by Gerry Strauss
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Clotheslineans unite, for I am Gerry Strauss, and I am finally back with a new edition of "Seven Deadly Questions". The world is crazy, people... Ludvig Borga finally properly sells a shot 10 years too late, wrestling promotions in NJ are closing up show faster than Bradlees department stores...heck, I had a dream this weekend that I was in a ring getting berated by Mike Tenay in Rahway, NJ... (oh wait, that actually happened, but CSWF results are elsewhere on this site). My point is this: Change is constant, but occasional interview segments are forever, and so the beat goes on. Truth be told, I AM waiting on a good amount of interviews to be returned to me, so hopefully we will have more to come very soon. For now, check out this interview with Allison Danger, an extremely talented valet/wrestler who is right in the thick of things in the wrestling world based not only on her skills and looks, but also her company affiliations and even her family. Check it out, and drop me a line at gerrystrauss@aol.com, and hey, if anyone knows a good cheap webmaster, send 'em my way...
In stark contrast to the days of the non-physical beauty at ringside,
or the mannish thuggettes who smack each other around in the ring, many
women in today's wrestling world can wrestle AND look good. Eye candy
is being phased out and being replaced by eye candy that can WORK. Do
you feel that you excel in both categories? Do you feel like the times
you are strictly booked as a valet will hurt your development as a wrestler?
I wouldn't say that I excel in either category, as there is always room
for personal improvement. There are times when being a manager or valet
is the only spot for me on a card and I am happy to at least have that
spot. Getting to manage first helps more than hurts as it gives the fans
a chance to be introduced to me and I to them. What will hurt my development
as a wrestler is not training and not learning to improve myself inside
the ring.
Until the emergence of "The Group" in Ring Of Honor not long ago, I cannot recall much, if any, public acknowledgement from either party that you are, in fact, the sister of Steve Corino. Was that a conscious decision on his part, or yours, or both? What are the reasons this info was held back?
We both felt when I came in that the best way for me to go was to use a different name and start at the bottom. This way everything that came to me I had to work for, just like when Steve got started. It wouldn't have been fair to others or even myself if everything got handed to me because I was his sister. By the time the ROH angle came about, alot of people had already put two and two together about our relationship. It was a great angle and pretty much the best time to expose it. I personally am glad we waited until we did because I have a much better appreciation for this business and what I have been able to do up to this point. I wouldn't have change this experience for the world.
Speaking of Steve Corino, he has recently made the news in an unfortunate fashion, arrested upon returning from a Zero-ONE tour of Japan due to alleged misappropriation of an ex-girlfriends funds. Since cleared of major charges, the fact remains that this must be a tumultuous time for Corino and those close to him, especially family. Recount the situation from your perspective. How involved or "in the know" were you as to what happened that weekend? What are your thoughts on the situation as a whole and how it was handled by all parties, including media and authorities?
All I will say at this point was it was a very difficult for Steve and for our family. He and I are both blessed to have a strong core of friends who were there for us and supported Steve unconditionally. Those individuals are truly an extended part of the Corino family and I will be forever indebted to them. Thankfully, this is all almost completely behind us now. Steve had and will always have my 100% support. I thank all the fans who stood by him and supported him through this.
In the beginning, you were one of the only female members of the Ring Of Honor locker room. As ROH has grown and adjusted to it's audience, many more females such as Alexis Laree, Persephone, Sumai Sakai, Becky Bayless, Trinity, etc. have graced it's ring. Do you feel more pressure to prove your worth to the product as your inherent feminine uniqueness becomes less and less of a factor?
My inherent feminine uniqueness? What is great about ROH is that each and every person there brings something different to the table. Honestly, Alexis Laree is one the best things to happen to females in wrestling and I am stoked that she is a part of ROH. She is opening doors for us there with her in ring talent. Not mention she is a great looking girl. I enjoy working with the other females there also. We learn from each other and help each other out. Lucy Furr's introduction with the Second City Saints was just a killer addition to the roster as well. While I am so happy for her as she goes onto the WWE, I will miss her terribly in our locker room. She made me step up even more at ringside. I love that girl like a true sister. That is what I love about other girls in the locker room. There are those who try to hold back the other females instead of focusing on improving themselves. Each of those girls make me want to be a better worker and for that I thank them.
Philadelphia, the home base of ROH, also serves as home to CZW, 3PW and other promotions, yet we have not seen you work for them, whereas other ROH talent such as Low-Ki, The Hit Squad, Homicide and AJ Styles have worked for all three. Is it lack of interest on your part, lack of available spots for women in their locker rooms, or discouragement from ROH itself?
Actually, if you look back, I did work for 3PW for a short period of time. I enjoyed my time there while it lasted and wish 3PW nothing but success. As for CZW, their focus seems to be primarily on the men in the locker room, very few women have worked there. That is where their product is based and more power to them for that. ROH doesn't discourage me from working anywhere else and have encouraged me to branch out to gain more knowledge and experience. I am very fortunate to be part of such a supportive promotion.
Another promotion that you have consistently been a part of is the Premier Wrestling Federation, out of Pottstown, PA. During it's short existance, the ownership and leadership roles in the PWF have been handled by an ever- changing formula that includes, or included, Steve Corino, Rob Dimension, Bryan Riegal, and maybe more. As of late, rumors have been swirling regarding the latest incarnation of the PWF, as their new affiliation with the more family- friendly Prime Time Wrestling in NJ, and sudden booking changes have spawned speculation that Corino is no longer a part of the promotion at all, just weeks after rumors circulated that he had bought back into the company. Names like Corino, Justin Credible, Red, the SAT's and Masato Tanaka are nowhere to be found on the Mid- July line-ups, replaced by more local, presumably less costly guys like the Patriot, the Holy Rollers, and the Rockin' Rebel. Give us the real deal, as you know it. What is the status of the PWF, and what changes have or will be made as far as talent, television, ownership, organization, and most importantly, the overall product?
All I personally know of at this point, is that Prime Time Wrestling has taken over the PWF territories. I have no idea in what direction that PTW will be going at this point. I am not part of the office and have no inside track on what goes on. Only time will tell what develops for PTW. I wish them the best in all they do.
Have you encountered situations in which you were pushed into conflict
with other workers, male or female, who questioned the legitimacy of your
"spot" on any given show, citing nepotism, sexism, or any other
-isms you can think of? Give us a story or two, or as many as you want.
Not really, I can't think of any particular moment like that. I can't say that things are said behind my back as I am sure they are but for the most part people have treated me pretty fairly. I have been baited for conflict a few times, not by anyone else but the persons who wanted the conflict, but that is just not my style. I don't care for drama. I am here to work, to train and put on the best possible showing I can. In-fighting and drama only serves as distractions. I would rather focus on the positives on this business, as they far outweigh the negatives.
<www.allisondanger.com>
<www.rohwrestling.com>
<www.pwfwrestling.com>
<www.glorywrestling.com>
