WWE Diva & Playboy cover girl, Maria speaks to phillyBurbs.com
- By ERIC GARGIULO
PhillyBurbs.com, March 17, 2008
Imagine for one minute waking up one morning
and not only being a television superstar
seen by millions of people every week,
but also on the cover of Playboy
magazine. WWE Diva Maria
Kanellis is not only going
to wrestle in her first WrestleMania
in a few weeks, but she is on the cover
of April's Playboy magazine. Can life
get any better for this shy, bubbly, sweetheart
from Ottawa, Illinois?
The story of Maria is a fantastic story in achieving the American dream. The odds of a small-town girl watching pro wrestling on television going to the WWE and conquering the world were against her. Yet, this is not a surprise to the WWE’s most popular Diva. This is something that she has been working towards her entire life.
Maria had dreams of being in the WWE long
before she stood up for herself to Santino
Marella on Monday Night Raw. Maria’s
first attempt at becoming a WWE Diva ended
at number five. Maria first stepped into
a WWE ring as a contestant in the first-televised
WWE Diva competition. Maria left her mark
by showing her opponent Carmella
DeCesare what she thought of
her with one finger. Maria made it to
the top-five but was eliminated from the
contest. Like fellow Diva Melina, Maria
used this as motivation to work harder
at becoming a WWE Diva.
Maria worked her way into the WWE the
old-fashioned way. Maria studied for the
big-time at the WWE’s developmental territory
Ohio Valley Wrestling.
Under the tutelage of the genius Paul
Heyman, Maria quickly stood out
from the pack and earned a spot on the
main-roster. Maria was so dedicated to
learning, that Heyman recently said that
Maria contributed booking ideas while
in OVW.
Maria first became known to WWE fans as the ditzy interview girl. Maria would ask dumb questions as wrestlers would do a double-take in the interviews. Fans would laugh, wrestlers were shocked, and the adoration from the fans and the WWE for this star in the making was just beginning.
Maria soon found herself inside of the
wrestling ring, most of the time as an
unwilling participant. Ironically enough,
her first match was a pillow-fight against
the winner of the Diva contest Christy
Hemme. This was the start
of what is turning out to be one of the
most fun wrestling careers inside of the
ring on WWE television.
Maria’s role varied for the next few years between manager, occasional wrestler, and interviewer. The only constant in Maria’s role was the fun. There wasn’t a moment when Maria appeared on television when you didn’t laugh or smile. It was obvious to even the most casual wrestling fan that the person with the biggest smile was Maria herself.
Maria is no longer the butt of the joke
on Monday Night Raw. Maria has
turned the page from innocence to confidence.
Maria’s skills in the wrestling ring are
no longer anything to be laughed at. The
gorgeous Diva ended the undefeated streak
of WWE Diva Beth Phoenix. The win not
only earned her the respect inside of
the ring of her colleagues and fans all
over the world. The win over Beth
Phoenix “earned” Maria the
cover of Playboy magazine. Maria unveiled
her Playboy cover the following week on
Monday Night Raw. Maria also finally stood
up for herself to Santino Marella. This
was a huge moment in the career of Maria
as she would not be pushed around anymore.
Maria will also wrestle on WrestleMania
for the first-time in a Playboy
Bunny Match.
Maria was kind enough to take time out
of her busy schedule and speak to phillyBurbs.com.
I can’t remember interviewing anyone in
pro wrestling in the last ten years that
has laughed more than Maria did during
the interview. It is inspiring to hear
someone have so much fun in a business
that has broken down even the strongest
of wills. Maria talks dating, being a
Playboy cover girl, wrestling
at WrestleMania, getting smacked from
Trish
Stratus, kissing Ric
Flair, and more in this exclusive
interview.
Eric – So you are on
the cover of Playboy
magazine. What is it like to be a Playboy
cover girl?
Maria – It’s amazing. It is such a great compliment. It’s Playboy, it’s been around for 53 years, it’s such history, it’s Americana, it’s amazing.
Eric – How has your life changed?
