Former WWE Superstar Victoria recently sat down with ‘From the Vault’ to reflect on her second Women’s Championship victory in February 2004. Victoria recalled being in tears after the match and reflected on what winning any championship in wrestling means.

“Every time you win the championship, you are getting a pat on the back and there’s a lot of pressure on you, but they know you can do it. It was truly amazing.”

Though Victoria walked into the match alone in 2004, she often worked with Stevie Richards during her WWE tenure. Victoria shared that Richards was often ready to help her, both on and off-screen.

“Stevie and I, amazing. He always gave me a pep talk in the backstage cuz I always self doubt. I’m just really hard on myself, and he always just looked me in the face. ‘You got this, you got this, you got this.'”

Victoria’s second reign with the gold, her first as a babyface, would see her defend at WrestleMania 20. Not only did she retain the gold at WWE’s biggest annual event, inside the iconic Madison Square Garden, but as a result of losing, Molly Holly had her head shaved.

Victoria recently joined WWE under a Legends Deal, leaving fans excited at seeing more from the veteran. Whatever comes, Victoria will never forget the profound effect that becoming WWE Women’s Champion had on her.

WWE legend Victoria, a key woman in the Ruthless Aggression Era, has officially reconnected with the company by signing a Legends deal. This week, the former WWE Women’s Champion shared her excitement over the deal during live signing on Whatnot.

“I was so excited about getting the Nostalgic Legends contract… That [WWE] is my home, and I’m just very proud to be a part of the company still.”

A WWE Legends deal allows for WWE to produce new merchandise for those who sign, as well as use them in video games. During the stream, Victoria shared that “I’ll be in the WWE games,” introducing a new generation of fans to the veteran. Her last appearance in a WWE game was in Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, released in 2008.

Though there are obvious perks to her role as a WWE Legends deal signee, Victoria doesn’t want to take advantage of her new role. When asked, Victoria made clear she doesn’t expect any freebies, even with WWE coming to her home town on San Diego for SmackDown on January 17.

“I don’t ask for free tickets. I think someone said, ‘Do you get free tickets for WrestleMania?’ I go, ‘Absolutely not. Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t even ask. I’d be embarrassed.’”

Victoria last competed for WWE in the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble match, which was ultimately won by Bianca Belair. With this new deal to her name, fans shouldn’t count a return from the legendary wrestler, which could spell disaster for WWE’s current women’s roster.

OVW’s Class of 2002

Victoria (Lisa Maria Varon) was part of the legendary Ohio Valley Wrestling Class of 2002, widely considered to be the most successful WWE developmental class in history.

This iconic group of raw potential went on to become some of the biggest stars in professional wrestling, dominating the industry for generations to come.

The core members of the class included a few names you’ve probably heard of: John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista (Dave Bautista), Brock Lesnar, Shelton Benjamin and Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon).

During her WWE tenure, Lisa Marie Varon made a name for herself as Victoria, becoming a two-time Women’s Champion and feuding with the top women of her time. Now, fans can expect to see much more of the mistress of the Widow’s Peak finisher, thanks to a brand new contract.

Fighting back her emotions, Varon shared via video that she has signed a WWE Nostalgic Contract, better known to fans as a Legends deal. Varon shared her love and excitement for the future, stating that she’s “so freakin’ ecstatic over what’s to come. Varon also shared her big news to fans in attendance at the OVW event she was appearing at.

Outside WWE, Varon is known for her time as Tara in TNA Wrestling. With the promotion, Tara held the Knockouts World Championship on five occasions and is also a former Knockouts World Tag Team Champion.

WWE Nostalgic Contract Explained

A WWE Nostalgic Contract sees the promotion pay a name from the past to cover royalties for merchandise including action figures and potential WWE video game appearances. Typically, those on these contracts will make occasional appearances on WWE programming.

Varon is joining some huge names signed to Nostalgic Contracts, including The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, and JBL (though said deal didn’t stop him from appearing at TNA Emergence.) Varon’s news comes days after Jesse Ventura shared that he’s signed a Nostalgic Contract with WWE, so fans can expect to see more of both legends in the years to come.

In 2002, Lisa Marie Varon appeared on WWE TV as Victoria, the bitter ex-friend of then-Women’s Champion Trish Stratus. 

As Victoria, Varon would become a two-time Women’s Champion, holding the title in both 2002 and later from 2003-2004. 

In 2009, Victoria left WWE, but could be on her way back to the promotion soon.

A Return to the Ring.

Since Victoria left WWE in 2009, a lot has changed in regards to the company’s treatment of female talent. 

