September 6, 2024 • 21 mins
AEW star Willow Nightingale opens up about her upcoming Chicago Street Fight at AEW All Out against Kris Statlander, the state of AEW’s women’s division, and what changes she hopes to see. Willow also shares her excitement about defending the CMLL Women’s World Championship at the 91st Anniversary event!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You'll play for all things for resting and exclusive interviews
with some of your favorite wrestlers.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Podcast dot.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
What's up you guys?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Welcome back into iHeartRadio's official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast.
And it has been an exciting week here on the show.
We literally watched somebody commit arson on TV on Wednesday
nights and now we're here to talk about a big
event that's happening this weekend. We've got ae w all
Out live from Chicago, and today on the show we
have our guests Willow Nighting Galas with us.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Willow, how are you, HOLLI? I'm doing well. I'm doing well,
you know, get ready to beat up an ex friend
and there are a lot of motions that I am feeling,
but overall we'll go with good feeling good.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Yeah, and that kind of wants I kind of want
to ask just how are we feeling?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
You know this week and all out?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
You've got a former friend in a Chicago street fight,
which you're no stranger into street fights whatsoever, But what
are your thoughts heading into this match? And how important
is this opportunity for you to make a statement and
finally put this feud with Statlander behind you.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Well, you know, I feel like there's the cliche of
like thin line between love and hate, and the riod
of that is just how passionate you are about something.
And Statlander is somebody I'd been really close friends with
from pretty early on in my career. I put a
lot of trust into, confided in a lot, really been
(01:45):
vulnerable with. And for me, street fights were something that
we even came together as a team on previously and
really kind of dug into this new level of who
we were as performers and wrestlers and fighters, and that
was really cool. Yeah, I thought that was very cool.
(02:06):
So it feels fitting that we would end something on
such a passionate p is a call violent note, and
so I am excited to show her hey then cross me,
but also a little nervous, a little apprehensive. I can't
lie that is that is the flurry of emotion that
(02:27):
I am kind of experiencing right now. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Is it satisfying getting your hands on STOKELG.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, I mean it is. He has been a thorn
in my side. Even when things were cool with State
and I, it was kind of like, hey, I think
this guy sucks. I think he's he's annoying, you know.
Sometimes he's a little bit funny, but more than anything,
he's just kind of a bother. But you seem to
like him. So if for whatever reason, you feel like
we can menace it from working with him, I'll let
(03:04):
you be. I'll let it rock. Obviously that did not
turn out for the better for me, right, So there's
there's a little bit of vindication that I received about
two weeks ago at all In I got to Timo
b Tom. But but the real, I think moment of
indication that I will feel is when I do finally
(03:25):
get my hands on Stack, because that's the core of
this really is He's the one. Yeah, broke my heart.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
This is something I think kind of adjacent to that.
I've always been curious about this. So you're no strangers
of the street fights, the death matches, the hardcore, all
that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
There was a very well known tournament back in the nineties,
the King of the Death Matches, famously one by Texas Jack.
Would you want to bring in a Queen of the
Death Matches and do it properly in twenty is that?
