Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Taya Valkyrie on marrying John Morrison, Impact Wrestling, Lucha Underground, Austin Aries' comments

Episode Date: November 5, 2020

Taya Valkyrie sits down with Chris Van Vliet in person at her home in Los Angeles, CA. She talks about how she met her husband John Morrison, starting her career as a fitness competitor, getting a WWE tryout before she had ever trained, attending Lance Storm's wrestling school and what she learned from him, moving to Mexico for 3 weeks which ended up turning into 5 years, signing with Lucha Underground, how Karen Jarrett got her hired at Impact Wrestling, being the longest reigning Knockouts Champion of all time and much more! Support the show by supporting our sponsors: INDEED- Get a $75 credit to boost your job post by going to http://indeed.com/BlueWire BETONLINE- Get a new sign up bonus by using the promo code BLUEWIRE at http://betonline.ag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's up, y'all? It's Drewski, and I've teamed up with Mountain Dew to produce a hilarious new basketball podcast called The Do Zone with Drewski. Learn the backstories of your favorite ballers and celebrities like Jamal Murray. Did you have like a favorite team? Was it the Raptors at the time or no? Was the Raptors even started around that time? Come on, bro. I ain't that old, fam.

You're talking like I'm 50. Taylor, Rokes, Asian Wilson, and many more. You won't want to miss this. Listen to the Doozone with Drusky on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. I didn't see failure as an option. And so I just, I've always pushed towards, even if my journey to where I am now has been different or delayed or whatever you want, however you want to say it, not stereotypical. I've definitely taken the road less travel to get to this point. It's Chrysomania, brother.

That's a great question. Look at you, man. With the powerful questions. Woo! This is the Chris Van Bleachow. Chris Van Bleachow. Ladies and gentlemen. Well, here we go again. Welcome back, my friends, to another audio adventure on the Chris Van Fleet Show.

This episode is brought to you by Indeed and Bet Online. And last month, I interviewed her husband, John Morrison. And now it's my pleasure to sit down with Taya Valkyrie to chat about everything that she has going on, which is a lot. I mean, between her wrestling career and her clothing line, Loka by Taya Valkyrie. Take a screenshot. Let us know that you're hanging out with us right now. Tag me on Instagram. I'm at Chris Van Vleet.

Tag Taya. She is at the Taya Valkyrie. And if it's your first time here, take a second right now to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or whatever app it is that you're listening on right now. And a big thanks to everyone who's left a review on Apple Podcast. They're so, so helpful in helping to spread the word

because I know there's still a lot of people that have no idea that I have a podcast. and I'd like to, you know, change that at least a little bit. I think a lot of people might be aware of my YouTube channel, but it'd be cool if you could also let them know, hey, you don't have to watch the video if you can't. You could just listen to the audio. And that's where we're at right now.

We're creeping ever so close to that goal of 2000 reviews. And I'm going to keep reading one out on every single episode until we get there. Thor 2887 says top-notch. I don't listen to many podcasts, but CVV, is at the top of my list. Always interesting interviews and a great listen, no matter who the guest is. Keep up the great work. Well, thank you so much, Thor. Is that your real name? Thor? Either way. I like it. A big thank you to Taya Valky for inviting me into her home for this interview. John Morrison was there when I got there and he's like, all right, you guys have your conversation

and, you know, I'll leave. I'll go. He was actually going to go train. But you'll also hear their dogs Presley and Bowie, who very badly wanted to be part of this conversation. In fact, there was a part where we had to pause the conversation because Bowie just wouldn't stop barking. He wanted to be part of this conversation so badly. We talked to Taya about how she got her start in wrestling. She actually got a tryout for WWE before she was even trained to be a wrestler. From there, she went on to Lance Storm's wrestling school and then moved to Mexico for what was supposed to be three weeks and ended up turning into five years. From there, she went to Lucha Underground. We talk about all of that and then into Impact Wrestling and becoming the longest

reigning knockouts champ in impact history. Talk about her new winter collection with her clothing line Loca, how she met John Morrison and so much more. So here we go. It's Taya Valkyrie. I feel like I was just in your house like a month ago. I know. Well, you're our neighbor. I am. I live so close to you guys. Five minutes away. So thank you for inviting me back. Oh, thank you for coming back. Thank you.

I'd much rather spend... Just slam town manor. I'd much rather spend time with you than John. Don't tell them that, though. It's our secret. Okay. Don't tell anybody. Don't tell anybody.

Well, congratulations on, first of all, your clothing line. Thank you. And also the new launch that you have going on. We have, this is some of it behind you? This is all of it. Pretty much. Yes. So I, as some of it,

may know have been doing loka by Thai valacari, the clothing line since April of this year. The quick developments in the clothing line are obviously due to the fact that I had a lot of time at home. And if someone's coughing in the background, that's my dog. Yeah, there's two dogs back there. Fully and Presley. Anyways. So yeah, I started in April. It basically started out of my house. Like I was tie dyeing and doing everything here in the kitchen alone by myself. And John was supervising. And we would just drink wine and talk about clothes and stuff like that. that. And we just started getting this together and it just kept growing on its own.

But it's just been like a creative kind of like a little baby that I've just kind of Yeah. to what it is today. And November 7th, the 12 p.m. Pacific time on ThaiValcru.com is officially the winter. The local winter collection is dropping on the website. This is the first, you know, collection that is coming from actual sketches, an original sketches of mine, not just an idea or not just a concept. Wow. So like this track suit, not that I'm wearing like, all of the tracksuits were actually drawn by me and then obviously put into to get manufactured and now they're here. And I'm very excited for everybody to get to see them. I think that we've

stepped up the quality. We've stepped up just the detail and everything. And this is, you know, some really cool original authentically me kind of stuff that people can can have in their closet. I want stuff that makes people happy, that makes them confident, that makes them excited. And, you know, we all don't want to be comfortable, especially right now. So why not look cute while you're doing it? So that's what Loka-Baita about grade. So let's take it back a step. Have you always been interested in fashion design?

Yes. I was definitely the little kid in school that actually got picked on for wearing weird stuff to school. I'll tell you a story when I was in grade seven. I love that you said grade seven. I know very Canadian. I said of seventh grade. In grade seven, I went to campus field elementary school in Victoria, BC.

And I was made fun of because I would really, I really enjoyed dressing up. And I would get picked on. I was really short and skinny, but I also just would wear like really, really bright stuff. And my grade seven teacher actually told me, we had to do like a retake on like a class photo. Okay. And I remember her telling me that I might want to reevaluate how I dress for the class photo because what I was wearing was too bright and it brought too much attention. attention to me. Did they need to do the retake because of you? I mean, I think that it was because,

I can't like remember. I think it was because, I mean, it could have been. If it is, that's really funny. But no, I think it was because we had a substitute teacher the day that the picture was taken. So like our original teacher was when we got the retake was that she could be in it. I like the other story. But the other story of what I'm being my fault is much more funny. But I can, I literally remember what I was wearing. I was wearing like this bright purple lavender. plastic rain jacket that I bought from like Gap kids because Gap was like new to Canada

and I was like really excited. I remember that. Do you remember that? Yes. I remember when Gap came to the Pickering Town Center and I was like, wow. Why are the close so expensive though? Government Street in Victoria, B.C.

