Former TNA Knockout Awesome Kong was a guest on the Monday Night Mayhem Radio show this week, which you can listen to by clicking here (MP3). Here are the highlights from the interview, courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson From New Jersey:
Leaving TNA: “The transition has been great. I’ve been taking better care of my body and easing up on the wrestling & my schedule a bit, and I have the opportunity to pick & choose when & where I work, so that has been fabulous. I’m also going back to basics, and going back to Japan this week, and just reinventing & bringing back a more aggressive Kong.”
How TNA Changed During Her Time There: “Well, there were some differences towards the end. They have offered to leave the door open should I want to come back, and that is something I’m also open to. Just right now, I came to this before all the changes happened. People think that because I left right when the changes happened, that I left because of the changes, and that’s not really so. This was gradually coming on, and I my body needed a break, and I just needed to regroup and figure out exactly how I wanted my character to go & the direction I wanted it to go. It’s (TNA) definitely a different product in the little that I have watched. The X-Division isn’t has prominent as it used to be, and that was one of the reasons I came to TNA. When I was Japan, the X-Division DVD’s were like crack on streets. That has changed a bit. So I’d like to see that come back full force. They’re trying new things, and I wish them well, and hopefully the things they are trying works out for them.”
How the Knockouts Division Changed During her Time in TNA: “When I first came to TNA, there was an ambiance that everyone was a team. Backstage, everyone supported one another, we were all together as one, and we worked together as one to grow as a company. Everyone was putting in back-breaking work & putting in their all, because we were depending on one another to make something big happen. I think when things started to get bigger, I guess people got comfortable. I won’t say cocky, but maybe a little comfortable, and the fire wasn’t there anymore. People just got comfortable where they were or discouraged & stagnant.”
Her Role in the TNA Locker Room: “I’ve heard idle reports about the locker room musings. When I was there, things like that didn’t go on. Not to say people didn’t have disagreements, but when I was there/if something came up, I would usually step in & be a mediator for whatever was going on, because we would like to keep a harmonious vibe in the locker room. It’s very important to come to a happy workplace, so when I was there, I did my best to make sure everyone was emotionally safe & physically safe in the ring … These reports that I’m hearing, they may be true, and I’ve heard things have changed since I left. The air there has changed; it’s a different air from when I first arrived that.”
Going to WWE: “Their product is a bit different, and I don’t fit the ‘diva model’ persay. I do believe that if I was there, I would back them a lot of money. They have some of the most creative minds in professional wrestling, and I believe if they choose to pick me up, that everyone would make money all around.”
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