Show: Wrestling Epicenter
Guest: Kamille
Date: 11/04/2022
Your Host: James Walsh

She’s a Brick House! And, while she might be mighty-mighty letting it all hang out, she’s also the reigning and defending NWA Women’s World Champion and has been for the past 17 months! But, in just a few days, Kamille puts that title on the line at NWA Hard Times III as she defends against the challengers Chelsea Green and KiLynn King. Can the long-time champion retain once again with the deck stacked against her? She thinks so!

NWA Hard Times III takes place on November 12th. Visit the NWA’s official website for information on how you can see all the action!

Don’t forget to check out www.WrestlingEpicenter.com for more interviews like this!

KAMILLE:

On her emotions leading in to NWA Hard Times 3:

“I’m super excited! Just the fact that we’re going to be in New Orleans and we’ve not really been there before, that is a big thing for us to have a whole new group of fans who haven’t been able to come see us live to come out and see us. Plus, we’re partnering with Wildkat Sports which already has an active fan base. I”m just excited to get some new eyes on our product!”

On defending her Women’s Title in a 3 Way:
“It won’t be the first time I’ve been in this situation. At the Crockett Cup, I had to defend against Kylie ( Rae) and Chelsea Green, again. But, the champion is at a disadvantage because I don’t even have to be pinned to lose my title. I think that is BS for a title match. So, I’ll just have to do what I have to do to be the one doing the pinning and come out on top as champion.”

On holding the title for 17 months possibly lending itself to a title change:
“No, I think holding the title this long only serves to build my confidence as I build my skills. You know, this is wrestling. So, I don’t think that time or the length of time someone’s held the title should mean that they held it long enough or that it is time for someone to give it up. Or, that it is time for somebody else to have a turn. I think that is silly. I think that is a silly thing. I believe in long legacies and I’m creating one.”

On becoming the “Brick House” and looking as only she can look:
“Well, I’ve always played sports but that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to an aesthetically pleasing look. In college, I played Division 1 Softball. That was more of a functional lifting kind of thing. You know what I mean? (laughs) Like, there were girls… As long as you’re hitting home runs, it didn’t really matter if you were 300 pounds! But, it was getting out of sports like that and into pro wrestling, which is a sport in and of itself but it involves more of how you look appearance wise. That is when I started to get into body building. Like I said, I always was into sports. I was always an athlete. But, I wanted to look the part as well. Like, in boxing, you might see someone knock someone out but they don’t look like they should be able to do that. Well, in wrestling, I think it helps if you look the part as well.”

On retiring from pro wrestling before this massive run with the NWA:
“Yes, I was out of wrestling. Like I’ve said, I came from sports and there is a comradery – Yes, everyone is competing for positions but everyone was a team. Then, in wrestling, there is a whole lot of politics and people out for themselves and a whole lot of BS. So, I stepped away from it for a while and I thought I was done.”

On being pulled back into pro wrestling:
“Then, I started to miss it. ANd, I got a call from Dave Lagana who was working under Billy Corgan at the time. He always had an eye out for new talent. Well, he asked me, “Are you really done?” As I said, I was starting to miss it. So, I said, “What do you have for me?” So, he told me and I thought it was a great role for me to both dip my feet back in to the business – It was not wrestling yet. ANd, we had no idea if it was going any further than just NWA 70. We didn’t know if it was going to just be a one night thing. But, we realized there was a cool dynamic with me and Nick Aldis. So, we kept going with it and then, one day, Billy said, “We want to invest in you as a wrestler.” So, I started kind of re-training and getting ready. And now, we’re here!”