And it was glorious. And I had this purple coat and these silver shoes and I was just like, I look personally, I think I look adorable. And I'm glad that I was just always like that. I was stuck to my guns. and I've always just kind of been like out there. And I mean, that translates through who I am as Taya Valkyri on television.

Obviously, I'm just a very artistic person. And I feel like clothes is such a way of expressing yourself and presenting this face to the world without having to say a word. And also it feels like it's for me, it's a mood. It's how I feel if I'm feeling like hot and sexy one day or if I'm feeling like grumpy and gloomy. The next day, like it all is very, very obvious through the way that I dress myself. And so I've always known I wanted to do. do something with clothes and fashion and everything like that, which is why I had started school. I went back to school in January for fashion merchandising. But I didn't know that it was going to happen

this year. Well, because a lot of things we didn't know we're going to happen. Right. And there's, you know, there's obviously been a lot of bad stuff that's happened this year. But there's also like a real silver lining here. Like you never would have started the clothing line if this was any other year. No. I mean, I was always planning on slowly, you know, getting my finishing my degree and then starting a line like down the road. Like post wrestling? Post wrestling. Okay.

Starting it towards the end of my wrestling career or something like that. But just the way that the world worked out and I am a, if I'm not being creative, it makes me go crazy. Like I'm one of the people that has to like do something. I mean, I was a dancer, a theater nerd. I've like, you know, my whole life has been about the arts and performance. And when I couldn't do that, it was killing me. Yeah.

So there was a good chunk of. this year when you didn't have that outlet. Yeah. And so once I just found this and kind of started investing myself into this and although it's not performing, it's still creating and it's still, you know, I'm creating content and, you know, thinking out creative ways of marketing my stuff. And, you know, it's just been a really cool and interesting different way of expressing myself. And I think it's pretty very obvious through the clothes that I've put out and the way that I talk about it or the way that, you know, I'm just, this means a lot to me. And I'm so thankful that everyone has been so supportive and everybody at Impact Trust thing and everybody everywhere has just

been the fans and new people that are being introduced to my line have been just really, really supportive and I hope to just keep growing slowly but surely. We're not trying to, you know, we're not trying to open the gap yet, but eventually. Eventually. Before the clothing line, were you designing your own gear in the ring or your entrance tire? I design all. I design all my own stuff. I drew out like the gear that I wear now, the one piece with the cutouts and everything. Like that was all. all hand drawn by me and then sent to Jolene in a weird picture on my phone. Is Jolene the seamstress?

Yes. Okay. Jolene the seamstress. Shout out to Jolene who makes my gear. So yeah, I drew all and designed all that. Wow. The jackets that I have have always been taken some inspiration from somewhere. I'm hugely into, a huge into like finding inspiration through pop culture and movies and

singers and artists that I like or even if it's, you know, a piece of art that you like. and you've seen you're like, oh, that looks so cool. Yeah, yeah. You know, I have two jackets that are designed after a jacket that lady got, sorry, one, two that are after Gwen Stefani, which she wore to the Met Gala two years ago on the red carpet. And then I have one that has been, that was designed after a Lady Gaga jacket that she wore actually on an episode of Rupal's Drag Race. So I'm very attentive and I'm thoughtful about like everything that goes into.

Yeah. It's very detailed. I'm obsessed, but yeah. You've definitely got like a Gwen Stefani look to you. Thank you. I've never placed it until you said that right now. Yes, I get that a lot and I am super okay with it. It's a lot worse people to be compared to.

Yes, I love her. But I just, I think that it's important to just, you know, wrestling is part of pop culture, especially now more than ever. And it's important to get inspiration from different places. And, you know, you're constantly trying to be different and new and come up with new ideas because it seems like there is no new ideas sometimes. but there are. You just have to put a twist

that's your own on everything. You know? You can't just take something like, oh, I want it to look exactly like that. I don't think that that's, it's not being true to you. You can like it, but you just have to make it your own.

Yeah, you've got to bring your own personality into it. I think that not everybody knows what Loka means. For you, you're like, how could you not know what it means? But it's the female word for crazy, right? Yes. And then Loco. Is the male version. This is like the six Spanish words I know.

Like these are two of them. Cerveza and loco, that's it. Cervesa? Yeah. Yeah. So Loca, yeah, it means crazy because I was given the nickname Wera Loca by Paraguayo Jr. Who passed away a few years ago when I first went to Mexico. So I've been called La Wera Loca for about eight years now.

It means crazy white girl. Or crazy blonde. I mean, it just kind of depends on how you, like how you're saying it. But he would. because I didn't speak Spanish at the time would get, I would, like, we would have arguments, basically. And I was always just like, but I don't understand what you're saying. Like, it was just, and I would be yelling at him in English,

and he would yell at me in Spanish. When I say yell, I don't mean like, a mean yell. I mean like, like an argument with a lot of hands flaring, flailing around. And so he would just, and he would say, Pinchia where a logan, which means effing, crazy. And then it just kind of stuck. And it was the most, I don't know what happened. And it's like one day everybody at the Perra-Selmael office in Mexico City was calling me

Weta Loka. And it kind of just went from there. And everyone would call me Wera, Wera, Wera, Weta, all the time. And then when I went to Lucha Underground, when I had my debut, and I was like so worried that no one knew who I was. I was like, my God, are they even going to react to me? Like, oh, I'm just Taya from AAA, you know. And then I came out and they all started chanting, Wera Loka and clap, clap, clap.

Club, and I was like, that crowd, though, is so special. I've said there's so many times. The Lucha Underground crowd is so special. Lucha Underground in general was so special. But yeah, that's the, that's the, uh, Wear Aloka story. Okay, so what's the, what's the Taya Valkyrie story? Because Valkyri is like a Viking thing. You know, I, a lot of people have asked me, like, about wrestling, like, where did you wrestling? And I wish that I had, like, a more creative story for you. But, um, Um, my first name, Taya was actually just like, we, me and my girlfriends back in the day, like, wrote down a bunch of names. And my real name is Kira. So I didn't want to have a very long first name because I was like, I'm just used to four letters. Like, how can I, you know, I don't want to be Samantha. Like, I don't want to have a short name. Um, and so we just wrote a list of names down. And that was the one that kind of prevailed. It's actually pronounced Taya. But in Spanish, T-A-Y-A-A-A- says Taya.

Oh. So when I, and I'd only been wrestling for a year when I went to Mexico, year and a half, year, year and a half. And so I would correct people and say, no,

it's Taya, it's Taya. And then Perra and Conan would say, stop correcting people. You're Taya from now on. And then that's just where, why I'm Taya. And no one ever calls me Taya.

If they do, it sounds weird to me because I've just had, yeah. You know, eight and a half years of Taya. Yeah. And Valky is because I am obviously of Norwegian descent on my mother's side.

And I was kind of wanting like a cool, like, warrior name. And, you know, she's a badass. Why not? And you're a, now you're a Viking. A loka Viking. Yes. And my first gear that I had when I was wrestling, like, was very Viking-ish. I mean, to consider the fact that I went from that to what I'm doing now, it's pretty, pretty funny.

So if you, if you classify that as Viking-ish, what do you classify your ring gear now as? I mean, I don't know. We've got like, we've got a blend of like, I'd like to say, Dolly Parton, we got some share-hearten. We got some Cher Horowitz. We've got some Elwoods. A bunch of blondes. It's just a bunch of really over-the-top blonde craziness. But if you piss her off, she will slit your throat.

