Women of Honor star Brandi Rhodes recently spoke with Ring Rust Radio to discuss WAGS Atlanta, her experience at Wrestling Kingdom 12 and the current state of women’s wrestling. Highlights of the interview below curiosity of Ring Rust Radio.
On being approached to be a part of WAGS Atlanta: “I was actually just sought out randomly. They got in touch with my management about a Skype interview to be considered for the show which to me, I thought a Skype interview, they must be in the very early stages of casting for this. So, I thought this was cool, sure no problem. I did my Skype interview with the casting it went well and then a week later had a contract sent to me, so clearly they were not in the beginning stages of casting, they were at the end stages of casting and they just needed one more person. So that’s how I ended up being that ninth girl.”
On whether her experience in WWE as a ring announcer and interview helped her for her wrestling career: “The one thing that makes this, I don’t want to say easier because the learning curve is huge and I’m still making my way here. I would say watching from ringside for so many years and seeing so many different things and watching all these different stories play out, I understand what you want to see. That doesn’t mean I can do it always or accurately, however I understand what people want to see and understand what needs to happen where and when. A lot of people, you would be shocked, this isn’t the most natural thing to understand but it’s one of those things that has helped me so much. As far as putting matches together, when someone starts to say something I would say, you wouldn’t want to do that because it doesn’t make sense and then they go, ‘Oh yeah, you’re right, how did you know that?’ Then I tell I’ve been watching for so long. I just know if it doesn’t fit or it’s out of place, I remember sitting at ringside and looking at the person sitting next to me saying, ‘What?’ It’s just helped to kind of ingrain in my mind what things should look like for a fan and what just make sense.”
On her experience at Wrestle Kingdom 12: “This sport is such a roller coaster. For me personally, I feed off of the energy around me. So if everybody wants something and they are yelling and they are cheering or they like something or they do not like it and they hate it, I totally go off with that. So with that being said, everything of course is not planned. I was the one that started laughing after the thing that happened with Ibushi. It just felt natural like I should laugh, I got him and I should laugh so of course he started laughing and it was great. It was awesome and everybody got it at that point. Still I am very new to things so a lot of times if there is the opportunity to ask a question then I’m going to. It’s something that I’m seeing it as oh ok this make sense to me but maybe it doesn’t make sense to somebody else so I should run it by someone else. It’s really of those natural organic moments where you just know what you should do.”
On the current state of Women’s Wrestling: “One thing I know to be true is you should never put yourself in anything you don’t think you can win. You might as well be an idiot if you enter contests thinking I don’t think I can win but I’m going to try! Women’s wrestling is absolutely at its peak right now. It’s at the top of its game and is getting so much attention and so many eyes and it should be. Women are stepping up, they are performing, they are showing that we are athletes as well and we deserve the attention we are getting. This is an incredible time to be part of a women’s division, any women’s division really because they’re so solid. The girls are really good and really different and that’s great. I don’t think we have anywhere in wrestling right now two of the same girls trying to be the same girl if that makes any sense. It is just so unique and everyone is soaring right now. It’s great and it’s a positive thing and I hope that it keeps growing and who knows what heights were going to get to?”
On whether the Rhodes would consider a return to the WWE: “All I can say is that we are doing really well with everything that we are doing and we are very happy on this path that we are on and we are happy for every success everyone is having in wrestling right now. I think that everything is continuing to grow were continuing to grow to sky’s the limit.”
You can listen to the full interview here.
Brandi Rhodes is also set to face off Karen Q in the first round of the Women of Honor Championship tournament. Also facing in the first round of the tournament are Mandy Leon and Madison Rayne:
Use #WOHTournament for ALL your predictions as we get closer to the first round matches in Nashville this weekend! @MandyLeonxo vs @MadisonRayne @karenmeee vs @TheBrandiRhodes
More to be announced soon!
Tickets available https://t.co/e02BrMhaRF pic.twitter.com/x2Q1wWW5uB— Women of Honor (@Women_of_Honor) January 14, 2018
E!’s WAGS Atlanta premieres on January 17 at 10 p.m.
What did you think of the interview? Will you be watching WAGS Atlanta? Who do you think will advance in the first rounds of the WOH Tournament? Let us know in the comments below!
