TNA Knockout Tara spoke to our very own Phil Allely this past week about her career to date, her hopes for the future and the upcoming TNA UK Tour, below are highlights from that interview.
Having started her career as a member of the Godfathers Ho Train Tara can relate to the cynics who belittle the females who get high paid jobs in wrestling for their looks alone.
“You know I was signed (to the WWE) with no wrestling experience, I was in the right place at the right time and my look and my fitness training background helped me get that job. Unlike many girls hired now, I paid my dues too, I spent three years going to wrestling school, working my way around the indy and developmental leagues.”
“You know I’d never bad mouth girls who have got an opportunity in this business
without any in-ring ability, the big thing though is that they need to realise just how hard you have to work and bust your butt to get the recognition you deserve.”
Tara is currently part of a tag team with fellow Knockout Brooke Tessmacher, the duo have already snared the KO Tag team belts once and seem intent on regaining them.
“Brooke is a lovely young girl. We are now really close friends, I think when they paired us up it was a case of putting her with someone who could coach her and help her learn more in the ring. She has so much more to give we’ve only seen a glimpse of what Brooke has to offer. I like being a tag team wrestler, I miss having those titles.”
- A Knockout: Our very own Phil Allely with lovely Tara
Tara is very high on former WWE road agent and diva’s trainer Finlay, a man who is now a free agent and perhaps one of the genuinely toughest men in the industry.
“Finlay created my character, he said to me you are psychotic, let’s use that and we worked out my character from there. He was given the Diva’s as a joke I think, he didn’t argue or complain, what he did was take it seriously and he worked us hard.”
“He believed in us girls and he was a passionate about our division as we were. I did contact him to say how sorry I was to hear about his situation (his WWE firing). I told him how much TNA would appreciate him and what he could offer us.”
He is a great coach, he is an amazing wrestler too, even though he’s a bit mature now he can still work, I know he has something to offer us, he’s a wasted talent and I’d love to see him here.”
The upcoming TNA UK tour is poised to be the biggest yet for the company, with Sting and Hulk Hogan confirmed for the shows it must make it an exciting prospect to have made the grade for this series of live shows and TV tapings.
“The fans are so amazing in the UK, we get engulfed in their enthusiasm and it make sus work harder too. We’ll be having fun out there and with Mickie James, Gail Kim, Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky there we are sure to have some classic matches.
“It’s unbelievable to think of how successful we are as a brand in the UK, you know we were always compared to the WWE, but we are not the same and never have been. I think we are really standing out as ourselves now. We always make time for our fans and I’m glad that we can do that. I never want someone to think that I walked past them or ignored them. I am a fan and I know how it feels to be pushed aside and not get that few minutes of a conversation or a treasured picture”.
TNA are on tour January 26-28 2012, watch out for our review of the Manchester live show and more news.
By Phil Allely
