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What Attracted Her To Wrestling

You know, it was the same as watching like little kid. I immediately, as a little kid got hooked to just wrestling because it was something different than I’ve never saw before.  My cousin introduced me to it and then as we got older, he introduced me not to just wwe.. He introduced me to ECW. He introduced me to WCW and I was like, Holy hell. Especially watching ECW. I was like, Oh, this is, this is some good shit you know? So, um, excuse me for cursing, but okay, cool. So I was just, I was hooked. I was hooked on everything cause it was just so different. Every promotion brought something different and um, I just got hooked to it and it was just like, I would tell my mom to like for my birthday, like all I want is like blank VCR tapes, so I can just record it and just keep watching it until like the next week comes up and that’s why I just kept doing it. 

And I was, and then I was just watching the women as well, being in the ring and it was just like, Oh, the women are doing it too. So like, this is something that for me, and this is like, I can do this. And that’s just inspired me the most, like, all right, I don’t want to become no doctor, no lawyer, nothing like that. Like, all I want to do is stay in sports and be a professional wrestler. And people thought it was a phase. They were like, this is a phase you’re going to get out of it. And once you graduate from high school is going to like be in the back of your mind. But Nope, once I graduated high school and that was the first thing I wanted to do was look up schools. And that’s what I started doing at the same time. Like, you know, trying to, you know, transfer back and forth, like, so, you know, the college and stuff, but of course college, it didn’t really work in my plans. So, um, I stuck with just staying, uh, trying to become a professional wrestler. 

How Difficult Your Training Was

When I first, um, started training, um, I wasn’t, I didn’t know what to expect because all I’ve been doing is watching this stuff on TV and I was thinking, okay, this is going to be easy until I took my first back bump. And I was like, Oh hell no, this is not easy at all. Like I was, I was in so much pain for like a week just for taking one back bump. And I was like, Oh man, I don’t know. Like, like each time I kept taking it back bump and I just wanted to quit so bad. Like this is not for me. Like, no, I just I’d rather just watch it on TV. But you know, I just kept, I just kept pushing myself. Like, this is what you want to do. Like no pain, no gain. I felt worse playing basketball. I felt worse running track. Like I’ve done sports all my life. So it’s just like, all right, this little, you can get over it. Just hit the chiropractor, go and get a massage. You’re fine. Like, it’s all good. Um, so I just kept doing it. I just kept pushing myself and um, yeah, after a while, you know, training, just start it, you just start getting used to it. And you just started when, once you get used to it, it’s just like it like just, you know, walking in a park.

Who Did you Model Your Style After 

Well, I’ve always loved Triple H. He was my all time favorite wrestler.  I’ve also watched Eddie Guerrero. But I know I couldn’t do half the stuff Eddie does. So I knew that took a lot of practice. Triple H, just more of a 80 style wrestler, like more basic style, with little, little twist to it. So, um, I was able to do the things he’d done. Um, especially like when he was Hunter Hearst Helmsley, he, you just saw his style was like,exactly like William Regal. So,just watching that, like I was like, okay, I knew I can just do the things that he can do, cause he wasn’t a high flyer. He didn’t do too much, like he stuck to his guns and he was like more of a fighter. So that’s what I like to do. I like to fight. Then once I got deep into training and just became more like, all right, I want to learn more.

I started watching a lot of Eddie stuff and I started watching a lot of Rey Mysterio things. And I, what I discovered that I can become aerial just as much as they can. I was excited as hell. Cause I didn’t think that could do it, but I did. And then it was just, okay. Now going back to the ladies, I would, I would watch Chyna. I would watch for Stratus. I will watch jazz. I would watch Jacqueline and Ivory, you know, back in the Attitude era and then going in watching Mickey James and, and, and you know, Victoria and Gail Kim and people like Madison Rayne? Like they were just watching them in the future. It was just like, okay, I can just, copy these styles that these ladies are doing because what they’re doing I can definitely do in the ring. And you know, that’s what inspired me as well. 

Who Is Tasha Steelz?

You know, um, you know, I’m from Newark originally and, uh, you know, from the brick city and, um, I, ain’t going to say it’s, it’s, it’s the, it’s the suburbs out there. It’s not the suburbs it’s definitely, it’s definitely the hood out there and you gotta be tough living out there. Um, but I used to be like a shy, quiet girl, um, back in the days. And I think, uh, mostly my mother brought like that Tasha steals out of me. Cause she was like, you gotta be a little bit more outspoken, like closed mouth, don’t get fed, you gotta speak up. Don’t let nobody overpower you, don’t let nobody step over you. Nothing like that. And as I got older, um, I kinda took those words. My mother said, and I kind of flipped it to like be in this complete. I don’t give a shit what you say and F you and F this, and I’m, I’m bigger than this person.

I’m better than that person. And I’ll fight anybody. I don’t care who they are. Don’t care if they’re seven foot. So like, that’s, that was me going. I literally, when I became in my teens, I literally came this bad ass girl that was just like always getting in trouble in school. And like my mother, she would threaten the hell out of me cause she was like, I’m not leaving work. Not one more time to come pick you up school. And, um, it was just like, then she pulls out the line and you know, it’s just like, from there, you’re like, Oh, all right. I Gotta start paying attention. So, um, yeah, like I have, I didn’t really bring it out until like my teens and this is a hundred percent Tasha Steelz. Like this is not something to where, I was like, all right, what type of character should I be? What type of gimmicks should I have? Like, no, this is a hundred percent me. And this is going to be me to the day I die. I’m probably going to get kicked out of heaven and go right down to hell.