At the 2021 Royal Rumble, Victoria had her first WWE match in almost 12 years, entering the Women’s Rumble match at #10 and was the fifth woman eliminated. 

While speaking with Alyx’s World, Varon said she will not rule out a return to the company under the right circumstances (via Wrestling Inc.)

“There’s a lot to consider, like how much time do I have to get ready, because that would be make or break for me. ‘We want you to come back in a week.’ The fans are going to crap on me. I can’t get ready in a week for a match. Not with the caliber of girls they have now. I would need some time to prepare. But you never say never, right?”

“Never say never, right?”

Lisa Marie Varon on a possible WWE return.

“The r-word is bad, retiring, because you never know. It’s almost like ‘I better not say this, because I know it’s going to bite me in the butt.'”

There have been no reports as to if WWE has an interest in bringing Victoria back.

Varon After WWE

After leaving WWE in 2009, Varon joined TNA Wrestling in May that year working under the name Tara (short for Tarantula, a nod to her WWE days as a ‘Black Widow.’

That July, Tara won the TNA Knockouts Championship, a title she’d hold on five occasions.

Former two times women’s champion Victoria recently appeared on The Bump in celebration of Women’s History Month where she talked about things such as her return to the company during Royal Rumble and more.

The female star had memorable feuds with Molly Holly during her time with the company and on the episode; she talked about her arch-rival going into the WWE Hall Of Fame this year.

During the talk, Victoria revealed that it was actually Holly who gave her the Widow’s Peak finishing move after she saw it at an indie wrestling show:

“I love Molly Holly, you know, I’m so proud of her. She’s the one that gave me my finishing move, the Widow’s Peak.

She saw it at an indie show and said, ‘Victoria, I have a finisher for you.’ That move made Victoria. She is just a giving person, and she’s one of those girls that’s too nice for the business. She’s not selfish; she is super giving. And I love her.”

• Victoria Explains Reason For Leaving WWE

The former champion also talked about her hair vs. title match with the future Hall Of Famer during WrestleMania 20 and confirmed that Molly Holly chose the former Impact star to be her opponent for the bout.

Apart from this, Victoria talked about things such as her WrestleMania 19 match against Trish Stratus and Jazz, her cage match with Lita and more.

Former WWE star Victoria had a lengthy run with the company but she left the promotion in what many consider to be the female star’s prime.

The former WWE women’s champion recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet where she talked about her wrestling career in detail among other things.

During the interview, Victoria was asked about her decision to leave the company and whether she was released by the officials or if she left by herself. Replying to it, she explained that it was her own decision:

“No, I had two years left on my contract when I asked for my out; I talked to Vince, Johnny Ace, and Stephanie McMahon. I asked them, ‘Do you see the title in my future?’ Their face gave it away.

If I would have known if I would have been an enhancement talent,” said Victoria “like Fit Finlay – all the new guys would go through him because he’ll teach them the ropes in the ring – I would have stayed if I had been told that.”

• Victoria Reveals She Is Interested In Joining AEW As A Trainer

The former Knockouts champion also explained how her TNA run started revealing that she did not have a 30 days non compete clause in her contract. She was contacted by the TNA officials for a run shortly after her WWE release and she signed a one year contract with the company.

Victoria joined WWE in 2000 and had a 9 year run with the company ending in early 2009. The female star joined TNA a few months after leaving the promotion and had a 4 year run with the company now known as Impact Wrestling.

Former WWE Superstar Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) has expressed her interest in becoming a part of All Elite Wrestling’s training team.

During an interview with the Wrestling Inc. Daily Podcast, Victoria discussed how she was “open” to the idea of becoming All Elite.

“I’ve always wanted to be a trainer for the new kids, being an agent or something like that,” Victoria said. “I have a lot to give back I think. I learned a lot like going through a lot of mistakes in the business, what not to do on TV, that kind of stuff, and I think I have a lot of knowledge to share.”

Despite her open interest, however, there was one caveat she brought up as a subject of discussion: travel. Victoria admitted she isn’t sure she can do “four days a week again and have a normal home life.”

“That’s a tough part. You’re sacrificing a lot to go back, so of course, it’d have to be financially viable and something I would enjoy, and I would have to see how the locker room is and see if I get along with everybody. I don’t want to go to a miserable atmosphere. I still want to be in a positive atmosphere.”

Victoria retired from in-ring competition last year. When asked about a potential return, she teased how “you never know.” She admitted she’s not in talks with any promotions about a return before acknowledging that if she were to come back, it would have to be a “good scenario,” not just an empty cameo appearance.

