The following is courtesy of WrestlingEpicenter.com: Check out our latest show with an exclusive interview with TNA Gut Check’s Lei’D Tapa! This young lady, the niece of legendary WWF/WCW performer The Barbarian of the Powers of Pain and Faces of Fear, opens up about her athletic background, her love of our business, and her aspirations for the future. If ou enjoyed her on Impact, you’ll love this interview.
Plus, Chris Yandek returns to pay tribute to his fallen friend, WWE Legend Paul Bearer.
All of this is available for free at WrestlingEpicenter.com. You can download the MP3 or watch the youtube video 100% free of charge. We do ask, though, that you check out our store and help us going so we can continue to do this for you all free of charge!
LEI’D TAPA:
– Lei’D Tapa joins Patrick and James after Chris Yandek is off the line. Yandek had joined us to dedicate the show to the memory of Paul Bearer.
– Lei’D Tapa says getting the chance to be on Impact Wrestling’s TNA Gut Check was like a dream come true. She says when she started only 2 years ago, everyone said it would take several years to get a chance at being on TV. She knows her chance came sooner than expected and does not take it for granted.
– Getting a chance to be on Impact Wrestling made her desire that much stronger to make it all the way to the top. “All I have on my mind right now is going all the way to the top!”
– She feels her unique look does both help and hinder her. She feels that people looking at what she can do in the ring and liking her as a “beast” is a plus but of course the modern age of wrestling calls for a different type of female performer than in years gone by.
– James compares her to Awesome Kong AKA Kharma. Tapa says that is an honor but it isn’t her goal to borrow from her. But, they certainly do share the power game. But, she feesls Kong’s style is much more dominating.
– Tapa’s athletic background is extensive. She played all major sports when growing up but says she specialized in track and football. In fact, she played for the Independent Women’s Football League as a member of the Carolina Queens. She played Middle Linebacker and Tight End. She streeses this is real tackle football, not the Lingerie Bowl.
– For the first time ever, a woman tried out for the NFL at the NFL Combine last week. The NFL described her efforts as a publicity stunt. Tapa says she believes a woman could play in the NFL but that woman would have to be built for it. She thinks it is a great thing for the sport to have a woman try to break into the ranks and would have liked to have seen what she could have done had she not gotten injured when attempting her first place kick.
– Back to wrestling, Barbarian had a good long talk with her, his niece, prior to her entering wrestling. When he knew she was serious, he sent her down to train with Geore South. He told her “Don’t give up!”
– She feels wrestling is a much harder thing for the wrestlers to learn than anyone who hasn’t trained realizes. She says there is so much more to it than just learning how to perform simple moves. She stresses that learning the ropes as she has done has given her an incredible amount of respect for every wrestler who trained this way because it is not easy.
– Backstage at TNA, it was extremely cool for her. As the niece of the Barbarian, she was backstage at the WWF/E and WCW at some of his matches and as a little kid, looked up at guys like Sting like they were giants. Now, she had a chance to work on the same show they were on and says she’s nearly as tall as they are. She says nobody remembered her but she always just kept to herself as a kid and saw them at the food area. James remarks that it is incredible that guys that Barbarian worked with, like Hulk Hogan, Chavo Guerrero, Sting, and so on and so forth, are there for her to work along side with.
– She teared up during the video package because the night prior to her match on TNA, she worked out with the Barbarian. He had a heart to heart with her and says that conversation just touched her and when doing the interview for TNA, she remembered the things he said and it made her well up.
– Team Tapa, her fans, have been incredibly supportive in her time learning the ropes and in helping her with the TNA Gut Check. She is so grateful for everyone helping her – Her husband, wrestler and fan alike, and welcomes everyone to find her on Twitter and Facebook. Just give a search for Lei’D Tapa. She is not hard to find!