In her first interview since filing a lawsuit against TNA last year, Daffney speaks exclusively to Diva Dirt about the extent of her injuries that caused her to file a lawsuit against the company, how she’s feeling now, her future in wrestling and much more.
In this near two hour emotional interview, Daffney opens up about her injuries and lawsuit, as well as discusses her memories of WCW, including whether she had heat on her for winning the Cruiserweight Title, whether she saw the end of WCW coming, what it was like in the infamous Power Plant and more. Daffney talks about her brief time under a WWE contract and her most recent stint in TNA, including being pigeonholed as the “hardcore” Knockout who takes crazy bumps.
Daffney also talks to us about her return to wrestling in an out-of-the-ring capacity with SHINE Wrestling which debuts on iPPV this Friday. The Scream Queen tells us the backstory behind SHINE, how she got involved, her role on the shows and more.
Listen to the full interview here.
Quotes
On being pigeonholed into doing hardcore spots: “It started off as Abyss asking me to take the tacks in the match and I agreed, then I think it snowballed from there. I almost wish I hadn’t been painted in such a light that I was just hardcore and that I couldn’t deliver a good match in the ring. I feel like there’s so much more to my ring work. I may not be the best technical wrestler in the world, but I felt like I had learned enough of my sport that I could deliver some good matches. I don’t think I was ever taken seriously after that. It was like, ‘She’s the one that’s going to go out there and Taylor [Wilde]’s going to jump from the stage and put her through a table, but we’re not actually going to see a good match’. […] Looking back in hindsight, I almost wish things didn’t go that route and that we had just more straight-up matches. I think that might’ve been good for me in the long run.”
The extent of her injuries: “I don’t think people realize how badly I’ve been hurt. […] I was there the night [in WCW] Goldberg kicked Bret [Hart] in the head and he had that crazy concussion. In the beginning of 2000, we were going to England for a tour and Bret was coming to do the tour with us and he was just going to be speaking. He said to me, we were on the bus talking, he said: ‘I don’t think I’ll ever wrestle again’. I was like, wow. How many years has this man been wrestling? This is his entire life and he had a career-ending injury and he won’t be able to do it anymore. [I thought] no, no, just give him some time. As time went on, he just never came back. I’m not comparing my career with his by any means — he’s an icon and he’s Bret Hart — but as time has gone on, I don’t think I’m going to be able to wrestle anymore. I kind of had to think back on him telling me that, and be wise and stay away from the ring to accept it. It’s really hard. I think if I got in the ring and took any more bumps, I wouldn’t be able to function as a normal human being. It would just be too hard on my body.”
Her lawsuit against TNA: “What you guys have read about the details that just came out not too long ago, all of that is true. People expected it to be resolved very quickly, but just know that we’re doing everything we can to move it along as quickly as possible but it takes two sides. It’s still ongoing.”
Daffney on her WWE release in 2003.
An emotional Daffney: “I don’t think I’m going to be able to wrestle anymore.”
