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Recently, WWE Superstars Alicia Fox and Natalya sat down with The National to discuss the current state of WWE. During the interview the former Divas champions discussed the re-branding of the women’s division, working in a male-dominated industry and more. Below are the highlights:
What got you interested in sports entertainment and who were your favourite wrestlers growing up?
Alicia Fox: I became interested in sports entertainment after watching a couple of episodes of RAW and was like, ‘you know what? Those girls are real strong and empowered women, I want to be that.’ I felt real confident in my athleticism. I felt why not, I might as well give it a try. It’s a great platform to build from in regards to helping young girls achieve their goals. I definitely wanted to be a part of that. I watched many [wrestling] Superstars but some who really stood out included (former WWE superstars) Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim and Mickie James. Obviously there’s a million others but as a female, I really respected their hard work and I wanted to do the same and follow their footsteps.
Natalya: My favourite wrestlers were obviously, and it’s kind of cliché, my family. I always loved watching my family wrestle. There’s just something about when you’re a little kid and turning on your TV set and seeing your dad or your uncles – I always thought it was such a cool thing seeing them on TV. I had a great sense of pride knowing my family was doing that. I also realize now that probably the reason why I enjoyed watching them was because my dad and uncle were really good. I also enjoyed watching Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat – I loved his ring gear and how he breathed fire. When you’re growing up, you do appreciate more of the showmanship as well.
Alicia: I feel it’s very empowering because it’s not just based on physical attributes but drive and everything else. I feel like men and women are created equal. We have the same drive, we train the same way, we bust our butts the same way. It’s very empowering to be a part of something that is more male-driven even though females are very highly respected.
With the Divas championship rebranded as the Women’s Championship and rising stars from NXT making their way up these days, where do you see women’s wrestling heading in the WWE?
Natalya: Just a year ago, a year and a half ago, the women weren’t featured as much, we weren’t getting as much time on TV. Our focus wasn’t really on wrestling. And now the division is really all about women’s wrestling and there’s talk about getting two titles on RAW and Smackdown. That’s huge. For me, I’m just grateful I didn’t miss the boat completely on this time frame because it’s been a struggle in the last seven to eight years trying to find where I fit in and my place in WWE. My strength and my love is wrestling so being able to have the company embrace that means everything to me.
Alicia: Keep your head up high and keep faith in yourself because there’s a lot of people who walk on the waters of doubt and confusion but they all overcome certain obstacles.
Natalya: It’s great to want to do what we do. The truth is, it is amazing. The job is absolutely amazing. You get to travel the world, meet extrodianrary people and have the time of your life in the ring. But leading up to it – it’s a lot of hard work. Every day is hard. You have to be prepared to travel a lot, travelling 250 days a year. You have to like travelling and be athletic and like being a showman. You have to like performing. You have to have charisma and personality. You cannot pass in this industry if you are not athletic. It’s still a sport; even just running the ropes is hard.
Alicia: For me, it would be waking up and hitting the gym first. Not just because my fitness is my priority but also because it’s just part of my routine and it’s got to to get done and I’m happy to get it done in the morning. This is followed by some food. I like to read a lot. I definitely take time to do that and work on my mind and not just my body.
What’s a typical day like at the gym (what kind of workout do you do)?
Natalya: My coach, Rob Mcintyre, trained Olympians and (fellow WWE wrestlers) John Cena, Nikki Bella, Cesaro, and the list goes on. He has helped streamline my workout through an app he’s designed called Mogy. If I have only half an hour, I’ll go into my app find a workout that he’s designed for me and focus on just a few lifts. I’ll focus on doing a few Olympic lifts that work my whole body. The workout is very important so that I warm-up my body for a match. I’ll go into Rob’s app and I’ll find three lifts I like: I’ll do a clean and jerk combo, I’ll do some Olympic dead lifts and some squats. If I don’t have a lot of time, I won’t lift really heavy, I’ll lift for reps. If I have more time, I lift heavier weights. I have a weightlifting belt I wear. It’s really awesome. The Olympic lift helped me a lot with my in-ring performance. If I only have 30 minutes, Rob recommends low weight and high reps.
What are your five fitness tips for women?
Alicia Fox: Sleep, drinks lots of water, have a clean diet, stretch – it is very important because it helps keep your body intact – and be dedicated. Just stay focused and keep going.
Natalya: Find the balance. There are times where I’m up a few pounds and times I’m down a few pounds. If you want to eat a couple of extra snacks at a wedding, you have to be prepared to burn it off. But you should enjoy your life too. I don’t restrict myself especially when we’re filming Total Divas or I’m on vacation. Sometimes I want to enjoy myself but I know that I have to put in the work at the gym the next day.
Eat healthily. A bad diet will screw up an amazing workout plan. If you’re working out like crazy but eating terribly, you’re not going to get the results you want. What I found really maximized my results was just cleaning up my diet.
Have fun. Do things you enjoy. And when you do things you enjoy, you’ll never feel like you’re really putting in the work. It’s the same as being a women wrestler in the WWE. When you enjoy it, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.
What are your thoughts on their favourite wrestlers? Will you be trying out these new tips? Let us know your views in the comments below!