Oh, wow. Yeah. That's not how I thought you were in that sentence. Yeah. Now, what I look at it's like to me, going back to what you were saying, is like, because part of like, I've had to fight for like everything that I've had in wrestling so much. And I don't think people realize that. A lot of people expect people, they just say, oh, you guys.

this because of this or whatever. And like, Wera Loka to me is like a personality. It's like a, it's a part, it's another layer of who Taya is. Because when it become Weta Loka, you know, you're in trouble. Like it's, it's, she's nuts. So I feel like it's almost like a,

like a devil personality kind of thing. Yeah. That can come out because if anyone's watched my street fights or a lot of my things that have been like more hardcore in AAA, it's a totally different Taya than what you see in impacts. Yeah. But then if I, when you watch my street fight versus

is Tessa on Impact, that was Wera Loka. So it's kind of like these two people that live inside me, and that's what Wera Loka. Well, I feel like we all have that. Yeah. You've just given them names. Yes, they're all, they all have their own name. Yeah. So before you were in wrestling, it was dance for you, and was it gymnastics as well?

Yeah, I was a ballerina, like a little, like my mom put me in dance. I feel like so many people get put in dance with my little. I think I was four, three or four. And I danced all the way into university. I went to the University of Calgary. I was part of the Alberta. a ballet company's ballet program. And I was there for two years.

And then I just decided that it was just like a thing that it was part of my life, but I knew that I wanted something else too. And I feel like everyone kind of grows out of things. I am obsessed with dance still. I watch all the dance shows. I want to, you know, I love to go to the ballet. I love to go to the theater. I was musical theater.

And, you know, I was choreographing full musicals in my junior high school when I was 13. Wow. Like I was very into it. But it was just like it kind of came to a turning point. You know, I like, I grew like four inches when I was like 17 and like turned into an adult. I'll put it that way. Yeah. And I wasn't a little kid, little girl anymore.

And I just just needed something else. And I wanted to try something else. And but that led me into doing fitness competition, which I did for a while and also led me into wrestling. So I feel like when I get asked my parents were like, oh, like my daughter, she's eight and wants to be a wrestler. I'm always like, put them in the arts. Put them in. That's interesting. in the arts because I feel like coordination and body awareness and the charisma and the presentation that comes along with all those things is if it's instilled in you as a kid it transfers over into wrestling 100%. And the expression that this isn't ballet is so annoying to me. So annoying. Because of course it's not ballet. It's for wrestling. But to be a ballerina, to be a dancer at an elite level is so hard. And,

I think people need to realize that like someone can come from dance or, or a musical theater or whatever. And they are a determined person to have gotten to that elite level because it is extremely hard. And I think pro wrestling, you know, I used all those hardworking kind of, you know, never give up kind of attitudes that I had as a kid and didn't continue to, you know, make me successful in what I'm doing today. Wow. So we went from ballet to fitness.

And then did you just go, wrestling seems like. the next thing to graduate to? No, I wanted to be a wrestler, but I didn't know how to be a wrestler. So I got into fitness competition because Trish Stratis was in fitness competition. Oh, wow. Okay. Tori Wilson was a fitness competition and Victoria was in a fitness competition. So I was watching wrestling and I was like, well, I want to be a wrestler.

I don't know how to be a wrestler. I guess I'm going to be a fitness girl and I'm going to get discovered that way. Wow. And on behold, I won the Canadian. a national championship for Fitness Hall for the CBBF. Then I went to the Arnold Classic and played second in the Arnold Amateur. And it was after the Arnold Amateur that I got my first WWT tryout. Because they saw you at the Arnold?

Yes. At least that's what I've been told. And it was after that that I found Lance Storm. They directed me. So I didn't get the job, obviously. But they did bring you, it wasn't just a tryout, was it? I had like a week tryout. Okay.

A week long. They had like, I'd spoken to WWW. Like they'd reached out like probably like eight months prior, but like nothing kind of ever just like email wise. I mean, I had been in fitness competition for a while at that point. But it wasn't until after the Arnold that I like I actually got to go and do a tryout. And then when I didn't get the job, they kind of said, hey, you're in Calgary, go find Lance. Wow.

So, uh, what found Lance storm? Did they just reach out to every fitness competitor? Or did they know that you like wrestling? I don't know. I don't know how it like, it's just, it's so weird. You meet all these people along the way. Like, I had met. I mean, I haven't talked about this a lot.

And I'm not going to get emotional. I had met Bowie. The dogs knew you were going to get emotional. Wow. I'd met Shad Gaspard, actually. Three weeks before the nationals that happened. happened were actually won. Because WWE was in town and I was bartending at this bar.

And I was dressed as a female John Cena. I know, don't hold it against me. And they were in the bar and they just were like, I was just serving them drinks and stuff. And he's like, you should be a wrestler. And I was like, I'm trying to be a wrestler. And I'm like, don't know how to be a wrestler. Yeah. He's like, yeah.

Like, so he actually like put WWW in contact with me the first time. Wow. So, yeah. Wow. It's a tough story to talk about. Sure. Yeah. But yeah, if it wasn't for that, then I don't think that a lot of things would have happened the way that they did.

Man, I've heard so many stories about Shad over the last few months. I just interviewed Lillian, just interviewed JTG. And like, everybody has the most amazing things to say about them. Wow. So I was like one of those. one in a million chances that I would meet this person or meet these people and he just saw something in me as I'm just like standing there. Like I was ripped though at this point.

Because it was like literally I was like two weeks out from Nationals. Yeah. And yeah, like he just got my contact information and like I want to say like two weeks later. Because I was working at Gold's Gym too at the point at that time. You were all over the place. I was been, yeah, I was just trying to be in wrestling school. And, you know, I was trying to be a wrestler and, and do fitness and pay my bills, you know, like that's the hustle, right?

And, yeah, and then they contacted me. And then, I mean, six months later, I did Arnold, then I did the first tryout, then I found Lance. So they were basically, when you do the trial, they were basically like, you're not ready yet, like, go get trained. Yeah, and I think that, like, I just, I mean, sometimes, I mean, there were other people that were there. and Celeste Bonin was actually at my same tryout. And we were very similar at that point. We're both fitness girls.

Both kind of like I was, you know, she was American. I'm Canadian. I'm just a little bit taller in her. Like, you know what I mean? I don't know. Like there's sometimes people like something really right away. And sometimes they don't sometimes take some, you know, a long time to to figure it out. But she got signed that time.

And then, you know, everything's kind of just like happened since then of like, I obviously didn't, haven't worked for them. but, you know, I pushed me to go to Mexico. It pushed me to find my way onto Looch Underground. It pushed me to be on impact where I am now. And I think that it's corny and stupid because, like, I hate when people say this, but everything happens for a reason. But I truly believe that in the universe and, like, kind of creating, you know,

being the driving force for your own destiny and like liking something so much, like wrestling, which is a crazy thing to like as much that it made me so crazy. See, I even got called Owera Loka because of it, that I didn't see failure as an option. So I just, I've always pushed towards, even if my journey to where I am now has been different or delayed or, or whatever you want,

however you want to say it, not stereotypical. I've definitely taken the road less travel to get to this point. But this is the right path for you. Yeah. And it also makes me different. No one has the story like me. No one's lived my life.