Lisa Marie Varon, better known to WWE fans by her ring name in the company, Victoria, recently had an interview with Lilian Garcia on her Chasing Glory podcast where she talked about her time in WWE and more in detail.

The former Women’s Champion stayed in the company for almost a decade and she had a successful career in the promotion, though she still had a couple of years left in her contract when she asked for her release from the company.

Talking about the reason why she decided to leave the promotion, the former Champion recalled how fans had stopped believing in her character because she was always losing and said that she wanted to leave still happy and loving what she did:

“I still loved the business and I didn’t want to be the bitter vet who starts crapping on the company. I wanted to leave still happy and loving what I did.”

Victoria then explained how she talked to WWE higher-ups after making the decision. Vince McMahon asked her if there was anything they can do and the former WWE star asked for one final match against Michelle McCool.

Victoria began her professional wrestling training in June 2000 and was signed by WWE shortly after. She stayed with the company for almost a decade and won the Women’s Championship twice before leaving the promotion in January 2009.

She joined TNA after leaving the company where she had a 4 years long run. She also made appearances for ROH after leaving the promotion now known as Impact Wrestling. Varon announced her retirement from pro wrestling earlier this year.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

Former WWE Star Victoria, real name Lisa Marie Varon announced her retirement from the world of pro wrestling late last month through an Instagram post.

During a recent interview with Ring The Belle, the former Women’s Champion talked about her WWE career in detail and also revealed the reason for her decision of retirement.

Lisa recalled taking a suicide dive during one of her recent matches and explained that it made her reconsider her health, leading to the decision of her retirement:

 “I took a suicide dive, which I’ve never taken a suicide dive in my career. I shouldn’t have done it, but my ego man. The next day when I landed at home, I looked at my boyfriend I said, ‘I can’t do this.’ This is my last year.”

Varon went on to claim that she wanted to go out while she is still good in the ring and she wanted to stay healthy even after she got older.

Victoria made her WWE debut back in 2000 but after spending some time in the main roster, she was sent back to WWE’s then development territory Memphis Championship Wrestling.

She returned after a two-year hiatus in 2002 and went on to have a 9 years run with the company before her departure in 2009. Since then, she has wrestled for a number of well-known promotions including TNA and Ring Of Honor.

You can check out her full interview in the video below:

Former WWE Superstar Victoria has officially announced her retirement.

Victoria, whose real name is Lisa Marie Varon, made the announcement via her Instagram account. She wrestled her last match this past weekend in a bout against Melina for Masters of the Ring Entertainment.

She thanked the promotion for putting her in their main event for her final match, adding that it’s an honor to have left the ring that night as the Women’s Masters of the Ring Entertainment Champion. Varon also thanked Melina, Terri Runnels and Trish Stratus for sharing the moment with her. She asked that fans don’t feel sad for her, but instead for them to be happy as she has had an awesome 20 year run in the industry.

“As @therealkurtangle said, “Oh It’s True. It’s damn True” Thank you @mastersofringentertainment for main eventing my final match this past Saturday. It’s such an honor leaving the ring as the Women’s Masters of the Ring Entertainment Champion. Thank you @realmelina , @theterrirunnels and @trishstratuscom for sharing this moment with me. Don’t be sad for me… be happy for me. I had an awesome 20 year run. I love you all so very much. I’m appreciative of your support and loyalty.”

Varon also wrestled in Impact Wrestling under the ring name Tara. She retires as a two-time WWE Women’s Champion and five-time Knockouts Champion.

Lisa Marie Varon, better known as Victoria to WWE fans, recently spoke to Kevin Kellam of WrestleZone.com. During the interview she was asked about possibly being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Varon said that she gets that question all the time and all she really needs is to hear from fans that she did good and that she deserves the honor of getting inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“I get that question all the time. When I hear it from the fans that I deserve it, that means I did my job. They were entertained by me and they appreciated my work, my ethic in the business and they’ve appreciated what I’ve done. That makes me feel good when I hear it from fans, and that’s all I really need.”

Varon also explained that ultimately it only depends on WWE – not on her or fans’ support.

“It’s not my decision to be inducted into the Hall of Fame; we don’t call and say, ‘hey, it’s my turn.’ It’s not something we do. Or it’s ‘well, why don’t you go back?’ You don’t understand—we don’t pick up the phone and say we want to come back, you have to be invited.”

Varon said that it would be amazing if she gets inducted in the future, but for now support from fans is enough for her.

