last year. What was he like to work with?
A: He was so brilliant. He was such a natural out there because he had done it for years, since he was a teenager. I still didn’t know how to wrestle a full-on match. They put me in the ring with Tracy Smothers to show them what I could do, but it was by no means a real match. The Memphis school was shut down a year later and I was moved to OVW. One of my first memories is being put in a match with Rob Conway and told it would go 10 minutes. Now, at that point I’d only had wrestling matches with The Kat, Jerry Lawler’s ex-wife, and we did mostly hair-pulling and not much real wrestling. So I went in there with Conway, pulled out a lot of stuff from my gymnastics background and did a moonsault off the top rope, and actually went 12 minutes. I ran out of there vomiting. I wondered what I had gotten myself into. But they just wanted to see where our athletic ability was, with no regard to psychology. Everybody clapped and thought the match was great. Remember, I went to school with amazing people like Batista, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, John Cena, and Redd Dogg. my classmates became all the superstars who are on the main event now.
Q: There seemed to be a big difference in the philosophies between UPW and OVW, at least in terms of character development. What’s the most important thing you learned in Kentucky?
A: In UPW, I just learned how to bump and run the ropes — not so much about how to tie up. I was a beginner, and also doing the Godfather thing for WWE. My character was HBIC, which was Head Bitch in Charge. I was money-grubbing and conceited, like Miss Hancock, the complete opposite of what I’m like in real life. I learned how to listen to the crowd there. Kentucky is where everything got pieced together, where I learned about television and camera angels. I was called up to WWE for my in-ring debut three times, but each time I got to the airport, I got the phone call saying they’d changed their minds. I’d heard so many stories about the business that I thought this was probably a test. I would go back to class and Danny Davis would say, “Oh Queen, I’m so sorry.” I learned so much in Kentucky. That school was fabulous.
Q: You really were the queen there. How did you learn to be so obnoxious? Did anyone in particular inspire you?
A: Ivory and Sherri Martel were big role models for me. I watched a lot of old tapes. Somehow, I feel like I’m able to go into a trance and become that character. My music helped, too. My mindset is always that this is my house, and you’ll have to beat the crap out of me to get out of this place. I think it’s therapeutic. Maybe I’m able to be such a nice person outside the ring because I work out my problems out there. When I began in the WWF The Undertaker mentioned that I looked like the “Black Widow,” the pool player. He said, “You look exactly like her with a little bit of an Asian look. I think your nickname and the names of your moves should have something to do with spiders or black widows.” Who better to listen to than The Undertaker?
Q: I noted that you were always concerned about your cleanliness, because you were caught in the shower with Eddie Guerrero and later with Doug Basham.
A: yeah, I was in the shower with Doug Basham at Danny Davis’ house, I think. Fortunately, my mom and dad never saw the Louisville show. Bit when I was caught in the shower with Eddie, they asked, “Was that you coming out of the shower?” I said, “Yes, but I had a swimsuit on — I wasn’t naked!” I told them it was all good though, because I got beat up by Chyna. How cool is that?
Q: I guess they didn’t get quite how cool that was. Your re-introduction to the WWF had an interesting backstory. Didn’t you claim Trish betrayed you while both of you were fitness models?
A: That’s right. But what I liked best about that era in the WWF was that Fit Finlay was the agent for all the girls and their matches partly as a joke, but he was determined to make us fighters. We couldn’t be just boobs and butts — we’d be tough chicks. He stepped up all the female talent.
Q: You did develop a reputation for breaking people’s noses. didn’t you go MMA on Candice Michelle and then Michelle McCool?
A: Yes. Actually, I broke Candice Michelle’s nose with a kick to the face. You may remember that I broke Beth Phoenix’ jaw — and that was just a slap!
Q: How do you feel when something like that happens?
A: In Beth Phoenix’ case, I felt so horrible because you don’t want to ruin someone’s debut. She was out for a year and had a titanium plate put in her jaw. But don’t forget that I’ve broken my nose twice and cracked a couple teeth. This is not ballet. Whenever I do interviews like this, Harry, it make me appreciate how much I’ve gone through. I feel like I should be 80 years old by now, but geez, I’m still kickin’.
Q: It was impressive that you won the women’s title only three or four months into your WWF stink as a full-time wrestler.
A: That’s right. It was in New York at Madison Square Garden.