No one's, nobody has done what I have done. And I'm very, very proud of that. even if it makes me, you know, sometimes a little bit more jaded or sensitive or whatever. But I feel like it is, things truly happen for a reason. Yeah. So, I mean, here I am now. I am married and happy and have a dream job and have two beautiful dogs.

So, I mean, I think I'm doing pretty good. I'd say you're doing pretty good. The Rock actually said to me in an interview because it was the Rock's dream to play in the NFL. Obviously, that didn't work out for him. Yeah. And I said, if you could go back and change anything, would you? And he said, sometimes the best things in life are the things that don't happen. Yeah.

Because had he played in the NFL, had you got signed of that first WWB contract, things would be vastly different, I feel like. 100%. I always say it's like, when you look back on moments like that, it's like to pick your own adventure books. Oh, I love to use your own adventure. Yeah. So I feel like I picked to go to page 60 instead of page 25, you know? And the thing is like, my story is still going on. going to have to pick what page I go to in my adventure book. But I'm okay with that. And I'm

okay with how it's going. And there's so many uncertain things in our lives and in the world, especially this year. But and obviously just like everybody else, I have really bad days where I'm just like, oh my God, what is going on? And I just want to like lay on the couch and do nothing. But then there's days when I'm feeling very even more motivated than ever because I'm like, okay, like, Kira, you are not this person. You are not a person that sits and mopes are. around. I give myself like a 24-hour window of moping. I don't think that it's, I just feel like and then it's a waste. Like, I like to wake up in the morning and I like to do things and be productive. Me too. Or else I feel like I've just wasted a day. And like, I've lost a lot of people within the

last few years that were in the pro wrestling world with me. And if anything is like I take, I take every one of those days as something special because you never know when life hits you, right? When that choose your own adventure book. We're going deep right now. I love this. This is the type of stuff that people love, though. When the Choose Your Own Adventure book turned to the going to Storm wrestling

and meeting with Lance Storm, what did that chapter look like? I guess I, at the time, I thought that I knew everything about this. You know what I mean? But clearly, no. If anyone goes and finds my first match is, ooh-hoo, no, I didn't.

Who was your first match against? Tadiel Tala, Teneal Dashwood. Oh, Teneal Tala. That was her first. Really? Was she at Lances as well? So she was not at Lances. She had trained at Lances prior.

Okay. And they brought her in. She came in when we did the reality show. Ah, okay. When I was on a reality show after wrestling for two months. With Roddy Piper? No, it was Lance Storm season one. Oh, okay.

You're getting ahead of yourself. I'm sorry. Season one of World of Hurt was with Lance Storm as the coach. And Neil was on that season. So my first ever match was actually for TV. Wow. Oh, that's terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

And it was not that good at all, but, you know. Who won? It's Neil. That seems to make sense. I believe so. I'm like, oh, God, have I blocked it out? Oh, it was so traumatizing. No, it was like, it was honestly, it was great.

I had tons of my, it was in Calgary, it was filmed in Calgary where I was living at the time. And, you know, he did this, film this weird reality show for like a month. And all my friends and my best friends from Calgary, able to come and they had little shirts on and like, you know, it was great. And it was my first ever my first ever match. Yeah. But Lance's is you go for like it's two months, right? No, it's about like three, three and a half months. But it's Monday or Friday. Yeah. Like this is your job. Three hours a day, three hours a day, five days a week. So at the time when I was training with Lance, I would bartend on the weekends like four days a week from like Thursday to Sunday, but then I would

train with Lance during the week as well. Oh, wow. Yeah. That's a lot. It was a lot. But I mean, it's part of it. You're a student. We all know how that works. What did you learn from Lance that you still use in the ring now? Oh my God, so many things. I actually, I hear his voice a lot when I want to start

calling, like, Lucha spots and stuff. Does he like slow down? Yeah, because he, well, he's more of a classic style. And I know that Lucha is not known for its psychology. We'll just put it that way. But I know that,

like he just prefers that style. So when I want to do something that's like really like faster, kind of strange, like sometimes I'm like, oh, I don't know if Lance would like this. But he's just always been present in my life as kind of this wrestling dad because he, there was lots of times he would check on me when I was living in Mexico because Mexico was very hard and, you know, and difficult for me. And he would make sure I was okay and message me and, you know, just check in. And if I had questions about things and still to this day, you know,

John and I are both coached by him. That's right. We both have our, you know, Lance has just been in our lives for so many years. And I'm just so thankful that I found such a wonderful school and a wonderful person that was able to put me on the right path that would continue to evolve. Yeah, yeah. So he was there.

He was, you know, just like my guide, like he guided me into, you know, figuring this out. Because there's no book on how to, as much as people want to say, oh, like, this is how you do it. No. This is a very uncharted territory still to this day. You know what I mean? For wrestling is strange and weird and wonderful and magical and horrible at the same time. But if anyone was going to give you guidance, he's a pretty great guy to give you guidance. A hundred percent.

And he's just so honest and straight to the point. And, you know, I like things straight up. I'm a very honest person. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm very open book, sometimes to a fault. And he would be, he was just like honest with. me, which is what I needed. Like, I don't need someone sugar-coding things because I'm a hard worker. And if you tell me something isn't right or that I need to get better, I'm like, I will do

that. I will put in the work and I will make sure that I become better at that said thing or things. So for me, it was, it was a very, he was just a wonderful teacher. And I'm so thankful that I found him and that there's been so many wonderfully talented people that have come out of his school and all great people. And, you know, if you got a chance to train with him, then you're blessed, honestly. So what are the things you learned from Piper that you're still use in the ring? Piper was, so he did season two as our coach. And for me, it was a lot of promo-related things. Oh, sure. He's the best. He would talk a lot about what it was like to be a true heel and like what getting real heat was like and toddling us stories about incidences with people trying to stab them

and like running through the crowd and like just crazy, you know, crazy Piper stories. And I was like, oh shit. Like, this is, this is real. Yeah. So he was, he was just very, very good at, like, just kind of helping me kind of figure out layers of who Taya would be. And, you know, I mean, I've been a heel for most of my career. So, I mean, I did experience some of that real heat, especially living in Mexico when I was a heel there. So I was like, oh, this is what he's talking about.

Yeah. So what was the decision? to pick up your life and move to Mexico. I mean, probably the plan wasn't five years, but you lived there for five years. Five years. Just things weren't working out. I had like some opportunities. They got lost.

In Canada? In Canada. And as we all know, it's very hard to be Canadian and try to expand outside of our country because of work visas and, you know, all that kind of glorious stuff. Yeah. Also, when you're in Calgary,

it's not like you have those border states. Yeah. Like, you know, a lot of our friends that grew up in the Toronto area, they could go to Buffalo and Michigan. Exactly. You can't really do that on the West Coast. The West Coast was very isolated. You could go down into Washington and go to Seattle and stuff like that.

But I mean, I was still so new that there was no way that was happening. But I just knew I just couldn't stay there. If I wanted to actually make this happen, like I had to make a big decision. And things fell through. And I was like contacted. Like I knew Ted Hart because the Hart family obviously is from Calgary. And he put me in contact with Conan because. Ted and Jack Evans were already working for AAA.