“When that next time comes, it will be amazing, but when I hear it from the fans it’s enough right now. Getting a shout-out from Torrie Wilson—it’s nice, but it’s a hard question to answer because it sounds pompous to say ‘yeah, I deserve to be there’. At the same time, will it happen? I don’t know. It’s not my decision.”

Varon was encouraged to become a professional wrestler by then WWF star Chyna, who she met through a chance meeting. She trained for three years in WWF’s developmnental territories and then made her debut in June 2002. She got a push as soon as she stepped in as she would go on to become the WWE Women’s Champion in just four months of her debut. She won the title from Trish Stratus in a Women’s Championship Hardcore Match at Survivor Series 2002.

She was a part of many Hardcore Matches and Street Fights, and even won a Divas Steel Cage Match against Lita in 2003. She would go on to win the Women’s Championship a second time in February 2004.

She subsequently left WWE in 2009 and debuted in TNA as Tara, where she would go on to become five-time TNA Knockouts Champion.

While it’s no question that she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, we wonder when the time will come.

It looks like one former WWE Women’s Champion is retiring this year. Two-time WWE Women’s Champion Victoria took to Instagram to announce that 2019 will be her last year competing in the professional wrestling industry. Here’s what the 47-year-old had to say on Instagram:

“Hey Gang!!! Year 2019 will be my last year wrestling in the Squared Circle. An exciting new adventure is to come. So if you are interested in booking me to wrestle in your promotion, please email BookLisaNow@gmail.com”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTv3G7gacv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading

Victoria made her professional wrestling debut in 2000 after being encouraged by Chyna to get into the industry. She was signed to WWE in the summer of that year. During her time with WWE, Victoria (real name Lisa Marie Varon) won two WWE Women’s Titles. Her run with the company lasted nine years before she initially retired. In 2009 Victoria signed with IMPACT Wrestling.

Over the years she has worked for other promotions such as Ring Of Honor (ROH) and all around the independent circuit. Her run with IMPACT resulted in five Women’s Knockout Championship runs. Victoria also won the Knockouts Tag Team Titles with Brooke Tessmacher. In 2004, Pro Wrestling Illustrated named Victoria their Woman of The Year.

Now, she’ll have one final run in 2019 before hanging up her boots for good.

What do you think about Victoria calling it a career in 2019?

Earlier this morning ESPN broke the news that former WWE Women’s Champion Ivory would be inducted into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame class prior to WrestleMania 34. If you saw the announcement initially from ESPN on Twitter, you may have noticed an awkward error the company made. ESPN accidentally tagged former WWE Superstar Victoria in the post instead of Ivory.

The Tweet was deleted, but not before WrestleVotes could nab a screenshot of it:

ESPN screwed up its Hall of Fame announcement, which they have probably had the information for weeks now. Tagged @REALLiSAMARiE (Victoria), who is not getting inducted. pic.twitter.com/nI1jQofPWn

— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) February 12, 2018

Although Victoria, a former two-time Women’s Champion, is not part of the Hall Of Fame yet, she certainly deserves to be inducted one day. There are now rumors as of this writing of that happening this year.

– Perhaps the most notable omission from the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble Match was that of two-time WWE Women’s Champion Victoria, who unlike many of the former female stars brought back, remains active on the independent wrestling scene. She was also not at Raw 25, which featured a segment honoring the company’s top female performers over the years. Former WWE Women’s Champion Gail Kim called out WWE on not inviting Victoria and Lita to the show (Lita did, however, work the Women’s Royal Rumble Match).

Heard @AmyDumas and @REALLiSAMARiE weren’t included in the @wwe raw25 …. that’s f’ed up in my opinion. Two great females who made an impact for the company. Let’s hope there’s a legitimate reason!

— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) January 23, 2018

As today is Victoria’s 47th birthday, WWE is now celebrating her career. The company posted these messages on social media wishing her a happy birthday.

https://instagram.com/p/BfBbCvuga3A/?utm_source=ig_embed

SHE AIN'T THE LADY TO MESS WITH! Happy birthday to former #WomensChampion, @REALLiSAMARiE! #HappyBirthdayVictoria pic.twitter.com/P3JFMhmOZ7

— WWE (@WWE) February 10, 2018

The official WWE website also posted this photo gallery looking back at her career.