Q: Yes, it happened at Survivor Series. What was the overriding emotion when you won the title — vindication or responsibility?
A: Whenever you get the belt, you feel like it’s a pat on the back. There’s a lot of responsibility with it. Everybody wants a piece of the belt, so you have more bouts. After I won the belt at the Garden and went backstage, Fit had a tear in his eye. He gave Trish and me a big hug. He said he had goosebumps the whole match. To win the belt at Madison Square Garden, where there’s so much history, was amazing. I was even proud when the security people at the airport would take it out and ask me what it was. I was like, “That’s right, I’m the champ.” I wouldn’t worn it in the airport if I could.
Q: That reminds me of the animated series Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n Wrestling. Hulk wore the championship belt at all times, even when he was asleep in bed.
A: You know who else did that?
Q: Who?
A: Rico Constantino. He would pump gas at the gas station wearing his belt.
Q: Gotta love OVW. Tell me about more of the big moments you had in WWE. What was it like to wrestle in front of tens of thousands of people, as you did at WrestleMania XIX? Your three-way with Trish and Jazz was your first WrestleMania match.
A: Oh, my gosh. Every WrestleMania was amazing. When I returned for WrestleMania 25, I told all the new girls to take a moment and look at the top tier because you may never wrestle in front of a crowd this big again. This could be your last time, or the first of many to come. I wanted them to absorb how many people love wrestling. WrestleMania XIX was in Seattle, right?
Q: Yes, Safeco Field.
A: That was a long haul to the ring. It felt like a mile. I remember Stevie Richards out there, too. You can’t describe to someone how it feels. All the fans looked like ants. The roars were amazing.
Q: Speaking of WrestleMania, WrestleMania XX was pretty memorable for you. How did you feel having to shave Molly Holly’s head?
A: The guy standing next to me was Vince’s personal barber. We didn’t go over anything, and I didn’t know how to shave a head. She got loose, and I cut her head three times. I looked at the guy to help me, but he said, “I can’t. You have to do it on your own. They want her bald when you get back from commercial.” It was enjoyable, but at the same time I was so sorry. I didn’t know you had to cut the hair before using the clippers. I was afraid we were going to have a throwdown backstage. I had my guard up. But it turned out okay.
Q: Did you have compassion for her? It had to be kind of embarrassing.
A: Deep down I did. I felt bad. But she looked beautiful bald — she has such a beautiful face. She pulled it off.
Q: That’s reminiscent of Jim Mitchell shaving Raven’s head on TNA a few years ago.
A: You would think it would be easy, right? That was one of those moments during what I like to call the golden era of women’s wrestling, with Trish, Stacy, Lita, Ivory, and the rest of us. We were always finding ways to push it to the limit, like the cage match between Lita and me.
Q: Did you ever have ideas for your basic character? I always though someone named Victoria should wear lingerie in the ring.
A: Remember, I was kind of jacked back then, a real musclehead. I used to train crazy with the weights. Now I’m more into boxing, jiu-jitsu, and stuff like that. I didn’t get to choose my name; Victoria was just given to me. Most of the time, Vince and the agents would study our style and work with that to develop our personalities. They said that I ha some “insane” qualities when I worked. That was just my intensity, but that’s why we made my persona a little crazy. Then I was a good guy for a year. The fans were beginning to like me because I was unique. I was forced to be a typical babyface, kissing babies and high-fiving. I hated it.
Q: They took away your intensity.
A: Yes, and that’s what made me popular in the first place. In TNA, I won’t be an in-your-face good guy. I want to be like Kane or The Undertaker — good guys who are still serious.
Q: How did you develop your signature traits, like twirling your hair on the entrance ramp? Did you come up with that on your own?
A: Yes, I did. I like being creative. Stevie Richards and I had amazing chemistry, for example. We would never go over anything. I would feed off him. As part of my character I was always supposed to smell him during promos. But one night I licked his face and bit his earlobe! I got caught up in the moment. Crash Holly helped me come up with the Spider Web, which is a spinning sidewalk slam. Molly Holly got the Widow’s Peak from on independent wrestler named Roderick Strong, and she thought it would be a good move for me because I was stronger than the other girls. Vince loved it. All my other moves were from Fit Finlay or variations of other wrestlers’ moves.
Q: Let me ask you about Vince McMahon. What was it like to work for him? What is he like personally?
