By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Good Karma Wrestling with guest Saraya
Hosts: ESPN Chicago’s Jonathan Hood, ESPN Milwaukee’s Gabe Neitzel, and ESPN West Palm’s Brian Rowitz
Twitter: @GKW_Wrestling
Her relationship with Jon Moxley: “Everyone even if they’ve known him for a very long time they never know if he likes them or not because he’s quite a quiet guy and then he goes to the ring and does these crazy things. I’ve known him since day one of coming over to America, and he has always been pretty quiet. Even now, if I go to there (Moxley and Renee Paquette’s) house to watch the UFC he can get a little talkative.
“He’s a nice guy and people are so shocked by that, he’s so sweet. He helped me when I first came to AEW, first of all, he convinced me to come to AEW. After I shit the bed with that first promo, I was so nervous, I didn’t know what I was saying, I didn’t know what I was doing within the company. I don’t know why I’m here, I don’t know what’s going on. I wasn’t cleared by that point yet, so I didn’t know what to say at that point.
“So Moxley helped me with my second one, with Britt (Baker) in the ring and he like emailed it, he’s very old school, he emailed it to me. You need to be talking like this, and you should be speaking from the heart and he helped me so much when I first came in, he brought my confidence back Even like when me and Britt did the sit-down, he sat there with Renee and watched me and directed it and made sure that it came across really well. He’s a great guy. Great guy.”
On doubting that she would return to the ring: “I never thought I would get back in the ring. They told me I didn’t have fluid around my spinal cord in certain areas. I get kicked even a little bit I would be paralyzed, if I just trip and walk over I could be paralyzed. It’s a terrifying injury to have. I like to blame it on my healthy lifestyle or I’m Wonder Woman. It’s very open and people know I used to have addiction issues and all that type of stuff. Once I fought against that and came across the other side, I was really healthy, I went to the gym, I was eating vegan food, most of it was lettuce. And I didn’t smoke, I didn’t do any drugs, I didn’t do anything and I like to believe that really helped me or I like to believe it helped me.”
When she found out that she would be winning the title at Wembley Stadium: “We had like four different finishes to the match because we just didn’t know who was going to be going over. I was like ‘there’s no way he’s going to put the strap on me, that’s just too easy.’ I always second guess myself a lot in wrestling. Outside of wrestling I am pretty confident but within wrestling I am pretty hard on myself.
“I never thought that within a year of me being in the company that I would be getting the championship. I thought I would have to grind even more, and I am so grateful that I got that opportunity, especially at Wembley, especially with my family, especially in front of my home country.
“When he [Tony Khan] did tell us, it was like the night before. He owns Fulham football club also, so they were having a football match and then he flew in really quick around 10:00 at night and we were all sitting around the ring and were like, “What’s going on, we need to figure this out.”
And he came out and he was like “Yeah, you” and I was like ‘What?’ I burst into tears dude. I was just so grateful. I never thought this would ever happen again. I was adamant, I was convinced that this would never happen again. I would never hold another championship in my life. The fact that I got that, it was so emotional. I didn’t tell my family either so when they came out they were very shocked. I just wanted to surprise them.”
Advice for people that are going through dark times: “I went to a lot of therapists and psychiatrists and stuff like that. The secret to it, is community, it’s who you surround yourself with. So, if you feel like you’re going through a hard time you have to take a step back and see who’s around you and who you’re able to talk to and who you’re able to talk and who has your best interest and etc, etc.
“And know that you are loved because that’s the hardest thing about being in the darkest part of your life is that you are convinced that no one loves you, no one wants to be there for you, you’re so by yourself. You have to try and think and snap out of it and know that you are so loved and all you have to do is reach out and talk to someone. It’s the healthiest thing you can do, is talk and, again, surround yourself with really amazing positive people. It’s how I did it.
“And therapy. Therapy is a great thing. Even if you don’t want to talk to one of your best friends about it, just getting these feelings off of your chest it’s the most amazing, freeing feeling that you can do. You’ll walk out of there feeling like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. But find the perfect therapist though because there are therapists that you will talk to, and you feel like you don’t have that connection with. You have to find the perfect person that you feel like is really listening to you.”
Her thoughts on the John Cena heel turn: “I’m all for heel Cena. He spent his whole career being that babyface that everyone knows and love. He had to. He sold the most merch, he was doing Make a Wish. He had to be a good guy, he did, you couldn’t mess up a good thing like that and he enjoyed it too. The fact that he is in his last hurrah and he gets to step out of his comfort zone a little bit and have a little fun, why not? I loved it, I thought it was amazing, the heel turn was perfect. They really nailed it.
“I know Cena is probably enjoying this so much, just to be a bad guy for once in his career, hell yeah. And he’s good at it too… I wish he would do heel Cena shirt because I would be the first to buy it. I always say that Cena is one of the best wrestlers when it comes to psychology. He’s amazing. If you don’t think he’s the best wrestler or whatever, whenever you’re watching him you are glued to the TV.
“He can turn the fans like that, he has them in the palm of his hand so he can go from ‘Lets go, Cena, Cena Sucks’ to in the end he’s making them all cheer for him. This heel thing, he’s juts making them boo him and that’s such a weird thing to see, Cena getting booed but he is just like a magician dude. He’s amazing.
“I tell every wrestler to watch Cena and Randy [Orton], I’m a big fan of Randy too when it comes to camera angles and taking his time and that type of stuff. Promos and stuff, I always encourage people to watch John 100 percent, he’s one of the best.”
Be the first to comment