Would you waive that flag.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I don't know that that is necessarily something that I
would excel in. Maybe, like when I was early in
my career on the knees, I like, very badly kind
of wanted to get into a little bit of the
death match scene. Obviously that didn't happen, and then it
(04:24):
really wasn't until I came to AW that they started
putting me in street fights, which I did not mind
because I was I was a fan of that kind
of stuff. But I don't know that.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
That's the details ornament of it would be for me.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, not at this point where I'm got I think
it would be cool to see.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, I think so too. I think the ladies have
digested this stuff just as we have the guys have,
and you know, some of the street fights we've seen
from you guys have s'm very creative, very violent.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
So I would be very.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Accused career, you know, I think at this point, at
this point, longevity is the name of the game, and
we can throw a little bit of fun here and there, but.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Long game, yeah, long game, yeah, perfect.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, absolutely. So.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
You know, AAW has shown incredible diversity and inclusion, especially
in the women's division, but you know, you look at
the IWC, the people on the internet, the keyboard warriors right,
some feel that the women's division doesn't always get the
same spotlights as the men's. How do you feel about
the current state of the women's division and AW and
(05:38):
what would you like to see change, if anything.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I mean, I think we've come a really long way
just in the two years that I've been here. I
think a lot of the issues initially with the women's
division were kind of stemmed in years and years and
years of stigma against women in for nasional wrestling. Like,
I think it's a lot deeper than just Tony saying
(06:05):
I want to give the girls time where I don't,
you know, I think it's much bigger than him just
saying that, because fans do ultimately have a little bit
of saying what we do? You know, they like, this
is our our company, We're gonna all the shots, We're
gonna do what we're gonna do, and we're gonna make
(06:25):
them pay attention and whatever. But it's hard when there's
years and years of being like this is the bathroom
break match, and people immediately tune out for they even
give us a chance, and over the course of the
five years, that AW has been running, you can see
that we've been getting so much more so much more time,
(06:47):
more opportunities. What you've seen over time that we've had
more sparkes on the show, more opportunities, more time, and
that's because over the five years we've like forced people
to pay attention do us, and so with that we
get we get higher ratings, we get more people trusting us,
we get more people paying attention, more equity, and so
(07:10):
that is a large part in thanks to what we've done,
you know, and the women who were at AW before
me have done as well. But thank you fans for
tuning in, keep doing that, keep supporting us, keep being
very vocal online about how you want to see us
in bigger positions. And you know, I can't deny the
(07:35):
fact that Merchides coming to our company has helped us
because she has she's been an advocate for all of us,
all of the division. And again, progress is something that
is very slow. That is something that is bigger than wrestling.
When you look at all the social change that our
country or different countries have gone through and will continue
(07:57):
to go through. Progress is slow, and so to see
that reflected and wrestling something that already is kind of
a little further back socially and progressively as the rest
of the world. It's it's nice to see us kind
of catching up and ganging there, and it's it's been
five years, which is not a long time, and we've
already progressed so much. So I am excited and proud
(08:19):
and happy to have been a part of that. But
of course I would always love to see I would
love to see it more for a women's match to
main event more regularly, or more matches on pay per
views and like these big shows. But it's happening. It's happening,
so just keep keep keep going with with what's working.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, there you go, absolutely, And I guess some revolutions
are slower than others, so it takes a little bit
of time. Like I said, Yeah, so this is kind
of crazy. You know, you just just got back from Wembley.
You're gonna have all out coming out this weekend coming up,
and then on September thirteenth, you're going to Arena Mexico
(09:02):
for the CML ninety first Anniversary show to defend the
CML World Women's Women's World Championship. A crazy You're on
a short list of women that we competed on those stages.
You know, what are your thoughts heading into that? You know,
you don't want to jump over a Statlander caliber opponent, obviously,
(09:23):
but you know, looking past her, I don't mean to
say it the way looking past her. You know, what
are your thoughts? What's the heading into this event? What
do you think this means for you? And aw and
what are you looking forward to most in your match? Again?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Is zeus sixth Zusius?
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Well obviously, and then congrats, I'm being the champ too.
That's just unbelievable, by the way, Grant.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Thank you. They just they told me yesterday that I
am actually the first American to hold that championship, and.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
I was like, I did WHOA, No, I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Yeah, so I was like, that's really cool. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I figured someone would have like Lunif Lajahn or somebody
would have been down there calls and have it before.
But hey, that's great, that's even that's even more.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Yeah. So, uh, definitely not overlooking stat Lander. You know,
CMLL doesn't. They're not big into the blood and the
guts and the hard course stuff, so they're not even
sanctioning the match, So it's it's not for the title,
but I have to imagine that if if what I'm
(10:31):
planning on Dewey happens, if the plan that I have
for Statlander goes as planned, and I me knowing her
thinking that she would have a lot of brutalities for
me as well, obviously I have to take an account
then probably not gonna be feeling my best after this match.
When when lose whatever draw, I'm gonna probably be feeling like, uh,
pile two the next day. So I have to take
(10:52):
that into account when I'm thinking ahead, and there's the
question of like do you push you're training harder, do
you give yourself a break? Mexico City, the elevation, he's
a little killer, and that plays the effector in the game.
