Former WWE Superstar Tenille Dashwood, better known as Emma, made her return to the ring this past weekend at Wrestlepro’s Brace for Impact event where she took on former Knockouts Champion Angelina Love.
In her first post-WWE interview with Lance Storm‘s ‘Killing the Town’ podcast, Dashwood discusses her return to the indies, her time with the WWE and the failed “Emmalina” gimmick. Highlights of the inerview below.
Returning to the indies: “It’s been years since I’ve worked on the independent scene; probably about six years now. There is that freedom of being in control. Not having to worry about times on TV and limitations in your character and storyline as much. I love going out there and being able to perform and to wrestle, and enjoy it.”
The rise of the NXT Women’s Division at NXT arRIVAL: “We all as a group wanted to show what we could do and we were given that chance and just did everything we could to make sure that we deliver. That was an exciting and important time in my life and my career. I loved stepping in the ring with Paige and being given those big opportunities. And I feel like that was when we started to get noticed and get those opportunities.”
If she knew where the ‘Emmalina’ gimmick was headed: “No (laughs). I wish I had more of a say. I don’t know, I guess there was an idea to it and they kind of realized along the way that wasn’t me. That wasn’t for me at all. I mean, I’m just not a diva, you know? I’m not like that at all. And I just want to wrestle. So I think they kind of realized that along the way or something like that and just were like, let’s just have her be Emma and have her be herself and we were able to bring that back around.”
On ‘Evil Emma’ being a better fit for her: “That’s the thing, I’m comfortable doing that. In real life I’m a smart ass. I like to have fun and joke around but I love to wrestle, so I think that it was a combination of everything and that just came out in that character. Get out of the way, I got a job to do.”
Dashwood also discusses WWE moving from OVW to the Perfomance Center, how she got to WWE, and what lies ahead.
You can listen to the full interview here.
What did you think of the interview? What are your thoughts on the ‘Emmalina’ gimmick? Where would you like to see Tenille next? Let us know in the comments below!