A: He’s very, very businesslike and very, very serious. I don’t have anything bad to say about him at all. Everything he touches turns to gold. He always has a vision. He’s a little intimidating because he’s always so busy and you don’t know if you’re catching him at a bad time. but his door is always open if you ever have a problem.
Q: Which wrestler is most like their on-air character, the person you see on TV?
A: (Laughs.) I think Maryse is very close to her character. Mick Foley is very much like his “Have A Nice Day” character, not the mean, creepy guy on TV now. Also, Ric Flair is very similar to his character. I love that guy.
Q: You talked about how close you were with your fellow Divas. I remember stories about Trish Stratus’ wedding and how all the other women in WWE came together to support her. You attended the wedding, right?
A: Absolutely. It was beautiful.
Q: What was the camaraderie of the women’s division like, especially at that time?
A: The was the height. The close bond among the TNA girls reminds me of that era. To this day, Trish and I still talk on the phone. She’s on of my closest friends, too.
Q: If you had to pick your favorite road story, which one would you throw at me?
A: Christy Hemme, Trish and I were on a six-hour drive to the next show and we hit an ice storm. Trish was driving and we were all signing some Kid Rock song. All of a sudden, the car started sliding and we started spinning. We hit a diesel truck and the back window exploded into Christy Hemme.
Q: Good grief! The was an action-adventure.
A: I know. Scary, right? We were telling each other to calm down and breathe, trying to soothe each other. Thank God the other driver stopped. We almost died.
Q: Did you appreciated how you were handled during your final couple of years with WWE? I remember seeing you on TV and at house shows, usually putting over the prettiest new face in the locker room. It was almost painful to watch because I never thought you got the chance to shine as brightly. Did that ever enter your mind?
A: Yes, it did. I don’t want to badmouth WWE. That’s their decision, and I’m sure Vince knows what he’s doing. At least TNA will showcase the Victoria — now Tara — that everybody wants to see. I’ll get to show my goods now.
Q: I think your jump is very similar to that of Christian. he came in much like you, with great name recognition, but had never received the chance to show he could be the number-one guy. And TNA gave him that chance.
A: I talked to him at WrestleMania 25. He never touched upon why he came back. I just knew my chapter was closed, and there was nothing else I could do in WWE. Now you can’t hold me down. I’m going to step it up and remind the fans what I’m all about.
Q: Do you think your final match was handled properly? Were you able to give a substantial amount of notice ahead of time?
A: My last match was actually three months after I asked to leave. I didn’t even know if I was getting a final match. I was given only a few days notice before my final match on Tuesday, January 13, at a Smackdown taping. I asked if that taping was picked for any special reason. I was told, “No, you’re just going to wrestle Michelle McCool.” I said, “Okay, at least I’ll get to hit my Widow’s Peak one more time.” Then I was informed that wouldn’t be the case either. But at least I got to say my speech off-air.
But, again, I never said retire. I just knew my time was coming to an end in WWE. Don’t get me wrong. I love coaching, but I still have the “it” quality in the ring, so I’m not done. I still want to shine. I was a caged animal and now I’m loose. I want to see how far I can take.
Q: You were given more dignity than Bobby Heenan when he left the WWF. Gorilla Monsoon chased him out of the building, throwing luggage and toilet paper at him.
A: yes, it couldn’t been worse. But I got a lot of calls from past Divas. “What? That was your end?” Look, I’m a softie inside. When I went to the back after the match, I told myself to be strong and not cry. But the whole roster, the camera crew, everybody was waiting for me at the gorilla position and bawling. They all gave me hugs. That was the hardest thing ever. But the fans were chanting “T-N-A” after my speech.
Q: I know you’re relatively new to the company, but in your opinion, what do you think needs to fall in place for TNA to challenge WWE directly?
A: I think they’re such different companies. Even though the same talent goes back and forth, we’re not in competition with WWE. We’re not on at the same time. So, for those ultra-fans, they get double the wrestling. The main difference is Spike is more of a man’s channel, so we can get away with more sex appeal. WWE is PG-13, so you can’t show side-boobs and all that cleavage.
Q: Yes, you can get away with a lot on a network that carries 1,000 Ways To Die. One final question: If Dixie Carter asked you to customize her SUV, what would you do to it?
A: I’d put a big TNA logo on it and make it the official “Cross The Line” car!