So these are all things that I have been considering
going into that match. And I am excited nonetheless, because
(11:20):
the last time I was in Arena Mexico, I felt
so much love. I felt like this air of just
like the best thing where that pops in my hair
right now is like regality, Like we don't have a
building like Arena Mexico in the United States. We don't
have a structure that is specifically dedicated to professional wrestling
(11:40):
and has been there for you know, upwards of sixty
seventy years. I think it was built in the fifties,
if I'm not mistaken, And that's insane, the amount of history,
of the amount of professional wrestling matches, the culture, the love,
the passion that has been poured into that building, and
that like seeps through those walls. We don't have any
thing like that. So to go there and visit that
(12:01):
and see the fans who is so deeply ingrained in
their culture and lifestyle is a joy. So I'm excited.
I'm very excited. You know, I'm probably gonna be hurting
and breathing like, but it's I've been so honored to
be carrying this championship with me. I look forward to,
(12:25):
you know, hopefully carrying it for a very long time
at making more trips to Mexico City because that's what
I want to do. And Zeusius is someone who I
had my first match at CML against in a six
women tag, so I do have a level of familiarity
with her. She came up to aw to wrestle Mercedes
ahead of Forbid Door, so I also got to check
(12:46):
out her work firsthand again in a singles match, and
you know I've been keeping tabs. I am the CMLL
World Women's Champion, so I have to I need to
have my singer on the pulse and figure out what's
going on over there, who my competition is, who I'm representing,
because I am aware that I'm also I was put
(13:07):
into a three way matt, a three way match that
did have a CML representative there, an AW representative, and
a new japan Strong representative, and I swept that up.
But I don't have a vast experience as a part
of the Amazona's division, and so I have to realize too,
(13:27):
I won this and I'm representing AW first and foremost always,
but as a carry you that banner around, I'm representing
all of these women as well, so I have to
be familiar with them, and like, I take a lot
of pride to that, and I take a lot of
pride in what they do, and I'm I'm proud to
be carrying that flag right now. Yes, right.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Now you are. I think the technical term is rudo,
rudio rudo or running as a rudo. That yeah, are
you running a rudo down there? Or are you are
you technical? I just go I'm American's just historically I
was gonna say historic.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
This is. This is something that I've come across being
somebody who is an international traveler is usually whenever you're
the foreigner, you are the bad guy. And people can
look at me and feel that way. Especially they picked
promo photos of me where I look a little more
like I'm gonna beat you up. I'm a tough guy. Listen,
(14:27):
I am a tough guy. Do not make matters, Yes,
but I'm gonna have a good time doing that. And
so whatever whatever way I'm painted, however, fans perceive me
whatever they expect. I don't put a title or label
on it, even even in the United States, in a
(14:47):
w or wherever else I go. I'm not like, hey,
I'm this or I'm not. I'm just Willow. Where I go,
I'm Willow. Whether I'm having a good time dancing around
or kicking your butt, I'm going to I am authentically
one hundred percent of the time always, So I don't
subscribe to that.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Yeah, nice, good ass.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
So I do have a question, and this is always
we come towards the end of our show where we
we have a little fun.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
And I've got two questions for you.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
The first one is when they came to you in
aw and said, hey, we're making you an action figure,
what's going through your mind and the fact that you're
not just getting an action figure, you're getting part of
the rare addition, You're getting a Chase version of you.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Not being able to say that in that roster, I
didn't know, so I was getting an action figure at
the end of last year's kind of when they first
started talking about it, and the first thought I had was,
I gotta tell my dad, because like that is one
(15:51):
of the things that he's always like what he did
act for her. He was also so mad that I
dyed my hair from purple because he was like, you
didn't even get an action figure. Yet you get rid
of the purple hair, you think about cool, what would
be to have an actually you're with purple hair? And
I was like, I'm sorry, it was ruining my hair.
I had to get rid of it. I loved it, right,
I didn't even I just was like, I'm getting one,
(16:14):
and that's an honor and that's great and I can't
wait until it comes out. It really wasn't until I
was doing San Diego Comic Con that I found out
that there were going to be two, and I didn't
know anything about a chase. I didn't know what that meant.
And I was like, oh, this one's got to be
like limited edition, right, like I was using that term.
(16:34):
And I spoke to smart Mark Sterling, who is, if
you're aware of the major Figures situation, that whole network
that they have. Oh yeah, I was like that that's
the guy I need to talk to about Action Figures.
I was like, yeah, they got like a rare figure.