– In Maria Kanellis’ latest pregnancy vlog on WWE’s YouTube channel, Maria and Mike get a closer look at their baby girl when they go for a 3D ultrasound.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVtBN76yvKo&w=560&h=315]

– This Tuesday on WWE Mixed Match Challenge, Bayley and Elias will face Rusev and Lana. In this video, Bayley and Elias say they’re competing for Americares, a group working to help those affected by poverty or disaster.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUH8zaytU9o&w=560&h=315]

• Is Mandy Rose dating a WWE NXT star?

– WWE officials told F4WOnline.com this afternoon that Braun Strowman is scheduled for tonight’s Raw in Miami, Florida.

After working two live events where he brawled with Kane, Strowman returned home on Thursday due to a bad case of the flu. This caused him to miss the final three live events of 2017.

– In a post on Instagram, The Miz reflects on his professional and personal achievements in 2017 and reveals his goals for 2018.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdYb3IwHjDx/

– The second season of the soap opera series Tainted Dreams, starring former Impact Wrestling star Jessie Godderz, premiered on Amazon and Amazon Prime this past week. According to F4WOnline.com, former WWE talent Lisa Marie Varon (aka Victoria) appears in the series as a parole officer for the character Godderz plays. This reunites the two as they played a couple in TNA in 2012 and 2013.

• Nia Jax explains why she doesn’t date

– For the first time ever, matches featuring women headlined RAW, SmackDown and NXT this week. Monday’s RAW saw Sasha Banks win a Gauntlet Match in the main event, Tuesday’s SmackDown saw Carmella win a Money In the Bank Ladder Match in the main event and tonight’s WWE NXT will see Asuka defend the NXT Women’s Title against Nikki Cross in a Last Woman Standing Match.

– SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi tweeted the following to the participants of Tuesday’s Money In the Bank ladder match. After capturing the MITB briefcase, Carmella now has one year to cash in her title shot for a shot at the title.

Hell of a match ladies ? #WWESanDiego #LadderMatch @BeckyLynchWWE @NatbyNature @MsCharlotteWWE @TaminaSnuka…@CarmellaWWE I got my ?on you

— Trinity (@TheTrinity_Fatu) June 28, 2017

– Several former WWE “Divas” were backstage at Monday’s RAW from Los Angeles, including Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle, Christy Hemme, Lilian Garcia and Sharmell (Photos). Former WWE performer Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) was at Tuesday’s SmackDown and tried getting backstage but was denied. She wrote on Facebook:

– Above is the official preview for next week’s Stone Cold Podcast, with Brock Lesnar joining him backstage Monday night. This will air on the WWE Network following Raw.

– Before Raw in Rosemont, Illinois on Monday, Jack Swagger beat Adam Rose, and Stardust beat Fandango in matches for Superstars.

Former WWE Women’s champion Victoria was sitting ringside for most of the show.

– Below is this week’s “Top 10 Moments” video for Monday’s RAW Reunion show.

– Former WWE Diva Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) is the guest on the latest edition of Jim Ross’ “Ross Report” podcast. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

TRR – Ep49 – Lisa Marie Varon aka Victoria

“Former WWE diva Victoria aka Lisa Marie Varon joins JR to talk about Chynna, her intro to pro-wrestling, learning the craft in Memphis, Survivor Series 2002, Wrestlemania 20, and being in the first Divas cage match on RAW. She also recounts her days at TNA, her troubled relationship with Dixie Carter, and shares her opinion on up & coming WWE stars Paige, AJ Lee, and Ric Flair’s daughter, Charlotte! Plus, hear about her Chicago restaurant “The Squared Circle,” and why she still considers herself “high maintenence” to this day!”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

• PHOTOS: Triple H BREAKS CHARACTER During RAW Reunion To Console A Crying Young Fan!

– As noted, the first edition of Taz’s new weekly podcast premiered this week, with special guest, WWE Hall Of Famer Edge.

Taz’s next three weeks worth of guests are Rob Van Dam (week two), Matt Hardy (week three) and MVP (week four). The show is available via Radio.com and iTunes.

– The next guest on WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross’ weekly “Ross Report” podcast, which drops next Tuesday night at 9pm EST., will be masked wrestling legend Len “The Grappler” Denton, who will be appearing to promote his new book, “Grappler: The Diary of a Masked Madman.”

After Denton, JR will interview former WWE Diva Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) on January 20th, WWE Hall Of Famer Terry Funk on January 27th and Ring Of Honor star Adam Cole on February 3rd. All of those shows will be available at the official home of the Ross Report show, which is located online at PodcastOne.com, as well as iTunes.

