Warrior Woman: Kimona (New Wave Wrestling - November 2000)
interviewed by Craig Prendergast

NW: How Did you get into pro wrestling?

K: I started with ECW as everybody knows. I knew Raven and he asked me to
come to one of the shows, which I did. I never watched wrestling before and
I knew nothing about it at all. It was very crowded at this ECW show. I
couldn't see since I'm 5 foot something, so I stepped on to a platform where
I wasn't supposed to be; suddenly, the whole crowd just turned around and
pointed at me. [Laughs] They thought I was part of the show. I didn't know
if they expected me to jump through some tables or what. I didn't know if it
was good or bad, but I got a job the next day. [Laughs]

NW: What was your training like?

K: ECW trained me and most of the other women, especially since many girls
like Francine take bumps. When you're there, they show you moves; they tell
you to tuck your head and see where everything falls. [Laughs]

NW: Have you taken any bumps?

K: Yes, a few months ago I did a cage match at one of the indie shows. I'm
used to taking bumps in cat fights.

NW: Why did you pick managing as opposed to wrestling?

K: To be quite honest with you, I've watched female wrestling and I think
the men look a lot better than the women. Except for the Japanese female
wrestlers who really wrestle, and I know some men who are afraid to wrestle
them because they're really violent, the women are basically eye candy. I
really do. We have our cat fights, a little bra removed here and there, but
I like the managing part a lot more.

NW: How do you stay in shape?

K: I eat once a day and go for long walks. I figured if you watch what you
eat, don't eat too much, and go for long walks, that should be enough.

NW: What are your vital statistics?

K: I'm 5-foot-1 on my good days; my weight goes up and down between 98 and
100 pounds. Two pounds means a lot to a woman. I'm also a 34D.

NW: Was working for ECW a positive experience for you?

K: Yes and no. Gosh, I learned a lot, I'll tell you that. You really do learn
about the business and the people you deal with. The positive thing I can say
about it is that it got my foot into the business, and the whole controversy
with what happened after I left was the negative part. It was a big negative.

NW: Let's stay with that. Explain how you came to dance atop the eagle's nest
in the ECW arena.

K: It happened in Philadelphia during the main event. Everyone knows the
Philly crowds are wild and crazy and very aggressive. What happened was the
ring broke. It was the last match and I don't know what happened. I think
there was even an electrical failure earlier on that night. It was just a bad
night overall.
   Anyway, the ring broke, the crowd was screaming for a refund, and a riot
was brewing. Next thing I know Paul E. is screaming for me to get out there,
so I went out. They played two songs and I did a striptease. They said I was
nude, but I wasn't. Many fans were very disappointed when they got the tape
and realized I was not nude. Nothing was showing. I had a bodysuit on.

NW: I think this was the last time you were in ECW. Is that right?

K: Yes, that was the last time I was there. Some people felt that what I
did took away from the ring action that night. They had some great matches
and thought that the stripping had no place on the show or in the wrestling
business. Everyone knew that I never said oh, please pick me for the spot.
It just happened that I was told to do it, and I did what I did.

NW: You did what you were told and they still got rid of you?

K: I quit. I was never fired. I quit only because I was 18 at the time and
I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to
stay in the entertainment business, so I decided to take some speech and
acting classes. As soon as I quit, the tape was released and I never saw one
cent out of it.
   After I left ECW, everybody always wondered why they never announced that
I had left. I wasn't on the internet at the time, so I never knew about all
the rumors and how big it was until now. I still read about it to this day.

NW: Do you have a full-time job?

K: Wrestling is my full-time thing now.

NW: Weren't you once an exotic dancer?

K: Yes, I was dancing when I was working with ECW, but it was in New Jersey,
which is quite strict. It's basically a bikini and thong show. You see more
on the beach.

NW: How did you get involved with dancing?

K: A friend of mine started dancing. She was a few years older than me and
she said you've got to try this. It's neat and pretty different, plus you
make a ton of money. You really do.

NW: Do you prefer dancing or managing wrestlers?

K: Definitely, managing. I quit dancing 3 or 4 years ago, so I'm back into
wrestling. Dancing was basically a job to pay my rent.

NW: Are you making a living as a wrestling manager now?

K: Yes, I am.

NW: How did you wind up in WCW?

K: After I left ECW, I swore I would never go back into wrestling at all.
Never say never. All of a sudden, I was called to do some independent shows.
I said to myself that if I'm going to do indies then I may as well go for
the big time. If I'm going to be involved, I want the major TV exposure
scene.
   I was actually on my way to the WWF.Terry Taylor was bringing me in
there. He introduced me to Vince Russo and everything was basically a go.
Then a week later, Vince Russo left for WCW, and a couple of weeks after
that, Terry Taylor left. I waited to see what would happen. I really wanted
to work with Vince Russo, so I went over to WCW.

NW: How do your parents feel about you being a wrestling manager?

K: I don't even think my parents know. I haven't talked to them for about
six years.

NW: Sorry to hear about that.

K: That's okay.

NW: What interests do you have outside of wrestling?

K: Believe it or not, my big hobby is Japanese animation. I love all the
Manga stuff. I'm very big into a show called Dragonball Z. I'd really like
to get involved with it somehow. I was actually asked at one point to pose
for Vampirella magazine, that's what sparked my interest in all this stuff.

NW: What would you say is the best thing about wrestling?

K: The exposure is definitely number one. Traveling and meeting people is
also a big plus. I love traveling very much.

NW: What is the worst thing?

K: The worst thing is sometimes you get judged before people even know who
you are, but that's entertainment in general.

NW: What advice do you have for any aspiring women looking to break into the
wrestling business?

K: Basically, you've got to stick to your guns. Keep pushing and pushing.
Look how long it took me. I left the wrestling scene for four or five years
and now I'm back on top again. You can't give up.

NW: Have you had any problems being a woman in a male dominated business?

K: No, not at all. The men are really very kind, almost like older brothers
watching over you. I've never had any problems with any of the wrestlers. No
one has treated me badly or anything like that.

NW: What would you like to do in the future?

K: I would like to stay in wrestling for as long I can. I'm also looking to
get involved in acting.

NW: Do you have a website?

K: No, I do not have a website. I'm not connected with any site. They
basically print rumors or make something up. There have been many problems
for me with what they write. People have confronted me about it, and I tell
them that I don't have a website, that I don't know where they're getting
their information from. When I do get a website, I'll let everyone know.

NW: Now that that's cleared up, thanks for your time, Kimona. Good luck to
you in your career.

K: All right. Thank you.