He goes, oh, they made a chase and I was
like a chase with that, And so he was the
only the one who kind of filled me in on
(16:55):
like how special that is. And I was like, damn
that is. That's cool, and that, to me is like
one of the things that obviously like Action Figure stopped
on the bucket list. But I didn't realize like, oh,
that's cool, that's an extra. It's kind of similar to
when they put me on the truck mm hmm. They
put my face on the aw truck. I was like, man,
(17:17):
I didn't even know that that was something that I
wanted to happen.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Now you're damn that's cool. Yeah, so I'm soaked about it.
I can't wait. I want to I mean, obviously, I'm
sure that they're gonna hook me up and send me
a few of them, but I want I want to
do the chase, and I want to go to targets
or Walmart's or wherever stores and I want to find
it on the show with myself.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yep, the name of the game.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Yeah, well, we've got one more question to ask and
then we're gonna We're gonna let you let you hop
off here because I know your time is busy because
you got to get ready for stat Lander this weekend,
and then of course you're defending your championship down there
in Mexico. At the end of the show, we always
like to turn to chat GPT to ask our guests
a question. We type in, we type in ask you
(18:09):
know our guest the question, and it usually spits out
how did you start your career in wrestling? Which everybody
can go to Wikipedia and find that out, So we
kind of have to, you know, slap it around like
you're gonna do stat Lander on the week this weekend. Yes,
And finally it came out with a question, that's fun.
What is your ultimate go to karaoke song? And how
would you rate your performance on a scale of one
(18:30):
to ten.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Oh I, so my go to karaoke song is, uh,
what's up by the four non blonde?
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I I would give myself.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
A ten out of ten.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Hey, well, yeah, now I.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Have to unearthed a video. I'm sure my mother or
my father or my sister somebody has it somewhere, and
I gotta post it so you guys can see that.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah, that's the one. Let me let me present mine
my go to It depends, Yeah, it depends on the situation.
I will a lot of times. We'll go with uh,
I want to dance with somebody when it houston, I
get that about an eight. I get that about an eight.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
I gotta do falsetto for a lot of it, but
a lot of the high notes I hit, it's really
like the when the key change. That that that one
I gotta But that is.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Also so good. A favorite musical term is a modulation.
It's fun to say, and I love when change.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Happens and they don't happen as much anymore. Music. That's true,
very good call.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Other than that, it's usually eighties, it's Journey, it's Brian Adams,
it's uh.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
I'll bring out everything I do I do for you.
I'll do kiss from a Rose.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
I don't care that that was what I was gonna be,
kind of like the karaoke here, So come come on down,
we'll go.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Walk is a great one.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
I gotta I gotta agree with that.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Feels like I would need to have it with Brody there.
I feel like to be.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
There for that. You know what, I haven't done karaoke
with Brody, so maybe maybe.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Well, so here's here's what we'll do. Because my go
to karaoke is either Aerosmith I don't want to miss
a Thing or steal Kiss from.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
A Rose, like I get down to both of those.
So what we'll do? I know, I know we're like
trying to rap up with Cold. I have to do
a little shout out for don't want miss Thing by
Erroosmith because my home promotion where I learn how to wrestle,
and what do you see, after our shows, we would
always end up going to this bar that always is karaoke,
and that would be like the group song that everybody
came from the show would sing. I don't want this
(20:40):
thing by ol Sith. So you said that, and it
set me back, like, oh, I have a.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Those are those are my two go to all the time.
So next time you do a show here in Nashville,
after the show, we'll all get together. We'll go to
Santa's Pub, which is this little trailer that the guy
literally is Santa Claus and he'll tell you a story
about how he's been stabbed and shot multiple times. Oh
my god, and everything is cash only. So we'll all
go and we'll see carry.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
But it's the best.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Place to go for here.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
You Wednesday nights, they have yeah, Wednesday nights, they have
it every night, so we'll go. Well, well, it's an
honor and a privilege to have you on the show.
Definitely have to do this very very soon and before
we let you go, anything you want to say to
people that are watching or listening to this right now.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Tune into aw Dynamite on Wednesday nights on TBS at
eight pm Central or tn T. You can catch Rampage
Friday nights at ten pm Central or Collision, which we
also have on T and T at eight pm Central.