Maria – Well, the funny thing is that I have been traveling so much that I don’t even know what’s changed because I have been from here to there to wherever. I’m busier right now, but the WWE keeps you pretty busy anyway so not a whole lot.
Eric – Have you been to any of the Playboy parties?
Maria – Actually I went to one not too long ago. I met Heff that night. I thanked him for everything. So yeah, I’ve been to one.
Eric – What is it like
to be on a WrestleMania?
Maria – I’ve been with WWE for 3 ½ years. I’ve been to WrestleMania, this will be my fourth year and this year is the first year that I’m actually in a match. I don’t think it has sank in completely yet. I’ve been working on different wrestling moves and stuff that I can do in the ring because I definitely want to be up to my game and up to par when I’m out there doing it. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I remember last year crying at the end of WrestleMania when I was watching all of the highlights, so I’m sure that it will be very emotional and very, very cool.
Eric – What do you think has turned the corner for you in your WWE career?
Maria – You know I don’t know. I think that the fans have always been there with me and just kind of kept with me the entire time. I don’t think there was actually a moment that was, “Okay now we’re with her.” But, I definitely feel like everyone can relate to what I said last Monday and that was that “No man and no one is going to make this decision for me,” because everybody has that in their life where they are trying to figure things out and other people are trying to put their two-cents in to make a decision where really, the only person that you really have to be respectful of is yourself at the end of the day. So I feel that, that moment there people could connect with a lot.
Eric – How important is it for you to be confident in your wrestling abilities before you go out there on live television?
Maria – Oh it is so important and my confidence is building, but I’ve still got a lot of work. There are girls that have been here a lot longer than me and I respect them so much for it, so every night that I go out there I feel like my confidence is built up a little bit more, and I feel a little bit more comfortable out there, and hopefully looking a little better. So, I’m definitely working my butt off.
Eric – How discouraging
was it not to win the WWE Diva
Search?
Maria – Well, I’m glad now that I didn’t make it all of the way to the end. Because I have always been a fighter, I fight for what I believe in. It doesn’t matter that I placed five. I still showed my feistiness, my aggressiveness you know flipping the bird at Carmella and getting out of there. I called every single week. I wanted to be a part of the WWE, I was addicted. I was addicted to the energy from the live crowd. I was addicted to our amazing fans so it wasn’t discouraging at all. If anything, it was motivating.
Eric – Melina had mentioned that Al Snow pulled aside after the Tough Enough tryouts and encouraged her to continue. Did anyone pull you aside after you were eliminated from the contest?
Maria – You know there were a few people that gave me advice and stuff like that, but actually when I was leaving the arena going back to the hotel, the driver in the car said, “I can tell that you really want this.” He was driving the limo. “I can tell that you really want this. If you fight for it, you’ll get it.” WWE is all about having that passion. He said, “Just keep going.” I’ve never forgotten that. Never.
Eric – Is it true that you turned down the original offer to pose in Playboy?
Maria – I was asked to
do Playboy from the time
that I was 19. I just wasn’t ready. I
didn’t feel like it was my time. I just
didn’t feel like it was there yet. When
I became a woman and started to feel comfortable,
and felt like it was everything that I
wanted it to be, that’s when I did it.
So yeah, I had turned it down a few times.
I got the advice from my family, my friends,
and the people that are closest to me
and decided that this year was the year
to do it.
Eric – Have you had any embarrassing moments yet with the magazine?
Maria – No not at all, everybody has been extremely sweet and nice. One of my best friends came to the New York signing at the Virgin Megastore and she actually had a couple of Playboys with her, I didn’t know she was coming and she’s like, “I wanted to surprise you!” That wasn’t uncomfortable at all. A few people that worked with my dad actually came and got it signed. It’s completely sold out in my hometown of Ottawa, Illinois and they don’t get any more in until Tuesday. We sold out the Virgin Megastore. It’s great, it’s such a great experience, no embarrassing moments, I’m really proud of it, so you know I don’t think there could be an embarrassing moment.