And I got a humble of Conan. And I very confidently emailed him some wonderful matches of mine. You should go back and watch this. I think I need to find these promo picks. I probably sent him to. And he said, okay, well, I'm going to be having some students come down to Mexico for a few weeks to train. Do you want to come? And I said, yep.

But when I left, I got rid of my car. I told my roommate I was moving out. I quit my job. I had no, even though like it was said that I was going to come back in three weeks, like I had a flight home. I knew in my soul that I was not coming home. Like I was like, no, I'm going to make this work. I can't.

There's no option. I was like, I don't want to come home and struggle. Like I would rather struggle by like being in a different country and really. like immersing myself in what Lucha Lira is in this culture and this phenomenon and this style then be floundering in Canada and like wrestling once a month. But think of if we just... I'm insane. If we stop...

I'm insane. You could have moved anywhere. You could have moved to Toronto. You could have moved to Vancouver. No, I wanted to get out of Canada. I was like... But of all the places you could have moved to London maybe, I don't know. Of all the places, Japan, of all the places you're like, I'm going to move to Mexico.

Mexico. Yeah. Had you ever been there before? On vacation. How many words of Spanish did you speak when you moved there? I mean, I had like grade nine Spanish. I could, I mean, I speak French. So I was able to like kind of figure it out. But I mean, I could not, I couldn't say anything. Like, it was pretty bad. Wow. Yeah. And this is Mexico City. Mexico City. In Mexico City. Yeah. When I think about it now, I'm like, what the hell was I thinking? Yeah. And a lot of people asked me what my mom thought and my mom was kind of,

I don't come from wrestling family, obviously, but I come from artistic family. So she kind of got that I wanted to like try this and like that I was going to go and do it. And I never, I went and I'm not a person to ask for help either. So I was like, I'm doing this. Like we're going. Like, let's go.

And she was like, okay. And she was okay with it. My dad was more like, confused. He's just like, I don't understand. My dad's a very sweet Swiss man. So he's just, he was just very confused. But, uh, but everyone was really supportive of me. And I just kind of, I don't know. I just, I think when I, I would never, if I ever one day have a daughter, there is no way. She is. So how did three weeks turn into five years? Well, I met Paraguayo Jr. Okay. And he Hilo del Paraguayo, I met him, maybe day two or three of me being in Mexico

City, we went to his office and we were doing promo picks for like a show that we were going to do. And this was, we had just started training. So I was training with Silver King in the evenings. I was training with Alapace in the mornings. And then I was training with sky date in the afternoons. And I would take the subway around Mexico City. And I met him and I came out and I was wearing my gear and had the fur boots on. And he said, do you wear those all the time? And I said, yes. And then he pulled out his fur boots. So his dad and him, this has been multi-generation, are known for their fur boots. Wow. So he's like, well, I think this is meant to me or whatever he said. And I was like, I don't know what's going on. Like I'm like, I don't know. And his cousin, Abraham was there

translating. And now, and I'm still very, very good friends with Abram, like, he tries to speak to me in English and I have to tell him to stop because I'm like, your English is so bad. How did we even communicate? Like, I'm like, it's so. I'm like, please just speak in Spanish. And so, and Perra was like, when are you supposed to go home? And I said, oh, and I have a flight in like three weeks, three, four weeks. Oh, no, no, no, you're not going home. And I went, what?

And he said, yeah, I think you're going to be the first female member of Los Peros del Mal. And I said, I don't have, I don't think I knew at all. Like how much of an influence and how important and special that that interaction was in creating Taya and Weta Loka and all this stuff. because he was really the first person to see something in me. And then he told Conan and then like it kind of went on and on. And so I officially wasn't signed to AAA. I was a student, right?

So I was valeting for Perro, managing Perro. And for like six months, five months, I was managing him in heels and a dress like how you would see a lot of managers. And then finally one day I went up to Conan and I said, who was the producer of AAA at the time? And I said, is it okay if I managed in my wrestling gear today? And he said, okay. And then I started getting involved in the matches.

And so it just kind of like... Yeah, I think there's another lesson to be learned there is like the patience of it. Yeah. Because you went to Mexico to be a wrestler. And here you are being a valet. So you're probably like... And I'm training and I'm just doing, you know what I mean? You're like, this isn't what I came here for.

So it's like that having that patience, though, is what paid off. Yeah, 100%. And nothing happens overnight. Yeah. Anyone who says that doesn't understand the process. Yes. So yeah, and then finally I just got more and more involved. And then there was a show, I believe it was in San Luis Potosi,

Guerr de titanes, I think. The video is on my... Look how good your Spanish is. I mean, obvious. I think it's on the video itself because someone posted it and I had forgotten about it, is on my Instagram. I got asked to... It was Domo de la Muerte, so the dome of death, basically.

So it was basically a cage, but it was a dome. And they asked if I would... salt off the top of the cage to the outside. And I said, sure, okay, because that's the kind of lunatic that I was. Am. And so I didn't check the height before I went up. And so the spot came, and I went up there and you see me grab the top like this and I go like this and you see me like wiggle my feet a little bit and then I just went. And I was, and I remember feeling like I was in the air for like 20 minutes and seeing Perro and Cibonetico's face looking up at me. Like I got like they caught me and everything's fine.

But it was after that moonsault that Dorian and Conan decided to sign me. Wow. So I was like, sometimes you got to take the risks, even if they're crazy. That is crazy. Living up to the name. Yes. Whereat, Loka. There you go.

So was it Lucha Underground that brought you back to the U.S.? or brought you to the U.S.? It was Luch Underground that brought me to the U.S. Yes. So after I won the Raina Dorena's Championship at Triplemania, that's when they first announced Looch Underground, season one,

was going to be filmed. And they announced the names of all these wrestlers that were going to be in season one. And I was not named. And I remember I just won this championship, I'm the first ever non-Mexican woman to win this championship in AAA history. Like, this is a big deal.

Like, I've broken this barrier, you know? And I'm like, Dorian, like, why am I not being named as one of these people for season one? And he was just like, are you never satisfied? And I said, I was like, no, I'm not. That's the right answer. He's like, you just won the Ray and Reyes championship. And I'm like, and then it was six months later I was on, like, I mean, like a year later, sorry, I was put on season two.

But it was just like, this is the way things work out. You know what I mean? Like, it's just, it is what it is. And I just kept nagging and being annoying and being like, I really want to be on Luch Underground. I really want to be on Luch Underground. I really want to be on Luch Underground. I don't know if you know this, but I really want to be Unleach Underground.

And I think that persistence and patience, once again, I mean, it took a year. And also talent. Yeah, obviously. And I worked my butt off. Like, I was traveling with AAA. Their road schedule is insane. Like, we have, you know, the TVs every few weeks.

But you're traveling on a bus and traveling for days at a time, four or five days a week on these buses from town to town to town, making towns, literally. And wrestling in, all these different kinds of shows. I've seen some crazy shit. But awesome at the same time. Like I have this, I mean, one day I will write a book

about this because it's just, it's insanity when I think and start thinking about it. And Bowie. You know which one's barking? I know by the high-pitched voice. Wow. Oh. Bowie.

Sorry. But yeah, no, it's just like, it's just like hard work and persistence. And like I just kept going. and going and pushing and pushing and just like being, you know, doing every interview, doing everything that they asked me to do and, you know, getting out there as much as possible. Like, Perro had me on a TV novella TV episode. I was doing a Televisa game show as a regular on it.