And of course, if you're not at the Now Arena,
for all out this Saturday. You better be tuning in
(21:44):
either on at ppv dot com, Pleach Report, or Triller TV.
Welcome to the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You'll play for all things for resting and exclusive interviews
with some of your favorite wrestlers.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Podcast dot.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
What's up you guys?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Welcome back into iHeartRadio's official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast.
And it has been an exciting week here on the show.
We literally watched somebody commit arson on TV on Wednesday
nights and now we're here to talk about a big
event that's happening this weekend. We've got ae w all
Out live from Chicago, and today on the show we
have our guests Willow Nighting Galas with us.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Willow, how are you, HOLLI? I'm doing well. I'm doing well,
you know, get ready to beat up an ex friend
and there are a lot of motions that I am feeling,
but overall we'll go with good feeling good.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Yeah, and that kind of wants I kind of want
to ask just how are we feeling?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
You know this week and all out?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
You've got a former friend in a Chicago street fight,
which you're no stranger into street fights whatsoever, But what
are your thoughts heading into this match? And how important
is this opportunity for you to make a statement and
finally put this feud with Statlander behind you.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Well, you know, I feel like there's the cliche of
like thin line between love and hate, and the riod
of that is just how passionate you are about something.
And Statlander is somebody I'd been really close friends with
from pretty early on in my career. I put a
lot of trust into, confided in a lot, really been
(01:45):
vulnerable with. And for me, street fights were something that
we even came together as a team on previously and
really kind of dug into this new level of who
we were as performers and wrestlers and fighters, and that
was really cool. Yeah, I thought that was very cool.
(02:06):
So it feels fitting that we would end something on
such a passionate p is a call violent note, and
so I am excited to show her hey then cross me,
but also a little nervous, a little apprehensive. I can't
lie that is that is the flurry of emotion that
(02:27):
I am kind of experiencing right now. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Is it satisfying getting your hands on STOKELG.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, I mean it is. He has been a thorn
in my side. Even when things were cool with State
and I, it was kind of like, hey, I think
this guy sucks. I think he's he's annoying, you know.
Sometimes he's a little bit funny, but more than anything,
he's just kind of a bother. But you seem to
like him. So if for whatever reason, you feel like
we can menace it from working with him, I'll let
(03:04):
you be. I'll let it rock. Obviously that did not
turn out for the better for me, right, So there's
there's a little bit of vindication that I received about
two weeks ago at all In I got to Timo
b Tom. But but the real, I think moment of
indication that I will feel is when I do finally
(03:25):
get my hands on Stack, because that's the core of
this really is He's the one. Yeah, broke my heart.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
This is something I think kind of adjacent to that.
I've always been curious about this. So you're no strangers
of the street fights, the death matches, the hardcore, all
that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
There was a very well known tournament back in the nineties,
the King of the Death Matches, famously one by Texas Jack.
Would you want to bring in a Queen of the
Death Matches and do it properly in twenty is that?
Would you waive that flag.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I don't know that that is necessarily something that I
would excel in. Maybe, like when I was early in
my career on the knees, I like, very badly kind
of wanted to get into a little bit of the
death match scene. Obviously that didn't happen, and then it
(04:24):
really wasn't until I came to AW that they started
putting me in street fights, which I did not mind
because I was I was a fan of that kind
of stuff. But I don't know that.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
That's the details ornament of it would be for me.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, not at this point where I'm got I think
it would be cool to see.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, I think so too. I think the ladies have
digested this stuff just as we have the guys have,
and you know, some of the street fights we've seen
from you guys have s'm very creative, very violent.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
So I would be very.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Accused career, you know, I think at this point, at
this point, longevity is the name of the game, and
we can throw a little bit of fun here and there, but.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Long game, yeah, long game, yeah, perfect.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, absolutely. So.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
You know, AAW has shown incredible diversity and inclusion, especially
in the women's division, but you know, you look at