VIDEO: Jim Ross Reveals How WWE Views CM Punk Fighting In UFC + Predicts Punk’s Chances Of Succeeding …

PHOTOS: CM Punk & AJ Lee In Their Private Time, Hanging w/ Celebrities, Partying & MORE! [View Here >>]

• SHOCKING NEWS: WWE Planning On Turning DANIEL BRYAN Into A GAY Character?! (No Lie) — READ HERE!

– The latest edition of Adam Rose’s “Rose Garden” feature on the official WWE website features Rose giving The Bunny a surprise, which is The Bunny’s official WWE.com profile. The Bunny is now listed and considered to be an official WWE Superstar. Rose and The Bunny then did a photo shoot for his profile. You can check out the latest “Rose Garden” feature at WWE.com.

– The Chicago Tribune has a new article up on their official website regarding The Squared Circle restaurant, an establishment owned by former WWE Diva Lisa Marie Varon (aka Victoria). The article notes that the restaurant is coming out with a new burger named after Paul Heyman. You can read more about this story at ChicagoTribune.com.

It’s being said that the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage is closer to going into the WWE Hall Of Fame right now than ever before. The company is working on a new DVD/Blu-ray project for the deceased WWE legend, complete with a full documentary that is expected to have participation from Savage’s brother, former WWE Superstar “The Genius” (aka “Leapin'” Lanny Poffo).

As things stand right now, the guys rumored to be part of next year’s WWE Hall Of Fame class the most are Savage, The Rock, Kevin Nash, Rikishi and either Victoria or Mickie James in what has become an annual-Diva addition.

– On Jim Cramer’s CNBC show this weekend, a caller asked about WWE stock. Cramer told the man to steer clear of it because there is too much uncertainty with WWE Network subscribers.

– Former WWE Superstar Tommy Dreamer and former WWE Diva Lisa Marie Varon (aka Victoria) were surprise guests at the Jim Ross “RINGSIDE” one-man show at the House Of Blues in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday. You can check out a photo of the three on stage below.

The following are highlights of a new WNS Podcast interview with former WWE Diva and TNA Knockout Victoria (aka Tara, aka Lisa Marie Varon):

Thoughts on making appearances at conventions: “It’s a lot of fun. Absolutely. That’s basically what I do. I have a restaurant here in Chicago and I’m here every single night. So, it’s basically a fanfest every night anyway. I’m taking pictures, signing autographs and talking about what I love. Watching what I love and making new friends in my city. So, I’m super blessed at this point in my life right now. All those bumps and bruises in the past are really paying off. I really love doing these autograph sessions. I go way over and beyond. I don’t want anybody to have bad experience. I like every fan or follower to have a unique experience meeting me. I absolutely love them. It’s also a reunion for me to see some old friends at these conventions. You try to make it a little bit of a vacation just to like have dinner with old buddies and catch up and find out what they’re doing in their life.”

On opening her own restaurant in Chicago: “It’s going well. This is our third restaurant. We had two more and we had a custom car shop and when we first got married we had a gym so we’re not foreign to owning our own businesses. My husband’s very stubborn and cannot work for anybody else and he’s been a chef since he was about 15 or 16. He’s always been with food. It’s awesome. Our menu, if you go to thesquaredcircle.biz, and look at our menu it’s very unusual items. I named a few things after wrestlers and we do stuffed burgers and pizza and pizza made with duck fat. We have adult milkshakes. We do very well. We’re both workaholics. I’m the front of the house and he’s the back of the house and it works out very well.”

On the upcoming Sweet And Sour Larry Sweeney Night: “We’ve had Ring Of Honor donating some gifts to auction off and all proceeds go to a suicide prevention organization. So, we’re excited to be a part of it because his friend Karen, actually she’s here because it’s indy night so she lives in Chicago, brought it to us and we jumped on it and we reached out and said we definitely would love to be part of it. It’s pretty sad. In wrestling, you’re supposed to be this tough person with no family problems, you don’t really air out your dirty laundry so you kind of bottle it up a lot andxit’s important for people to know they can reach out and have someone to talk to if they’re under such bad times. I feel very lucky since I’ve got a lot of followers and very social media, I’m able to get the word out moreso then what Karen can do. Everybody should take a part in this. It’s not all about making money it’s giving back to charity and making people aware. We had an event where Jay Lethal and Roderick Strong came in as guest waiters and we gave the proceeds to Mick Foley’s charity. It’s a good thing.”

