"Under the Ring" exclusive interview with The Beautiful People

[Black Widow]

In a first for "Under the Ring," we have our first second-time interview in Velvet Sky of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's The Beautiful People.

This time, Velvet was joined by her tag team partner, TNA Women's Knockouts Champion, Angelina Love.

I had the chance to speak to both (somewhat seperately) at their autograph signing at Collector's Realm in Poughkeepsie.

You didn't just come here for the photo of Angelina and Velvet, did you? There's something out of place in that picture. I'm pretty sure it's me. Either way, thanks to Joe Sinforoso at Collector's Realm for the accomodation, Joseph DeSario for the photo and Ross Forman from TNA Wrestling for the access.

Velvet Sky interview

Phil Strum: The last time you were here, everything was just starting off for you in TNA. What's the experience been like to this point?

Velvet Sky: Obviously, The Beautiful People are the face of the Knockouts division and it didn't take long for us, the fans and the company, to realize that we should have been in the top spot from the second we walked in the door. And look at us now.

PS: What's it been like, being in the top singles program. I guess first it was Awesome Kong and I guess it's going to be a little bit of Victoria too.

VS: I mean, are you really shocked, that we are in the top?

PS: No.

VS: We're not either. When it happened, we were like, oh, you know. We're doing what's rightfully ours to do. It wasn't a shocker to us when they put us in the top spot. We expect it.

PS: Is it difficult, at all, to be creative with everything you do every week? Every week that I watch the show, even this past week — the stuff with [Jeremy] Borash was just cracking me up. Is it hard to stay sharp and stay creative and come up with everything?

VS: No. We have own little things and quirks about us that we say in everyday life and we just incorporate it into our promos. Like idiot hole. Idiot hole's my word I've been saying my entire life. I take a little bit of the real me and I incorporate it into my promo, because that makes it that much more believable and funny to me.

PS: You guys seem like you have a good time playing off of JB (Jeremy Borash).

VS: Oh yeah. JB's, I mean he's just a target. He's got a bull's-eye on him at all times that says, 'Please, mess with me.' He's a good sport about it though.

PS: When Angelina won the Knockouts title, were you guys happy to be sticking together?

VS: Oh yeah, of course. It was our plan all along. We set out a goal and we achieved it.

PS: And now having a third partner (Madison Rayne). What's the adjustment been like with that and dealing with that?

VS: Madison's really come into her own. At first, we were kind of like, 'do we really need a third girl with us?' We were kind of both skeptical about it, but she's really come into her own and she's adjusted and fit in well with us, so we're happy to have her.

PS: Where do you see yourself in the future with this unit?

VS: Still on top. As always. Never gonna stop.

Angelina Love interview

PS: You got hurt pretty bad when you won the title from Awesome Kong. Was it a concussion?

Angelina Love: Yeah. When I caught Taylor Wilde's cross-body, I got her hip in my jaw and it knocked my jaw to the left and crushed it and then she landed on my head as well. I was completely knocked out from that minute until I got backstage. I was pretty much carried by four security guards to the trainer's office. I was completely blacked out. I don't even remember winning.

PS: You were back in the ring just a couple of days later. I was at the show in Newburgh when you guys had a tag match.

AL: They went easy on me at TV because they knew how hard I was. But then, yeah, you've got to make a living, so I was doing indie shows about five days later. It probably wasn't too safe, but...(laughs).

PS: How are you doing now?

AL: I'm doing a lot better. I'm doing a lot better. It was really upsetting because I get really worried about head shots and concussions and how much they can affect you in your future. It was very, very upsetting when that happened. I know accidents happen and stuff. My head feels a lot better now. Honestly, it took my jaw about six weeks for me to actually be able to clench my teeth together again and be able to chew hard food and stuff on my left side. But, I'm totally fine now.

PS: How much did you two know of each other before teaming up in TNA?

(Velvet Sky, sitting next to her partner, gives the universal sign for "ZERO!")

PS: Really?

AL: We did one indie show together, in like 2004. 2003? And then when I was in WWE developmental, she came down for a week and stayed with Krissy Vaine and had like a five-day tryout. I don't know. We knew each other a very, very little bit when we first started in TNA, but we're so similar personality-wise and sarcasm-wise and everything-wise, that as soon as we started hanging out, we became friends.

PS: Whose idea was it to put you guys together?

AL: Ours.

PS: It was your own?

AL: Mmmm hmm...

PS: You guys came in on the same show, right? It was some sort of a battle royal?

Velvet Sky: Bound for Glory. It was the first-ever women's gauntlet. We weren't a team yet.

PS: Moving forward now, what do you see for yourself and your own career?

AL: We definitely are being used a lot. We're getting a lot of TV time. We're getting a lot of promo time. They put the belt on me, which is good for everybody. For everybody in The Beautiful People. We work our butts off. The girls are getting the highest-rated segments on the show still. It's very, very successful.

PS: So, at the end of your WWE developmental career, is this a very good ideal situation for you to be in now?

AL: Of course it is. I was super, super happy when I got signed by WWE. It was a great experience being there. But I was nowhere used to my full potential. I never did TV. I never did pay-per-view. All I did was TV for developmental and I trained all the time. I already knew how to wrestle and I definitely improved on a lot of my skills and stuff, but there was so much more that I was able to do that I just wasn't doing. When I was released, I was really upset, but it opened up...you know as far as, one door closes, a new one opens kind of thing. That's like the story of my life right now. I couldn't be happier doing what I'm doing right now and I'm very, very lucky. Very lucky.

PS: Well, I always enjoy watching you guys every week. It's one of the big highlights of the show for me all the time.

AL: Thank you.



pojoslam

[Vick Diesel]

That was a GREAT interview, and a great read...thanks for postin it!! :yahoo

[DUKE NUKEM]

thanks for this Ryan