Source: The Baltimore Sun
Earlier today, Kevin Eck of The Baltimore Sun posted an interview that he conducted with Chyna. Some of the interview highlights include Chyna reporting that she hasn’t actually spoke to the folks at TNA Wrestling since her recent pay-per-view appearance and that a contract was never on the line with them. She also said that she doesn’t really think that she’ll ever get back into professional wrestling.
The portions of the interview that deal specifically with TNA Wrestling and Chyna’s recent appearance are below. However, I encourage you to read the entire interview – which contains comments about her recent decision to begin a professional pornography career – by clicking here. Enjoy!
I read a quote from you recently in which you said that doing this movie potentially cost you a contract with TNA. Can you elaborate on that?
Well, I haven’t actually really spoken with them since I did a television spot and the pay-per-view, but it was never a contract on the line. They asked me to participate in the angle of what they were doing and I thought it would be fun. I went and I talked with them, and it was wonderful to see some old friends. I was elated, and so I did it. We hadn’t really talked about a deal. I just didn’t think that was something that I really wanted to get back into full force. They’d have to make me a deal that I simply couldn’t say no to, because I fought [to own the name Chyna] for years. I spent a lot of time and a lot of money to take control of myself – which is another reason why this movie is special to me. I own me, and nobody tries to take my name. I like my freedom. For somebody to take that from me after all these years, it would have to be something so incredible – which I feel that I’m worth – and that didn’t seem to be the case with TNA. But – and I don’t know where they’re coming from because I haven’t spoken to them directly – to me, [the movie] is material on a silver platter. There’s tons of stuff you could do with this for story line or exposure or whatever. My curriculum vitae is well-rounded [laughs]. It’s never stopped me from anything else and if it does, too bad. Life is short and I’m going to live it.
You mentioned that you saw some old friends when you did the angle in TNA, but I’m sure there were a lot of people there who had never met you before. How were you treated backstage?
Wonderfully. They have a fantastic atmosphere. I really enjoyed it. I had butterflies in my tummy just seeing everybody. It had been a long time. I had a smile from ear to ear the whole time. I really didn’t know any of the girls but they were all really excited that I was there and it was nice.
The crowd in Orlando at the pay-per-view was really hot for you. Did it surprise you to get that kind of reaction? Were you worried that perhaps people wouldn’t remember you?
Oh God no, I wasn’t worried about that, because don’t forget that I was part of the business when we were doing 500 chairs in a high school arena and then it became this billion dollar business. I was on Wall Street when they rang the bell, you know? Before that I think it was like, if you’re a wrestler, you’re a wrestler – period. And then the business grew, and I definitely started branching out because I want to do everything I can. I think when you have that opportunity you seize it. So wrestling fans at first when people started doing that were like, “Oh, you’re bigger than the business” or “you think you’re Hollywood.” Once everybody started doing other things like TV and movies, and I did Playboy and wrote a book, it was great and the fans were really supportive. And now it’s obviously a lot more common that people are in and out of the business, and the fans are always there no matter what you do. If you’re not in wrestling anymore and you’re doing something else, they’re going to support you. It’s amazing to know that those fans are still always there.