On learning from working with former NWA World Champion Nick Aldis:
“It was great to sit and learn under his learning tree. Just to learn everything from him like how to put together matches but also how to carry yourself as a champion as well as the ins and outs of the business aspect of wrestling. I got to learn a ton from Nick and, from working with Nick, I got to meet my husband. So, I’m grateful for that as well! (laughs)”

On if it was a tough decision to climb back in the ring after retiring:
“Well, it wasn’t a hard decision because if I was going to continue to get paid, I was going to ahve to get in there and do it! (laughs) But, it was also getting hard to stand there. Like, for someone who plays sports for years and then becomes just a spectator, they think, “Dang, I wish I could get out there and do it!” So, I was actually excited when he (Billy Corgan) said that. Nothing against managers or valets because I’ve done both but I can tell you that there is a lot more pressure when you’re actually out there wrestling. So, it was time to level up and step up into that role that they wanted me to fill.”

On her silent “She Can Talk When She Wants to” stint with Nick Aldis:
“I enjoyed it for probably the first year. But, after a while, it got to the point where… I can cut promos better than most girls. I can talk better than most girls! I’d read people going, “Oh, they probably have her doing that because she can’t talk.” That was like, ugh! So annoying! (laughs) I couldn’t wait to unveil myself – To peal back these layers. So, when I did start to talk, I’d read that people were so disappointed that I wasn’t like Russian or English. I was like, “Oh my Gosh, I’m so sorry for being Southern!” (laughs) So, then we had people who weren’t sure how to react because I didn’t sound the way they thought I would. But, we’re way beyond that now. We’re so far into me talking and being myself.”

On defeating Serena Deeb to become the NWA Women’s Champion:
“I was nervous. But, not just nervous for the amtch but also for what it meant to become a champion and have championship quality matches. Here I was someone that just came off of retirement and I had maybe 4 matches with the NWA before I became the champion! It was like, am I ready for this opportunity? Luckily, I got to do it with someone like Serena Deeb who is so knowledgeable not only in the ring but in life. I’m so happy that it happened with her. That is something that I will always remember for the rest of my life.”

On the match that rebuilt her confidence:
“My next title defense was against Layla Hirsch. Like I said previously, I wasn’t sure that I was ready to be champion. But, that match… That moment… That was when it was like, “You are ready for this. You can do this!” So, that will always be one of my favorite moments in my career.”

On the vibe of NWA EmPowerrr being better than the Anniversary show:
“I agree with you. The vibe! There was so much more energy in that first night’s show. That has nothing to do with my opponent. It was just the crowd, the energy! And, backstage… I’ll be honest with you, I’m a Toy Boy! I don’t like being surrounded by girls. But, it was just such a great vibe. Everyone was lifting each other up, everyone wanted everyone to have great matches. It was a really special evening for sure!”

On Tyrus saying he wants to see the NWA on traditional TV:
“I agree with him. While I think more people watch YouTube and various streaming services than traditional cable television, there is something more prestigious being on cable television. That is kind of like, “You’ve made it!” But, this is a company that is run by Billy Corgan and Billy only right now. So, in order to do that, I think we would have to be comfortable having a bigger office and delegating more. Right now, we are run like a tight knit family. That is one of the things I love about this company that I work for is that we are so tightly knit. I would think, if we got on television, it would be interesting to see how much that would have to change.”

On Billy Corgan recently talking about possibly working as developmental for AEW or WWE:
“The landscape of wrestling right now lends itself to companies working together like that. I kind of like having a set roster and knowing what people do what. But, I am also all for whatever will get more eyes on the NWA and grow the brand. So, I’m kind of in the middle on that. I can see the pros and cons of both. But, like I said earlier, I’m just here to do my job! (laughs)”

On who we should bet on in the NWA Women’s Title Match at Hard Times 3:
“And Still NWA Women’s Champion… The Brick House Kamille!”

On who will leave the NWA World Champion at Hard Times 3:
“That is a tough one. I know Matt Cardona really wants to win it back because he never really lost it. But, Tyrus has the advantage because it is his home town and he’s got a lot of people there behind him. But, Trevor is the champion and he has the champion’s advantage and he knows what it takes. But, I’m going to go with Tyrus just because he is in his home town.”