Eric – What do you remember
about your very first wrestling match
on live WWE television against Christy
Hemme?
Maria – It was a pillow fight wasn’t it? I remember going out there and thinking to myself how cool it was to be actually out there doing it. I believe we were in Miami, I think we were in Miami. If it was in Miami, my best friend was there and she was watching and I remember coming backstage afterwards and her being, “This is your job?” You know? It’s amazing, it’s so much fun.
Eric – Melina talked about the difficulties in dating with her WWE schedule. Do you have difficulties dating with your schedule?
Maria – It was much more difficult for me to date someone nine months ago than it is now. I have to say that I have no difficulties with it. Yes it’s complicated. Yes we’re always traveling, but if you want something bad enough and if you want to make something work, you will and it will be everything that you want it to be. My biggest problem before in dating someone while I was in this business was that communication was totally bad. Communication is the key, it definitely is. There have been times when he’s flown in to see me in New York or I flew down to Mexico to see him, and if you want something to work, it will. You’ve got to make that time. So, I think right now I’m having the best relationship of my life and it is the busiest time of my life. Like I said, if you want it bad enough and it’s real enough, it’ll work.
Eric – Do you have any advice for aspiring female wrestlers?
Maria – Yes. Follow your dreams, follow your goals. Find a wrestling school, start learning. When the Diva Search comes around, enter in the Diva Search. Keep fighting. There is a school down in Tampa, Florida and I’d go to the tryouts there. WWE is involved in that school. Never, ever, ever give up because the moment that you give up is the moment that you could have made it. I didn’t come in as a wrestler. I came in as an interviewer and a person that just loved wrestling, and a person that loved entertaining. So, you don’t necessarily have to come from a particular place to get everything that you really wanted.
Eric – Ric Flair is closing in on retirement. What has been your favorite Ric Flair moment?
Maria – WWE fans will remember that I made out with Ric Flair once. And he proceeded to take a bump on to his face, afterwards. You know, I made out with Ric Flair. A legend among legends, he is incredible. I’ve done amazing interviews with him. That man right there, they were playing an homage of all of the different Ric Flair moments. I sat backstage crying. He is amazing. He is a gift to World Wrestling Entertainment and to wrestling, and I will never forget that I did make out with Ric Flair on national television.
Eric – What is your favorite angle or moment that you have been a part of thus far in your WWE career?
Maria – I watched paint dry one week which was rather interesting. That same night I also had a match with Jeff Hardy, and coming out and being able to do Jeff Hardy’s dance, I might have looked like I was doing the chicken dance but I gave my all into that chicken dance! It was amazing, that was great. I team up with (John) Cena once. He’s another great kisser. That was so much fun. You know, as disappointing as it was when I revealed my Playboy cover and Santino’s face was all over my cover, it was also extremely entertaining, and it was also so nice to stand up for myself, that was another great moment. The very first time that I did anything physical was with Trish Stratus and she knocked one of my fillings out. I never told her and I never told anybody, but I had to get my tooth fixed. She slapped me so hard that she knocked a filling out and I will never forget that. It was amazing. She was incredible to work with. I had a few matches with Lita who was always somebody that I had looked up to and I’ll never forget any of those. Recently beating Beth Phoenix who has never been beaten by anybody, she was undefeated until I beat her a few weeks ago which was an incredible moment for me. There has been so many. I would say that every moment I’ve ever had with WWE has been absolutely incredible and nothing compares to that.
See Maria wrestle a Bra & Panties match on the WWE - New Year's Revolution 2006 DVD
See Maria team with Mickie & Torrie & Michelle & Kelly and take on Beth & Melina & Jillian & Victoria & Laylawrestle on the WWE - Survivor Series 2007 DVD.
Eric Gargiulo writes
about pro wrestling, MMA and more in
his blog, The Camel Clutch. He can be
reached by e-mail at egargiulo@phillyburbs.com.
Eric's "Pro Wrestling Radio" airs on
WBCB 1490 AM every Saturday from 12:05-1PM/EST
and can be heard live online at http://www.wbcb1490.com/
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