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WOW'S THE BEAST DISCUSSES CREATION OF HER CHARACTER, HER RUN IN WOW, BLACK ATHLETES WHO INSPIRED HER, WHAT SHE WOULD LIKE HER LEGACY TO BE AND MORE

Earlier this week, PWInsider.com sat down with former WOW - Women of Wrestling Champion The Beast to discuss the promotion, Black History Month and more.  Here are some highlights from the conversation:

Black Athletes who inspired her in life: "I was fortunate to where my parents really introduced me into a lot of different sports growing up. So I got to see things, people like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson.   My dad was huge and into track. So I got to see Carl Lewis and he introduced me to people like Flojo, who really had a big impact on me because here was this woman who, her style caused all this controversy and people try to use it to overshadow who she was. But yet, when it came time  to shine and to work, she showed up with an athleticism that was untouchable. And when I saw that growing up, I wanted that for myself. I wanted that kind of power, that kind of self assuredness, that kind of  You know, over the top almost, like you can be whatever you want to be, look however you want to look and still be strong and shut everyone down."

The legacy of these athletes being what they did to stand up for their beliefs as much as their athletic accomplishments: "You think about the mainstream athletes, and you even see it in wrestling, there was, the women who pioneered this in the 50s you have your Marva Scotts, and, they played in arenas where it was segregated, where, the black ticket holders couldn't come into the venue because their ticket and skin wasn't the right color, and, they would make stands, they would leave venues and not wrestle there, Because of that and you have to give credit to these athletes because while it takes a physical strength to do these sports, it takes a mental  and personal strength and fortitude to stand up on your convictions and put aside everything you've worked so hard for your beliefs,a nd I always, praise that in people because that's hard. That's really hard to have to do."

What she wants in her own legacy as an athlete: "It's funny that you say that because it is a position I have not taken lightly. I understand how truly  Lucky I am to have this placed upon me, but also it's something I don't want to fumble. And so every time I go out every time  I'm Visible. I try to make sure that I'm putting my best foot forward.  I'm trying to, the same way the Mike Tyson and the Ali's and the Flojo's influenced me. I want to make sure that if some little girl or some adult woman sees me, she sees someone who can be strong and who can be different and could be themselves and still I'm Get to the top still can be whatever they want to be.  No matter, if you want to be muscular, tattooed, if your skin color is different, if your hair is different, it doesn't matter. You can be whoever you want to be. And I, that is my whole mission. Whenever I'm seeing is to make sure that I put that out there, that you can be strong physically and you can be strong mentally and you can still be beautiful at the same time in your own unique way."

The Creation of The Beast persona for WOW: "It's funny. I will say I didn't choose this. No one chooses, chose this. No one created this. The Beast chose me.  Everything I've done whether it was getting my black belt, whether it was competing in bodybuilding going through the fire academy. I owned my own businesses at one time. And all those things I did  every time people would be like, Oh, you're such a beast. You're such a beast. And when I got into wrestling, when I got into, wow I had thought of the idea.  I was like, maybe I should just lean into it and just, I think I should be called this. And at that same exact time, I got a call from David McLane asking how I would feel about the name. And again it chose me at the same time I was thinking it. So it was someone else. So it was meant to be the beast.  I think the Beast has always lived in me. It's just that one point I finally. woke her up and now it's just go time from there with it. "

Her favorite part of performing in WOW - "I think my favorite part of  going out there and just being myself is the crowd. It's sometimes you take those moments in between when you have a moment to breathe or when a match is over, as I'm walking out I stop and I take time to really take in the crowd because if you've ever had a bunch of people cheering your name or a bunch of people just excited to see you, it's surreal.  It's not like anything else. And I want to enjoy those moments. I want to take those moments in and hold on to them because I feel like I've earned that, that they've put a certain amount of.  trust and like into me and I want to make sure I do my best to give back what they're giving to me. So I always take that in any chance I get.  That's my favorite part."

Her expectations when stepping into the business: "I think I overestimated. I thought, I have a sports background. I have a combat sport background. I've trained MMA. I've trained Krav Maga. I've ran track and played basketball and all these things. I thought, coming in wrestling was just going to be easy. I was going to fall into it and I was surprised because, you  It's harder than I, it's hardest, wrestling is one of the hardest, most demanding things I have ever done, both mentally and physically, wrestling is like playing chess while someone's trying to rip the arm right off your body and you need to think three steps ahead at all times and people think you just go out there and, you, Rumble each other around and that's not what it's about.  It's a delicate dance And if you don't get the steps then it all goes bad."

Favorite Moments:  "I think all of those moments because I did that. There's people who are sitting wishing they could be in the spot that I'm in and I don't take any of that for granted.  I get to go out and do something I love day after day. And that's amazing. I'm  proud of the time  where I've got to spend with some amazing athletes, doing some amazing things. Jungle Grrrl is one of my favorite moments her coming out and endorsing me as a champion. I  think that she was one of, if not the best champions that WOW ever had, and for her to come out and give me the same kind of confidence or the vote that she had the same kind of respect in me, meant a lot for me. So that's one of my highest moments, I believe, if I had to pick just one."

Her run with the WOW Title: "It's an honor.  It's an honor.   Being the champ means you are the best. It means that  Out of everyone on the roster, you are the one, you are the top and it's a lot riding on your shoulders at that point and  you have to respect what honor that is. And, Abilene Maverick is where she is right now. I believe as a champ, you should be a fighting champ.  At that time I couldn't fight, and so I was okay as I could be with the idea of having to let go of my title but trust me, there is no resting in me until I get it back until I prove that I again should be on the top, which I always believe in my heart. So now it's just showing everyone else what I believe.  So it gives me something to focus on. It gives me a goal to achieve to, to push through like none other until I'm standing back. On top of the hill with that title raised above my head."

What she hope's WOW's legacy is for young women: "I think when I was growing up, media always, and media and people always told little girls to be quiet, be nice, sit down.  I think now media is telling young girls and young people to you can be loud, but sometimes in a lot of the wrong ways and you're right is you can't escape it like back in our, back in the day, you couldn't unplug from things. Now it's everywhere. You can't get away from media and its influence and I think that's so much harder. And I hope, it's my hope that WOW  is a place where they can learn to be uniquely them. You can be whatever you want to be, from any background, from any color, race, size.  You can be that WOW has that.  WOW has women of every shade. They have women from every ethnicity, from every size you can think of and they're everything you can think of. We have lawyers. We have teachers. We have professionals in blue collars. You can be whatever you want to be. You don't have to fit into this box that social media tells you have to be. And I hope that message gets through because  it makes me sad sometimes for what these kids have to go through and what they're subjected to constantly on a daily basis."

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