the IWC, the people on the internet, the keyboard warriors right,
some feel that the women's division doesn't always get the
same spotlights as the men's. How do you feel about
the current state of the women's division and AW and
(05:38):
what would you like to see change, if anything.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I mean, I think we've come a really long way
just in the two years that I've been here. I
think a lot of the issues initially with the women's
division were kind of stemmed in years and years and
years of stigma against women in for nasional wrestling. Like,
I think it's a lot deeper than just Tony saying
(06:05):
I want to give the girls time where I don't,
you know, I think it's much bigger than him just
saying that, because fans do ultimately have a little bit
of saying what we do? You know, they like, this
is our our company, We're gonna all the shots, We're
gonna do what we're gonna do, and we're gonna make
(06:25):
them pay attention and whatever. But it's hard when there's
years and years of being like this is the bathroom
break match, and people immediately tune out for they even
give us a chance, and over the course of the
five years, that AW has been running, you can see
that we've been getting so much more so much more time,
(06:47):
more opportunities. What you've seen over time that we've had
more sparkes on the show, more opportunities, more time, and
that's because over the five years we've like forced people
to pay attention do us, and so with that we
get we get higher ratings, we get more people trusting us,
we get more people paying attention, more equity, and so
(07:10):
that is a large part in thanks to what we've done,
you know, and the women who were at AW before
me have done as well. But thank you fans for
tuning in, keep doing that, keep supporting us, keep being
very vocal online about how you want to see us
in bigger positions. And you know, I can't deny the
(07:35):
fact that Merchides coming to our company has helped us
because she has she's been an advocate for all of us,
all of the division. And again, progress is something that
is very slow. That is something that is bigger than wrestling.
When you look at all the social change that our
country or different countries have gone through and will continue
(07:57):
to go through. Progress is slow, and so to see
that reflected and wrestling something that already is kind of
a little further back socially and progressively as the rest
of the world. It's it's nice to see us kind
of catching up and ganging there, and it's it's been
five years, which is not a long time, and we've
already progressed so much. So I am excited and proud
(08:19):
and happy to have been a part of that. But
of course I would always love to see I would
love to see it more for a women's match to
main event more regularly, or more matches on pay per
views and like these big shows. But it's happening. It's happening,
so just keep keep keep going with with what's working.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, there you go, absolutely, And I guess some revolutions
are slower than others, so it takes a little bit
of time. Like I said, Yeah, so this is kind
of crazy. You know, you just just got back from Wembley.
You're gonna have all out coming out this weekend coming up,
and then on September thirteenth, you're going to Arena Mexico
(09:02):
for the CML ninety first Anniversary show to defend the
CML World Women's Women's World Championship. A crazy You're on
a short list of women that we competed on those stages.
You know, what are your thoughts heading into that? You know,
you don't want to jump over a Statlander caliber opponent, obviously,
(09:23):
but you know, looking past her, I don't mean to
say it the way looking past her. You know, what
are your thoughts? What's the heading into this event? What
do you think this means for you? And aw and
what are you looking forward to most in your match? Again?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Is zeus sixth Zusius?
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Well obviously, and then congrats, I'm being the champ too.
That's just unbelievable, by the way, Grant.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Thank you. They just they told me yesterday that I
am actually the first American to hold that championship, and.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
I was like, I did WHOA, No, I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Yeah, so I was like, that's really cool. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I figured someone would have like Lunif Lajahn or somebody
would have been down there calls and have it before.
But hey, that's great, that's even that's even more.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Yeah. So, uh, definitely not overlooking stat Lander. You know,
CMLL doesn't. They're not big into the blood and the
guts and the hard course stuff, so they're not even
sanctioning the match, So it's it's not for the title,
but I have to imagine that if if what I'm
(10:31):
planning on Dewey happens, if the plan that I have
for Statlander goes as planned, and I me knowing her
thinking that she would have a lot of brutalities for
me as well, obviously I have to take an account
then probably not gonna be feeling my best after this match.
When when lose whatever draw, I'm gonna probably be feeling like, uh,
pile two the next day. So I have to take
(10:52):
that into account when I'm thinking ahead, and there's the
question of like do you push you're training harder, do
you give yourself a break? Mexico City, the elevation, he's
a little killer, and that plays the effector in the game.