I was doing like everything to like become as popular or as much as I could control. Like control as much as I could control of an uncontrollable situation. Yeah. Because I wanted to be on Lucha Underground. And you were. You got the light on your face now here. Maybe you need to come a little, maybe in a little? I don't know.

What do you think? If I sit back a little bit, it's not. Okay. I feel like everyone has a Mexico story. Even if you've just been on vacation there for a few days. When you've lived there for five years, what's your best Mexico story? I don't know if I can talk about it. I believe it.

Well, I've seen some weird stuff. I mean, there's just like just so much. I don't know. Like, I don't know what would be like one story that would. Probably like two days in, you were like, I'm living where? Yeah, I mean, it was just a lot of like just figuring it out as I went on. We need to just pause. Let's pause for a second here.

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But what was saying about the stories of Mexico? Yeah, there's just like two, I mean, there's a lot. There's a lot to unravel. We'll leave it at that. We'll leave it at that. But, I mean, some of my most memorable moments of my career happened there, and I'm forever grateful for Lucha Libre and the people there that adopted me as their own and really allowing me to break down some stereotypes of, you know, of a Canadian blonde girl going to

Mexico and being able to to prevail. And like now I'm a three-time and current reina de rena's champion. So it's been a long journey. And the longest reigning impact women's chain. And the longest reigning arena champion, too. Over 900 days. Wow. Yeah.

So when you got Lucha Underground, did you have to move to L.A.? No, I was still living in Mexico City. And they were just commuting you in? Yeah, we were like going back and forth. So what made you move to, was it meeting John? Yes. Oh, and you met John because of Lucha? Or how did you met before?

Well, we had like met before because he was coming to AAA. Because like obviously once, I think once he started working on season one, because he was on season one, he was coming to to AAA and doing like TV and stuff like that. But it was never like, we weren't friends. Like, I was just excited that someone spoke English. But you were like, oh, what a handsome ripped man. Yeah, and obviously I knew who he was. And I was like, oh, my God, is John Morrison.

Oh, my God, is John Morrison. And he was so sweet, as you know, John is like the sweetest human in all the world and all the land. And all of slammed him. So, I mean, he was just always really nice to me. Like, it was never more than that. That's it. But when did it become more than that? When did it become more?

Well, I went to Luce Underground. Originally, I was actually told that I was going to be Cobra Moon. That's interesting. So I had taken all the measurements for my costumes and everything. So when I went to the temple, I was greeted by Chavo Guerrero.

You know, you showed me around. And then I was told that I was not going to be Cobra Moon. And I was like, okay, I'm glad I brought my gear. And they said, you are going to be with Johnny Mundo. And PJ Black. And I don't even know if they had at that time decided if it was PJ. Jack, but that we were going to be this, you know, this faction.

But I was told right away that I was going to be with Johnny Mundo. And I was like, okay. Like, I was just like a shot because I was, everything kept changing. Like, I mean, that's just wrestling and TV as in general is a lot of things changed the last minute. So, uh, that day I, I did my run in, my first run in with with John. And we were just like, I was just nervous because I was like, I don't know what to expect. This guy's like a megastar.

Brian Cage is in there. There was a lot going on. I was just like nervous. It was my first dime in the temple. And like I was finally, you know, putting my little mark, my little foot in the, in the U.S. doing something, you know. So it meant like so much to me. And then it was the next day that I had that like that match versus Brian Cage that

everyone still talks about. So that was day two when John told me in the office that he had broken his foot. So they sent him to the hospital because he was supposed to have that match. Wow. And. he said to me, will you do this no DQ with Brian? And I went like this just like

I guess I say this a lot. Sure. And so he went to the hospital. We called the match. Everything was figured out. They were like, Brian has this crazy spot idea for you through these two tables. Are you okay with this? Sure. And he came back right as like, I think the show was starting because he had to do

something and he came, did a run in the match itself. And he's like, oh yeah, I just sprained my foot. I didn't break it. And I was like, great. Great. I'm glad we're establishing this trustworthy friendship from the beginning. But I mean, I'm honestly, thank God he had thought that he'd broken his foot because then I wouldn't have gotten the chance to wrestle Brian and I wouldn't have gotten the attention that I'd gotten from from that match. That match really put me on the map as far as like Lucha Underground was concerned and people were like, oh, who is this person? You know what I mean? And Brian is such an amazing performer and was so easy to work with.

and, you know, I'm just very grateful that all this stuff kind of just happened that way. And then as it progressed, like, I remember we filmed our first backstage segment with me and John and I said, like, so, what are our characters like? Like, are we, like, friends? Are we, like, bros?

Like, what's, like, the dynamic? And, like, we still always talk about this because of how awkward we both were with each other. And if you go back and watch the scene itself, like, I have, like, red baseball cap on backwards, and he's, like, you know, supposed to be in his dojo, doing like what that ninja thing is. Oh yeah, yeah. And we, it's just to me, it's very obvious that I'm like, like nervous and he's nervous. And I'm kind of like, uh, the, that, the, like,

it's just very bad. So this was the beginning. That was the beginning. But it wasn't until he started following me around the temple that, uh, we actually, he asked me out on a first date, but he would, uh, follow me around and like, come in two, there was like different locker rooms in the temple and one of them was where like a lot of the Lucha triple A guys would be. So I remember I was sitting on the couch when I had Phoenix on one side of me and Pentagon on the other side of me and we were all just talking blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and he's like, Ola, companeros or whatever he said.

And the guys just all stopped talking and then looked at me. And I was like, what? And he like said something really, you know, in some really bad broken Spanish and left. And then Pentagon and Phoenix both hit me. I'm like, oh, my God, he likes you. He's, like, he never comes in here. The only reason he's in here is because he likes you. Oh, my God.

Taya, he likes you. And, like, then it was on because they just kept bugging me about it. And then he, like, came and went out to dinner with a bunch of us, like a bunch of the AAA people. And they were like, what is he doing here? Oh. And I was like, and he's buying everyone drinks and sucking up to my friends. I'm like, something's going on here. Did you ever think you'd marry a wrestler?

No, I don't, I mean, I don't know. I don't even think I knew that I would ever get married. Like, I don't think, I mean, I always wanted that, but like, you never know, right? Life is weird. I've lived a very, like, gypsy lifestyle of, like, you know, traveling around and really being independent. And, like, that's the way my mom always taught me to be independent and be able to take care of myself and to fight for what I want.

And so I just didn't, I didn't know what the universe had in mind for me. And his name is John Hennigan. and he has 25 abs. But no, like, from there, and he asked me out and we went to sushi and I was excited because he spoke, I said, I was like, oh my God, it's so great, you speak English.

And he always brings that up. He's like, you're so easy to make happy on that date. You wanted sushi. You wanted to go to Hollywood Boulevard and see the stars on the Walk of Fame. You were happy I spoke English and you got excited when we drove past the Trader Joe's.

And I went, yep. Small things, people. Yeah. What a great first date. Yeah. And then that was, was that. And look at you guys now. Yeah. And then we went and did press in New York. And he took me to Hamilton. Oh, well, that's serious business. You can't even get tickets to Hamilton. And it was this. I mean,

this was years ago. So think about that. Wow. When we have John Morrison money, though. Johnny Mundo. He was Johnny Mundo at the time. This is true. This is true. Johnny many names. Johnny many names. But yeah, he took me to Hamilton. And then like, I don't know. And then we just kind of started dating. And then he came to visit me in Mexico. And I came to LA to visit him. And then we were filming and doing stuff. And then it just kind of, And this was four years ago? Almost five years ago. Was it 2015 or 16? God, you're making me do math in my head. You should know when you guys met.

