1.To start off my first question would be where did you go to get your wrestling training?
- I trained at Pro Championship Wrestling’s training facility in Chicago, Illinois. I started in March 2006 and I went because one of my guy friends was trying to show off for me, saying that he was training to be a pro wrestler. So I went with him to practice one day and the trainers asked if I wanted to be a wrestler. I said yes and they were excited because there weren’t a lot of girls who wanted to get in the ring. I was trained primarily by Jay Phoenix and Jarod Priest.
2.In this wrestling school were there other women who attended the school along with you?
- Not really. They had two other women wrestlers there at the time, but neither of them attended the same classes as I did, nor did they reach out to me. But I did have the help of nearly all of the men. They were supportive, respectful, and did what they could to help me improve.
3.With the current status of female wrestlers in the main stream being used more so for their looks and not their athletic abilities did that at all deter you from wanting to get in the business ?
- Not at all. I grew up watching wrestling and I love the sport so much that I wanted to contribute in some way. When I watched wrestling, I wasn’t exposed to women’s wrestling. I didn’t have a woman wrestler to look up to. But I did look up to managers that WCW had, like Daffney and Chastity. I liked what they did with their characters. But when it came down to it, I wanted to wrestle and I knew that if those guys on tv could do it, there was no reason I couldn’t.
4.From your experiences on the indy scene, do you feel that female wrestlers try to help each other out and stick together?
- Yes and no. For the most part, the women wrestlers that I know are supportive and very protective of each other. They all make the indy scene a better place and they’re a credit to not just their profession, but to the human race. There are only one or two wrestlers that hinder the business, but that’s true of both men and women. On the whole, the women wrestlers I know are helpful and want to make the indy scene a better place.
5.With the emergence of Shimmer,WSU Wrestling, and Wrestlicious do you feel that female wrestling is making more of an impact now?
- Yes, but at the same time it’s such a smaller market that any kind of impact is barely noticed unfortunately. SHIMMER brought awareness to true wrestling skill without emphasizing looks. It was such a unique product that people couldn’t help but like it. It brought recognition to the athleticism that women wrestlers have always had. Wrestlicious is something I like as well because it shows that women can have cool characters and storylines. A lot of the time, women are grouped into one category, as though they’re interchangeable. Wrestlicious has different characters and a lot of the girls are from SHIMMER and WSU. WSU has put on some of the best matches in women’s wrestling and I think all three offer a lot to the business.
6. Are there women on the Indy Scene that are good motivators to you?
- Absolutely! There are times when it would be easy to ignore someone new or someone not as experienced, but the ones I know are cool, supportive, and helpful. Women like Camron Star, Jessie Belle Smothers, and Sara Jay specifically have been beyond cool. There are a lot of good people out there, but those three are especially amazing.
7. Do you feel on Indy Shows that female wrestling matches get enough attention?
- From the audience, yes. Sometimes, the promoters don’t pay enough attention to the match and they won’t put it on a flyer. This could be because they have a more high profile match, or they don’t want to upset the guys by focusing attention on the women. The thing is, I’ve had people come up to me and tell me they were only there to see the ladies’ match. And the audience gets pretty loud when they announce that it’s time for the ladies’ match. That’s always great to hear.
8. What has been the reaction from fans that you've gotten for the matches that you've had?
- I’ve had fans say that they’ve never seen a ladies match in person and that they really liked what they saw, or that one of my matches was the best they’ve ever seen. I know that probably isn’t true, but it’s really nice to hear. I like it when they tell me they can tell how hard I must train because it shows in the ring. One of my favorite things to hear is that my matches are better than what’s on tv. One time a fan came up to me and said he wasn’t expecting much from the ladies’ match because what he saw on tv didn’t impress him much. But after he watched the match I had that night, he said I was better than the girls on tv. And that made me feel really happy. I know I’m not the greatest wrestler out there, but it feels nice to hear someone acknowledge how hard I work. My favorite thing is when little girls are there with their families and they come up to me and say they cheered for me or they tell me they want to be just like me.
9. Have any male wrestlers ever treated you like you don't belong?
Yes. And it’s hurtful, seeing as how I want to have all the fun they’re having. But since they’re usually really unhappy with themselves and it projects onto the world, a lot of other people- men too- don’t like them either. And the real pros in this sport welcome everyone. But as for the men who try to single me out and make me feel unwelcome, I know it kills them when I get just as much of a cheer as they do, if not a louder one. Luckily, I can list on one hand the men who have pulled stunts like that. I have lots of good guys by and at my side, and I’m so grateful for that.
10. Are you a fan Luchadoras or joshi puroresu wrestlers?
Of course! I don’t follow them as closely as American women wrestlers, but from what I’ve seen, they’re all quite impressive. I should watch more of their matches.
11. Lastly, if you want to say anything to your fans or want to let your fans know where you will be wrestling next please feel free to do so now...
Never give up! My personal motto is “It keeps getting better.” As long as you work hard at something and you stay strong, nothing can stop you. Also, let the naysayers talk. Nothing hurts them more than when you succeed. I’ll be wrestling Sassy Stephie on the 19th at PCW in Summit, IL. Also, stop by facebook.com/MissDecember32 and show some love- I’ll show some back!!
Here's a match between December vs Jessie Belle Smothers Enjoy!!!!
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