Thoughts on what it was like to be part of an elite roster of female wrestlers such as the WWE had. “It was quite an honour. At the time, we were very confident in our work but we were perfectionists and before every house show and before every TV, we were in the ring for 4hrs working with Fit Finlay, working with Arn Anderson, and Ricky Steamboat in the ring to try and better ourselves. We didn’t have to do it we just did it. We knew our division was growing and growing and getting more difficult and we wanted the viewers to respect us not just as female wrestlers but just as wrestlers period and when I look back, when I watch it here at the restaurant because we have the Network and when I watch some old matches and I remember afterwards, in my mind at the time I’d be like “that was an okay match”. And when I watch it now it’s like “That was a really good match!”. I beat myself up for two weeks after that match. We were such perfectionists. If one thing went wrong or if something didn’t look believable we’d dwell on it for a long, long time.”

Thoughts on intergender matches: “When we were doing those in the past, I was all for it. I mean working with a guy is so much easier than working with a girl because they’re so strong and they put you in moves that you didn’t know you could put yourself into. They really lead the match. They’re very good leaders. Eugene works really good, Nick Dinsmore was really good at making us look good. But now, we have indy night here and I was watching an intergender match where one of the girls got punched in the face by a guy and I went “NO WAY!” in my restaurant and they’re like “What? What happened?” and I go “A guy just get punched her in the face”. So, I think I got a little brainwashed and did a PG-13 and it was a little disturbing to watch. Because, when we first started, if I got punched in the face by a guy, I should move because they’re supposed to be a thousand times stronger than I am. So, it is difficult for me to watch. I don’t mind the mixed matches where it’s girl on girl and guy on guy and then teasing the girl about to hit the guy or the guy about to hit the girl and then getting cut off. But, I don’t want to see a girl get punched in the face by a dude.”

On a possible return to the ring or working as a trainer at the Performance Center. “I have heard that rumour. Everybody that’s been coming in every night goes “I read on the internet that you’re going back”. My phone hasn’t rang so I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have a lot to give, a lot of knowledge to share. I think I can help a lot of the girls. Whenever I watch some of the wrestling I text someone in the office and say “please give her to me for a month and I’ll work with her”. I don’t hear back, I think they think I’m joking but I never said I was retired. I think as a wrestler you don’t say retired because you aren’t always going to show up either back in WWE or the indy circuit so I don’t let myself get out of shape where I’m not ready to go in the ring. I think it’s an ego and a pride thing for me. And you think when you’re out that you can kind of let yourself go. It’s actually the opposite. When you’re “retired” and you go backstage people are checking you out going I wonder if she let herself go. It’s almost a little bit more pressure to stay in the same shape as when you left. God forbid you age or your metabolism slows down and you start enjoying the pizzas and the burgers every single day. I think maybe for a woman it’s a little different. We still have to take care of our face, our physique, ournails. You still have to present yourself as that girl that you left because people will start feeling sorry for you.”

The most important thing she’s learned being in the business. “For me, we were always walking on eggshells and always wondering am I pretty enough, am I skinny enough, did my armdrag look good, did people believe my match, were the fans involved. I think people think when people think you’ve made it to WWE that there’s no more pressure. It’s opposite now, When I go to indy shows, I wish I had the confidence level some of these indy guys have because once you’re brought up there you’re immediately put in a position where you need to be humble. I think what I learned is that you don’t settle for where you’re at. You always try to perfect yourself and strive to be better. Every match we had, we never walked away and said that was awesome. We’ll say “wow, thank you so much that was fun. Maybe we should do this next time”. In my day too, we were a little more snug or stiff. We laid things in a little bit tighter so that it’s more believable. You never settle for where you’re at. Like for me and my business, the restaurant, I’m still striving to make it better. We’re looking to expand now and it’s incredible and life passes you so fast?.”

Thoughts on her match with Trish Stratus at Survivor Series 2002: “It was an adrenaline rush I’ll tell you that. Her and I beat the crap out of each other. You have your best matches with your friends because you have a lot of trust. You put your body in their hands. And, her and I, the rule’s “don’t say sorry”, “thank you for the match right now. I’m sorry if I’m going to hurt you”, “Let’s give the fans a good show”. In that match, the mirror was supposed to be the finish. I was supposed to smash the mirror up on her head and in the match she stepped on it on a move and I didn’t realize it until I went to grab it and I was like “oh my god, oh my god”. And I also broke my nose in that match from that trash can and chipped a tooth. But that wasn’t the part I was upset about. It was the mirror, I was talking to myself and the mirror was talking back to me. But that was me, Crazy Victoria and everybody thought Trish was better and that symbolism of the mirror smashing on her head was ruined and we had to improvise. I grabbed the wrong fire extinguisher. It had the pin it and I took the pin out and sprayed her and ended it with a suplex. I would have rather had it with the mirror. That’s what my disappointment was. When I do watch it, my heart rate races again and I feel like I’m at Madison Square Garden and all my customers here are watching it. Because they all request to watch that match here so I play it once a night and I still get nervous watching it.”