I know this because Presley's turning four. Yeah, she should at least know which year you met. It was five years ago. Five years ago in January. Oh, okay. Yeah. I remember meeting you for the first time when I did that last interview with, or my first interview with John Morrison.

You guys were living in like a wrestler house. Yeah. Not far from here. You were living in a wrestler house with a ring in the backyard. I really stuck around, you know. That's not even the first wrestler house. We lived in an other house before that, too. So, yeah, like after like seven months of dating, six months of dating,

I made the decision to move to Los Angeles, obviously. And I moved in with John and we lived with some stunt guys in a house with a ring. And then eventually after that, we lived in another house with stunt guys in ring. And then I said, we're getting married. We're not having roommates anymore. And now you have a beautiful house. And now I have a beautiful house. Yeah.

We have our beautiful, our first house together. And our two little puppies. So I think it's worked out. Was it what you did in Luch Underground that really turned the heads of impact and got you signed there? Yes. Actually, so another lengthy explanation. Everything has an explanation. Kevin, or sorry, Jeff and Karen Jarrett used to come to AAA all the time.

Oh, okay. While I was there living. And Karen was always super nice to me. And like we would talk and hang out. And like she was always like, I'm going to put you in my suitcase and take you back to Impact. And like we would always talk about me going to work there. And then as time went on and I was living in the States and then like Looch Underground kind of stopped and like what was I going to do kind of thing. And she invited me to come and work at Impact.

So I got. It was because of Karen. Yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah, it was Karen. And then and then John. came, yes, people. I was hired first. Then he had a different name there.

Johnny Impact. And yeah. So it's been a long complicated road, Chris. It's long complicated road. The Book of La Verra Loka is very crazy. It could be a very lengthy, you know, multiple episode television series. Oh, many seasons, I think. Seasons and seasons. What is your favorite match of Johns with any last name that he has? I'm going to say so. I can't, I think like

It was one of his all night long matches. He said a few that are on Luch Underground with him and Rickache that I'm like, how are you a human? Both of them. I look at him and go, how are you a human? Yeah, both of them are just so unbelievably talented beyond, beyond science. Like, I don't know. I'm like, I don't get it. Like, Rickshay is so incredibly talented.

John is so incredibly talented. when you have two people like that who both want to push the limits of gravity, you have some of the most epic crazy matches ever. And I will give him John this too, like when we would do tag stuff in Looge Underground a lot of times, I had been working a certain stall for so long

because I'd been living in Mexico. He was so helpful in making sure that I, you know, he would explain so many things and help me like really push my limits too and making sure that I was, you know, doing the best that I could and try to try to try to defeat Greta. in some moments. But I'm just so thankful that I had him there kind of as, you know,

not only as my partner, but as my protector and as a guide and a teacher, because he is literally one of the best wrestlers in the entire world. I don't care what anyone says. I don't care what company he's worked for. He is the best. And he is so knowledgeable and kind and will help anyone and really be there for you with any type of question or any type of guidance. And anyone's so lucky to be in a ring with him should take that opportunity for sure. What do you think John is better at as a human since meeting you? I don't know. Then we're going to flip this back around on you, so.

Oh, I don't know. I feel like we've just taught each other a lot of patience. We've taught each other that we just need each other. We've just taught each other. We're creatively bring the best out of each other, definitely. and I'm sure he spoke to you about our movie that we wrote and like different projects that we do. Barricane?

Well, the Iron Sheik Masker. Oh, that one. There's so many. There's just so many. And Loka. And like, I just love collaborating with him. And I think that like we both, I have had such also like,

if anything I've taught him would be like, I have a different road interesting than he did. Like opposite land. Yeah. Completely opposite. So there's a lot of experiences that I've had that he hasn't had. And some of them are not good. You know what I mean?

But I feel like I've kind of, opened his eyes to, to different things and how hard it can be out there. They're not saying that it hasn't been hard for him because it has. It's been very hard for everybody. Everyone to get to this level, it's hard. It's so much work. But I feel like I've just kind of like shown him another side of like, you know, what it can be like to do what I did in my way.

And he's also shared his knowledge that he's received through his types of training that he's done and his, you know, walk and road to wrestling to me. So we've kind of just exchanged those kind of. of power of information with each other. You've been looped into a lot of his work as well because people know you guys are married. And I've talked to John about this. I've talked to Austin Aries about it. But I'm very curious to hear what your take was on how Austin kind of brought you into

this storyline that wasn't really your storyline. Well, well, well, just can't escape it, can't me? God, what do I say about this? Yeah, no, I wasn't my storyline at all. and somehow I was a sacrificial lamb in this story. I mean, it was really, it was, it was a hard one. It was, it was handled badly. And by the way, that I just don't agree with some of the things that Austin said,

no matter if it's a work or if it's real or whatever, especially as a woman, I feel like we are attacked daily, through the internet, unfortunately. And I feel like what he did and have it be that I'm insecure because guess what I'm insecure? I'm seeing everybody's insecure about certain things. Sure.

You know, and he just had to just go after something that I was insecure about. And I feel like that was shitty. Yeah. And I think that he might say, oh, well, this was all just in the storyline of like this was a work. Yeah.

And I just think that it just kind of got out of control. I think it was more than anything. I mean, I'm all for like creating buzz and doing what I got to do to make the story. happen because that's what professional wrestling is. It's story-telling. And, but I just think that we, that there should have been like a different,

different words used. Yeah. And it would have had the same effect. There was no, there wasn't necessary to like. Wasn't TMZ involved in reporting this too? Yeah, they, they, we were on TMZ because. And my friends in Canada were like, why are you on TMZ? What is going on?

I always, they are always, the first one to tell me when something like that happens. I'm like, yeah, about that. It was just like, it was very weird. And I mean, it sucks because like people always want to talk about it. And like, I'm just curious because it seemed like to me from the outside looking in as a fan, it seemed like it crossed a line. Yeah. I just feel like, there is a line.

Some people, it's different. And everybody has their own line. Yeah. I feel like some people are more open to certain things and some people are not. And I mean, there's certain things you can say to me and I, that are insulting and I will not care. And there's certain things that people will say to me and I'm like, well, now I feel like shit.

You know, like, it's just like you don't know how someone's going to react. I mean, maybe I didn't even realize how horrible that kind of stuff was going to make me feel. But John said this is one of his favorite matches of all time. Yeah. Because of like the realism. It was raw.

It was really raw. And being ringside for it. I just remember, like, I mean, I've managed and wrestled. I can't even count how many matches I've had. And I was like, like, I felt the nerve and the energy and the like, just the utter anger that was kind of like this weird link. It was very strange. But it was because of that authentic rawness that I think that it came across so intense. Yeah.

And I remember Moose and Killer Cross, Carrying Cross were across the ring, obviously on Austin's side. And I was like looking at them. There was something that happened and I just looked like, I made eye contact with like Kevin right away. And he's like, like we were like, oh my God, this is going down.

