Black Widow
04-29-2008, 07:40 PM
Diva Maria hot stuff in ring; Curvaceous wrestler leads WWE stars into Barrie Molson Centre
Diva Maria can't wait to strut into the ring at the Barrie Molson Centre and hear the deafening din that only hard-core wrestling fans can make.
"It's instant gratification," Maria says of the thrill of the live audience. "When you step through that curtain, there is no feeling like that to have fans screaming...it's all about entertaining the fans."
And Maria is a fan favourite - especially among men. The curvaceous five-foot-seven brunette posed for the April edition of Playboy and makes no bones about baring all.
"Here's the thing," Maria said via phone before a workout at an upscale gym in Chicago, "I'm passionate about wrestling on Monday Night RAW and I was passionate about the Playboy shoot. I made some of what I wore, I set up the shots; it wasn't nerve-wracking at all. It was more kind of a party to myself as a woman."
While reaction from men has been what you would expect, she said her family has also been in her corner.
"My family is just the most supportive," said the wrestling diva. "My mom, my sister and my grandma came to the unveiling of the cover and my mom bought a stack to give to co-workers because she's so proud of me."
Maria is hoping to make her mom proud in other ways. She says she dreams of becoming the world women's wrestling champion, has a desire to star in TV and film and wants to start her own clothing line.
Her primary focus these days, though, is the WWE's squared circle, where Maria was given her start.
"I actually got started when I entered the RAW Diva Search, in 2004," she said. "I didn't win, but I finished in the top five...but I kept calling like a crazy woman and I guess they saw something in me that they liked, and I started out as a backstage interviewer."
After serious working out and training at a wrestling school in Ohio, Maria stepped into combat in the ring for the first time in 2005 and has been wrestling more and more ever since.
In fact, she had to wrestle her way into the pages of Playboy.
On the Feb.18 edition of RAW, Maria defeated Beth Phoenix to earn the right to be on the cover of the popular men's magazine. That was a monumental match for the up-and-coming Maria.
"To beat Beth was amazing," Maria said. "No one else did and no one else has, so it means a lot to me. Beth has wrestled a long time and this is something you don't learn overnight; I've definitely worked hard to get here."
She also was a featured attraction at last summer's WWE's signature event: Wrestlemania XXIV, where she joined forces with Ashley in a Playboy Bunnymania Lumberjack match against Beth Phoenix and Melina. Despite losing, Maria said the experience was "awesome."
"I can't describe the feeling of 70,000 people screaming for you," Maria said. "At the end of the match, I got a kiss from Snoop Dog...just to know that millions of people around the world are watching is so amazing."
She was once one of those people; she grew up cheering for "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Junkyard Dog.
"Wrestling is just such a huge sport and it has such a great history," Maria said. "That's why I really appreciate the opportunity WWE has given to me; it's incredible."
Maria is scheduled to be the special guest referee in Barrie this Sunday, during the women's championship match between Phoenix and reigning champion Mickie James.
"Right now, I'm scheduled to be the referee, but you never know with the WWE, things can change," she said cryptically.
"I certainly would love to be wrestling," she added.
The women's title match is one bout on an action-packed card that is part of the WWE's RAW WrestleMania Revenge circuit.
In the showcase match, Triple H and Chris Jericho will take on Randy Orton and Umaga - a tag-team match that features four of the WWE's top stars. Other wrestlers expected to make an appearance are Carlito, Hardcore Holly, Cody Rhodes, Santino Marella, William Regal and others.
The event goes Sunday, starting at 5 p.m. at the Barrie Molson Centre, and marks the first time the WWE has been in Barrie in almost two years.
Tickets ($70, $55, $45 and $25) are available at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling 739-7666.
thebarrieexaminer.com
Diva Maria can't wait to strut into the ring at the Barrie Molson Centre and hear the deafening din that only hard-core wrestling fans can make.
"It's instant gratification," Maria says of the thrill of the live audience. "When you step through that curtain, there is no feeling like that to have fans screaming...it's all about entertaining the fans."
And Maria is a fan favourite - especially among men. The curvaceous five-foot-seven brunette posed for the April edition of Playboy and makes no bones about baring all.
"Here's the thing," Maria said via phone before a workout at an upscale gym in Chicago, "I'm passionate about wrestling on Monday Night RAW and I was passionate about the Playboy shoot. I made some of what I wore, I set up the shots; it wasn't nerve-wracking at all. It was more kind of a party to myself as a woman."
While reaction from men has been what you would expect, she said her family has also been in her corner.
"My family is just the most supportive," said the wrestling diva. "My mom, my sister and my grandma came to the unveiling of the cover and my mom bought a stack to give to co-workers because she's so proud of me."
Maria is hoping to make her mom proud in other ways. She says she dreams of becoming the world women's wrestling champion, has a desire to star in TV and film and wants to start her own clothing line.
Her primary focus these days, though, is the WWE's squared circle, where Maria was given her start.
"I actually got started when I entered the RAW Diva Search, in 2004," she said. "I didn't win, but I finished in the top five...but I kept calling like a crazy woman and I guess they saw something in me that they liked, and I started out as a backstage interviewer."
After serious working out and training at a wrestling school in Ohio, Maria stepped into combat in the ring for the first time in 2005 and has been wrestling more and more ever since.
In fact, she had to wrestle her way into the pages of Playboy.
On the Feb.18 edition of RAW, Maria defeated Beth Phoenix to earn the right to be on the cover of the popular men's magazine. That was a monumental match for the up-and-coming Maria.
"To beat Beth was amazing," Maria said. "No one else did and no one else has, so it means a lot to me. Beth has wrestled a long time and this is something you don't learn overnight; I've definitely worked hard to get here."
She also was a featured attraction at last summer's WWE's signature event: Wrestlemania XXIV, where she joined forces with Ashley in a Playboy Bunnymania Lumberjack match against Beth Phoenix and Melina. Despite losing, Maria said the experience was "awesome."
"I can't describe the feeling of 70,000 people screaming for you," Maria said. "At the end of the match, I got a kiss from Snoop Dog...just to know that millions of people around the world are watching is so amazing."
She was once one of those people; she grew up cheering for "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Junkyard Dog.
"Wrestling is just such a huge sport and it has such a great history," Maria said. "That's why I really appreciate the opportunity WWE has given to me; it's incredible."
Maria is scheduled to be the special guest referee in Barrie this Sunday, during the women's championship match between Phoenix and reigning champion Mickie James.
"Right now, I'm scheduled to be the referee, but you never know with the WWE, things can change," she said cryptically.
"I certainly would love to be wrestling," she added.
The women's title match is one bout on an action-packed card that is part of the WWE's RAW WrestleMania Revenge circuit.
In the showcase match, Triple H and Chris Jericho will take on Randy Orton and Umaga - a tag-team match that features four of the WWE's top stars. Other wrestlers expected to make an appearance are Carlito, Hardcore Holly, Cody Rhodes, Santino Marella, William Regal and others.
The event goes Sunday, starting at 5 p.m. at the Barrie Molson Centre, and marks the first time the WWE has been in Barrie in almost two years.
Tickets ($70, $55, $45 and $25) are available at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling 739-7666.
thebarrieexaminer.com