On her Wrestlemania 20 match against Molly Holly: “I was nervous. She wanted to be the first woman to get her head shaved in history and so she was willing to put her hair on the line. I put my title on the line. When I was cutting her hair, I don’t know if you noticed but you’re supposed to cut it with scissors first and the guy that was standing next to us was actually Vince McMahon’s barber in real life. And no one went over how to shave a head and I cut her head several times. I mean I was nicking her skin on her head. And when I went back, I was like “oh my god, we’re going to get into a fistfight I know it. She’s gonna beat my a**” and it wasn’t that way and everybody was pleased with the match. Everybody was proud of us but at the same time I still felt bad because you really don’t want to cut someone open. Because we beat the heck out of each other during the match and now to cut her head it was really brutal and I remember them saying we need her bald by the time we get back and there’s no way. I asked the barber “can you help me?” and he goes “I’m not allowed to”. “But, I can’t do it”. And I’m smiling like I’m enjoying it but inside I’m going I don’t know how tofreakin’ shave her head. She came out here for an appearance at my restaurant to visit and I had it playing and she goes “I’m going to the bathroom I can’t watch this part” when she got her head shaved. But she’s a beautiful bald, she had the face for it.”

On her favourite person to travel with: “Oh my god, there’s so many. There’s Candice Michelle, Torrie Wilson, Chavo Guerrero,Carlito. Gail Kim was one of my favourites. ODB. I mean, you have to ride with people because you’re with them 24/7. You have to drive with them and check into hotels and the girls we share a room so you automatically form a bond. Brooke and I never had to go out. We’d have fun in the room telling stories and stuff like that. So, it was like yea herand I are very tight. Even still to this day. I did notice that people in WWE have a little bitmore stronger bond than I do with people in TNA. I think just because I was with WWE for ten years and we were on the road four days a week. Not just the Orlando show but we weren’t together that much. I immediately had a bond with ODB from TNA she was one of my close friends there. That’s who I’m facing at the Texas show. So I’m excited.”

On comparing the backstage atmosphere in WWE to that of TNA. “It’s completely different. I’m going to be honest with you, there was a lot of freedom at TNA. I remember coming there and asking “Hey what do you want out of this match”. “Oh, you just do what you do”. And I’m like “What?” because I’m not used to that. I was always used to a little bit more structure. There’s nothing like a production like WWE. No one is going to be WWE, ever. Also, there were times I found out I was pay per view through twitter and I called the office saying “Hey am I on pay per view and never got travel and it’s been two days I don’t know what’s going on”. WWE is organized. I’m used to organization and someone handling the PR department. Someone handling a photo shoot. So there is a department for every single thing you do in WWE. And if you’re lost, don’t know what’s going on, they have a department to help you out. But I did have a good career in TNA. I had some good matches. I want to go to TNA to face ODB and Kong so that was one of my dreams and I got to do it. And Mickie James and I had a cage match. I had a good run there. At the end, not so much. I didn’t feel the passion anymore. That’s the difference.”

You can check out the complete interview above.

– The official WWE website has added new sit-down interview with Michael Cole speaking to John Cena. You can check that out at WWE.com.

– Steve Austin’s 100th episode of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast is now available. You can check that out at PodcastOne.com.

– Also new in the podcast world is a new episode of Jim Cornette’s “The Jim Cornette Experience,” with his special guest, Lisa Marie Varon (aka Victoria/Tara). You can check that one out at MLW.com.

– As previously reported, despite being advertised, The Undertaker did not appear at Monday’s RAW, nor was he backstage at the show. According to one source, the decision for Undertaker not to appear on RAW must have been a last-minute change, as there was a version of the script for the show at one point that had a segment featuring a staredown between he and Brock Lesnar.

– Former WWE Diva Lisa Marie Varon (aka Victoria) posted the re-tweeted the following photo of herself backstage at Monday’s WWE RAW at the All State Arena in Chicago, Illinois:

“@Jromer0: Photo of fromer #WWE Diva @REALLiSAMARiE at #RawChicago #WWEChicago #WWERAW @MBoone420 @RyanClarkWZR pic.twitter.com/F5hMhKp8t1”

— Lisa Marie Varon (@REALLiSAMARiE) March 4, 2014