It was crazy. It was very, it was just very intense. And I feel like I've had some matches like that where not because like, there was something said or whatever, but like there's some people that bring out these kind of intense sides of you when you perform.

And I think that those two brought out that intense side of one another. And I mean, I think that that's a version of John that we don't get to see a lot is like that really intense side. So if that's- So that's one of John's favorite matches.

You've told me about your favorite match of Johns. What's your favorite match of yours? For the intensity purposes, I would say me versus Ayaclohamada in the Tijuana Street fight that took place, what was like, my God, I could all blending into itself.

Like three years ago, yeah, two, three years ago when I wrestled Ayako in Tijuana. And it was lots of blood and it was a crazy, intense match that people talk about all the time. And it was a different side of me for sure. Yeah. And I really channeled my inner Paraguayo for that one because it was in the arena where he passed away.

It was his style. That was, that's his, that was his style 100% is that crazy extreme. Drink the beer, spit it on the person, pre-corona. You know what I mean? Like all these kind of little spots that I had taken, like, and that were kind of homage to him. So I feel like that match was really, really special for me.

I'm going to say I think that some of my matches with Tessa were some of my favorites. Because, for example, wrestling at Madison Square Garden last year in front of my mom. My mom and her mom sitting next to each other front row watching us beat the crap out of each other. Did you realize how special it was when you got to have that match with Taya for the championship? For the-Tessa? Yeah, for the world championship? I did. I did realize it.

But I think it after where, like, you know what's happening, but you're so, like, in this focus kind of bubble in your head about, like, what's going on that it's not really until afterwards and you read and see what people have to say or, like, these moments that are that are, that are. forever be, you know, memorable in impact history. And it's two women, you know, challenging each other with the for the world, with the world championship on the line. So that was, you know, me and her have shared some very crazy and intense moments in the ring. And I'm happy to call her my friend. I'm happy that she's married now to my little brother, Daga. But yeah, like, she's one of my favorites for sure. Is there like a goal that you have of wanting to hold that championship, the world championship? Of course. It seems like a possibility in impact wrestling. 100%. I believe that I have the opportunity to basically go after whatever championship that I

earn the right to challenge for. You know, I'm the longest reigning knockouts champion in Impact Wrestling history. I feel like I should, I really would love to go after the World Championship. I would love to go after the Exhibition Champion. You'd be a great Exhibition Champion. Yeah, I could throw those boys around. So I just, I think that, uh, there, there's a lot of possibilities in different, different ways in my pick your own adventure book. Yes. Bringing it right back around. Right back around. That I could go, you know, which path will I take? Who knows? You know, there's a lot of unknown in 2021 coming up. And, um, but I'm also very excited for it. And I'm excited for for change and for evolve,

evolving and, you know, seeing what this next year can bring. Because like you said, this year has been pretty horrible, but there have been a lot of silver linings and a lot of things. And if anything, I've learned to know myself better this year and be less concerned about certain things and more concerned about things that actually do matter. So I've, I've taken the time to also just be a better person and really take some personal growth for myself. And, I know that that will shine through and whatever it is I decide to do and whoever I decide to challenge over the next few months. This has definitely been a year where we've had a lot of time to self-reflects.

Exactly. That's what I was looking for, self-reflection. Because in every other year, especially with the schedule that you had, you're on the road, you're in airplanes, you're in hotels. You're working a ton. I was wrestling like three to four days a week. So that's a lot. Yeah.

Was it impact and then also doing like indie dates? Yes. So I was like doing all my own indie dates and I was going back like in February I went to England right before everything happened and wrestled there a few times again because I wrestled there last November as well. I mean, I'd gone to stardom. I'd just kind of been everywhere and been doing all the biggest indies as well as working AAA and as well as doing impact. Presley. Oh, I saw Presley. It's Bowie. Bowie. Bowie. I apologize. Just randomly barking at the stairs over here. I think there's a ghost in this house. But yeah, like I'm. was working a lot because like that's, I'm a driven person and I, and I like, you know, to, to work. I like working. I like being, you know, out there and meeting my fans and doing all that. And, and I just want to be better. Yeah. Like, I never want to feel like, I'm not improving. I always want to give the fans something different and just be better. Yeah. And I still like, I feel like I still

have so much more and so much more better that I can give. So, well, the interesting thing is you started wrestling a lot later than most people. So I feel like you've got more. in the tank than most people that might be your age. Yes, 100%. And I, I'm thankful for that because I look at a lot of the, like, really younger girls who've had, you know, some issues or her just, just younger in this business. Like, I'm very happy that I got into it later. Yeah.

I feel like I was definitely mature enough to, to handle it. And still to this day, I think back and I'm like, oh, my gosh, like, shouldn't have acted like that or whatever. But it's like, it all comes with age and maturity. And I felt like I was in a good place. to be in this business. And I'm happy that I had the confidence that I had when I got into it

because just any form of entertainment is so hard on you and emotionally and stress and anxiety and like all these other factors that come into it in insecurities. And, you know, I've still, as an adult, battled with that and I'll probably continue to battle with it.

But I'm at a place now where I know that I can handle it. And I feel like if I had been 17, 18, getting into wrestling, the story would be completely different. and maybe I wouldn't even be wrestling anymore. Yeah. So I'm very grateful that I got into it when I did,

that I had kind of had life experience when I got into it, for sure. Well, springboarding off of that, I like to end every interview by asking you, what are three things that you're grateful for right now? Right now. I'm grateful for my health. I'm grateful to have my best friend with me 24-7, Mr. Johnny Many Names.

What's your favorite Johnny last name? I think I'm going to say Johnny Mundo because I fell in love with Johnny Mundo. Okay, fair enough. Yeah. And now you live with John Hennigan? And I live with John Hennigan. I have a lot of Johns in my life. There's a lot of Jonnie's.

A lot of Jonnie's. Those are two good ones. Yeah. So I think Johnny Mundo would be my favorite. So yeah, I'm thankful for that. And I'm just thankful for my life as a whole. Yeah. And just thankful that, like,

my life allows me to live the way that I do and that I'm living my, my dream. And there's, you know, I'm still still growing and still evolving as a performer and as a wife and as a friend and as a daughter and like all these kinds of things and as a dog mom. But I'm thankful for all those things. I don't know. And that's like, you know, those are all pretty corny general answers. No, they're not at all. I think that those are all just really important, especially this year to recognize that, you know, don't take your life for granted. Don't take the people around you for granted.

And don't take your health for granted. What a great spot to end on. This has been so great. Thank you so much. No, thank you. I'm glad we finally got to talk because we never, you know, it's just been, you know, life happens. I just said it just took me moving down the street. Yeah, that's it.

That's how we make it happen around here. And I'm glad we got to do it in person because I, so much better than like a Zoom. So much better. Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you guys. There we go. Taya Valcari, ladies and gentlemen.

Take a screenshot, share this on social media so we can say hi. I'm at Chris Van Fleet. Taya is at the Taya Valkyrie. And her drive and determination is incredible. I get so excited when I hear the kinds of stories that she was telling here because with that kind of mindset, you're unstoppable. And I'm so pumped to see what's next for her. This is an unknown quote. You know, I like to end every show with a quote. This one is attributed to unknown, but it's push yourself because no one. else is going to do it for you. Man, isn't that true? That is so true. I'll be great. Be grateful, my friends. Have a great weekend, and we will see you next week.

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