So these are all things that I have been considering
going into that match. And I am excited nonetheless, because
(11:20):
the last time I was in Arena Mexico, I felt
so much love. I felt like this air of just
like the best thing where that pops in my hair
right now is like regality, Like we don't have a
building like Arena Mexico in the United States. We don't
have a structure that is specifically dedicated to professional wrestling
(11:40):
and has been there for you know, upwards of sixty
seventy years. I think it was built in the fifties,
if I'm not mistaken, And that's insane, the amount of history,
of the amount of professional wrestling matches, the culture, the love,
the passion that has been poured into that building, and
that like seeps through those walls. We don't have any
thing like that. So to go there and visit that
(12:01):
and see the fans who is so deeply ingrained in
their culture and lifestyle is a joy. So I'm excited.
I'm very excited. You know, I'm probably gonna be hurting
and breathing like, but it's I've been so honored to
be carrying this championship with me. I look forward to,
(12:25):
you know, hopefully carrying it for a very long time
at making more trips to Mexico City because that's what
I want to do. And Zeusius is someone who I
had my first match at CML against in a six
women tag, so I do have a level of familiarity
with her. She came up to aw to wrestle Mercedes
ahead of Forbid Door, so I also got to check
(12:46):
out her work firsthand again in a singles match, and
you know I've been keeping tabs. I am the CMLL
World Women's Champion, so I have to I need to
have my singer on the pulse and figure out what's
going on over there, who my competition is, who I'm representing,
because I am aware that I'm also I was put
(13:07):
into a three way matt, a three way match that
did have a CML representative there, an AW representative, and
a new japan Strong representative, and I swept that up.
But I don't have a vast experience as a part
of the Amazona's division, and so I have to realize too,
(13:27):
I won this and I'm representing AW first and foremost always,
but as a carry you that banner around, I'm representing
all of these women as well, so I have to
be familiar with them, and like, I take a lot
of pride to that, and I take a lot of
pride in what they do, and I'm I'm proud to
be carrying that flag right now. Yes, right.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Now you are. I think the technical term is rudo,
rudio rudo or running as a rudo. That yeah, are
you running a rudo down there? Or are you are
you technical? I just go I'm American's just historically I
was gonna say historic.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
This is. This is something that I've come across being
somebody who is an international traveler is usually whenever you're
the foreigner, you are the bad guy. And people can
look at me and feel that way. Especially they picked
promo photos of me where I look a little more
like I'm gonna beat you up. I'm a tough guy. Listen,
(14:27):
I am a tough guy. Do not make matters, Yes,
but I'm gonna have a good time doing that. And
so whatever whatever way I'm painted, however, fans perceive me
whatever they expect. I don't put a title or label
on it, even even in the United States, in a
(14:47):
w or wherever else I go. I'm not like, hey,
I'm this or I'm not. I'm just Willow. Where I go,
I'm Willow. Whether I'm having a good time dancing around
or kicking your butt, I'm going to I am authentically
one hundred percent of the time always, So I don't
subscribe to that.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Yeah, nice, good ass.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
So I do have a question, and this is always
we come towards the end of our show where we
we have a little fun.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
And I've got two questions for you.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
The first one is when they came to you in
aw and said, hey, we're making you an action figure,
what's going through your mind and the fact that you're
not just getting an action figure, you're getting part of
the rare addition, You're getting a Chase version of you.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Not being able to say that in that roster, I
didn't know, so I was getting an action figure at
the end of last year's kind of when they first
started talking about it, and the first thought I had was,
I gotta tell my dad, because like that is one
(15:51):
of the things that he's always like what he did
act for her. He was also so mad that I
dyed my hair from purple because he was like, you
didn't even get an action figure. Yet you get rid
of the purple hair, you think about cool, what would
be to have an actually you're with purple hair? And
I was like, I'm sorry, it was ruining my hair.
I had to get rid of it. I loved it, right,
I didn't even I just was like, I'm getting one,
(16:14):
and that's an honor and that's great and I can't
wait until it comes out. It really wasn't until I
was doing San Diego Comic Con that I found out
that there were going to be two, and I didn't
know anything about a chase. I didn't know what that meant.
And I was like, oh, this one's got to be
like limited edition, right, like I was using that term.
(16:34):
And I spoke to smart Mark Sterling, who is, if
you're aware of the major Figures situation, that whole network
that they have. Oh yeah, I was like that that's
the guy I need to talk to about Action Figures.
I was like, yeah, they got like a rare figure.
He goes, oh, they made a chase and I was
like a chase with that, And so he was the
only the one who kind of filled me in on
(16:55):
like how special that is. And I was like, damn
that is. That's cool, and that, to me is like
one of the things that obviously like Action Figure stopped
on the bucket list. But I didn't realize like, oh,
that's cool, that's an extra. It's kind of similar to
when they put me on the truck mm hmm. They
put my face on the aw truck. I was like, man,
(17:17):
I didn't even know that that was something that I
wanted to happen.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Now you're damn that's cool. Yeah, so I'm soaked about it.
I can't wait. I want to I mean, obviously, I'm
sure that they're gonna hook me up and send me
a few of them, but I want I want to
do the chase, and I want to go to targets
or Walmart's or wherever stores and I want to find
it on the show with myself.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yep, the name of the game.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Yeah, well, we've got one more question to ask and
then we're gonna We're gonna let you let you hop
off here because I know your time is busy because
you got to get ready for stat Lander this weekend,
and then of course you're defending your championship down there
in Mexico. At the end of the show, we always
like to turn to chat GPT to ask our guests
a question. We type in, we type in ask you
(18:09):
know our guest the question, and it usually spits out
how did you start your career in wrestling? Which everybody
can go to Wikipedia and find that out, So we
kind of have to, you know, slap it around like
you're gonna do stat Lander on the week this weekend. Yes,
And finally it came out with a question, that's fun.
What is your ultimate go to karaoke song? And how
would you rate your performance on a scale of one
(18:30):
to ten.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Oh I, so my go to karaoke song is, uh,
what's up by the four non blonde?
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I I would give myself.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
A ten out of ten.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Hey, well, yeah, now I.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Have to unearthed a video. I'm sure my mother or
my father or my sister somebody has it somewhere, and
I gotta post it so you guys can see that.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah, that's the one. Let me let me present mine
my go to It depends, Yeah, it depends on the situation.
I will a lot of times. We'll go with uh,
I want to dance with somebody when it houston, I
get that about an eight. I get that about an eight.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
I gotta do falsetto for a lot of it, but
a lot of the high notes I hit, it's really
like the when the key change. That that that one
I gotta But that is.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Also so good. A favorite musical term is a modulation.
It's fun to say, and I love when change.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Happens and they don't happen as much anymore. Music. That's true,
very good call.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Other than that, it's usually eighties, it's Journey, it's Brian Adams,
it's uh.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
I'll bring out everything I do I do for you.
I'll do kiss from a Rose.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
I don't care that that was what I was gonna be,
kind of like the karaoke here, So come come on down,
we'll go.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Walk is a great one.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
I gotta I gotta agree with that.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Feels like I would need to have it with Brody there.
I feel like to be.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
There for that. You know what, I haven't done karaoke
with Brody, so maybe maybe.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Well, so here's here's what we'll do. Because my go
to karaoke is either Aerosmith I don't want to miss
a Thing or steal Kiss from.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
A Rose, like I get down to both of those.
So what we'll do? I know, I know we're like
trying to rap up with Cold. I have to do
a little shout out for don't want miss Thing by
Erroosmith because my home promotion where I learn how to wrestle,
and what do you see, after our shows, we would
always end up going to this bar that always is karaoke,
and that would be like the group song that everybody
came from the show would sing. I don't want this
(20:40):
thing by ol Sith. So you said that, and it
set me back, like, oh, I have a.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Those are those are my two go to all the time.
So next time you do a show here in Nashville,
after the show, we'll all get together. We'll go to
Santa's Pub, which is this little trailer that the guy
literally is Santa Claus and he'll tell you a story
about how he's been stabbed and shot multiple times. Oh
my god, and everything is cash only. So we'll all
go and we'll see carry.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
But it's the best.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Place to go for here.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
You Wednesday nights, they have yeah, Wednesday nights, they have
it every night, so we'll go. Well, well, it's an
honor and a privilege to have you on the show.
Definitely have to do this very very soon and before
we let you go, anything you want to say to
people that are watching or listening to this right now.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Tune into aw Dynamite on Wednesday nights on TBS at
eight pm Central or tn T. You can catch Rampage
Friday nights at ten pm Central or Collision, which we
also have on T and T at eight pm Central.
And of course, if you're not at the Now Arena,
for all out this Saturday. You better be tuning in
(21:44):
either on at ppv dot com, Pleach Report, or Triller TV.
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