Best Advice Given

I would always any, like to this day I would stick to this number one thing that Rip Rogers was saved and he will always say, get in, get out, don’t get hurt. That would stick to me always because it’s all about, being smarter in the ring, you know? So, um, when, the first time that, uh, I worked in front of a live crowd, I was nervous as hell. Like, Oh my gosh, I had the bubble guts like this. This was just like, all right, this is about to happen. I need to remember this match. And, you know, I started to forget the match because I’m like, Oh my God, that’s almost my time to come out the curtains. Like everything was just going through my head, probably the same thing as everybody else when they first got into, in front of a crowd.

But once my music hit and it was just like, you know, the people didn’t know who you were, but they still supported you anyway because they wanted you to do a really good job that those butterflies just started leaving me. And I was like, okay, I can, I can get used to it. And it was just like, all right, well gotten the ring. And now it’s like, all right, now I gotta remember this match because I already did my entrance, and this was perfect. Now I got to remember this match. And this was at a time where like, I was like, okay, I have to remember it word for word. I didn’t get to learn like calling things on the fly yet. Um, talking in the ring, I didn’t really get to learn that yet. So it was just like, all right, I have to remember this match. Cause I don’t know if this other person’s going to be like, all right, we’re going to this and we’re doing this and all that. So, um, I was more nervous of making sure that I got the match down pack and of course, like I had my moments where I forgot, but, um, yeah, it was just, it was, it was a nervous wreck for me. I’m sure everybody else can, can say the same about like anybody else who had their first live crowd was a whole nervous wreck. And that’s, that’s how I was, you know,

How Did Ring of Honor and NWA Help You As A Performer

Well it definitely made me more diverse on being able to,learn from different promotions because everybody does things differently. Like when you go to Ring of Honor,  you know, people are expecting not like your 80 style wrestling, like NWA and is very old school. So you have like, you know, your Ric flair came through there and your Harley Race came through there. You know? So it’s very old school there with NWA. Ring Of Honor is more like for a younger crowd. So they’re expecting a lot, especially, you know, like at the time when I was there, the top dogs were the Young Bucks, so it was just, okay, you know, everything was just super kicked this spot, this spot that, so that’s, that’s what, and it was more of a young, younger audience there at the time. So that’s what they’re expecting.

They’re expecting fast paced and hard heading and flip bees and all this stuff like that. So, um, going into Impact, Impact is basically, I would say to me a combination of both. So I was already at this time ready and prepared. And before even going to ring of honor and NWA, I was prepared as far as training wise, you know, I’ve, I’ve trained with one of the best trainers in New Jersey, which is Damian Adams. And he’s prepared me for these things because he’s prepared people like Deonna Purrazzo  for these things. And they’ve had their time with Ring Of Honor. Um, so they prepared me as well. So it was just, it was all in preparation before getting there. And then once I got there, I already knew like what to do and how to do things. And then once I got to NWA, the only thing I had to get used to was, uh, not having any music. 

And it was just at first, like,  you gotta have your own hype and, and get out there and hype the crowd up yourself. I think some people were like, how the hell do I do that? But with me, you know, I got all the flavors. So it’s just like, when I get out there, I know how to, you know, I know how to make people feel good. I know how to make people jump by. They feed, you know what I’m saying, music or no music. So that was just the only thing I needed to get used to it NWA, but coming to impact, like I just feel like right at home

On the IMPACT Woman’s Division

You know,  I’m gonna say this and it’s not because I’m with IMPACT. Like I’ve definitely watched this division over the years. I say impact has the best women’s division ever. And, um, I’m going to still stand by that, to this day just because we don’t have the biggest division with a hundred girls doesn’t mean that we’re not the best. We’re definitely the best. Like, you know, we have people like myself, we have people like Kira, we have people like your knockouts champion, Deonna Purrazzo. We have Jordan Grace, Rosemary, Sue Yung. I can, can I keep going with the list? And of course the, you know, the women in the past, you had Madison Rayne and Gail Kim and Velvet Sky and Awesome Kong, and you had Mickey James come through there and Tara, like the list goes on and on with women past present.

And, and hopefully the future that comes in and sees that, you know why we are calling ourselves the greatest, uh, division ever. You know, we just, we bring it every single time and we prove it every single time. And, you know, being backstage and being a part of this division means a lot to me, you know, it just, it’s so much history that goes behind us and, you know, being a knockout champion now it’s, um, Tag Team champion now.. It’s just, it hits even harder because now it’s like a lot that I have to carry because a torch was passed onto me from former, uh, Knock Out champions Gail Kim, Madison Reyne. So it’s not like, alright, now I have to prove myself 10 times more why I belong here. And I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job so far. 

Best Advice For People Breaking Into The Business

I would just say that, a lot of people would say not to give up, you know, um, always know that you’re going to have to make sacrifices. You’re going to have to give a lot, to get a lot more, invest in yourself, always because in order for people to invest in you, you have to believe in yourself first. That’s the only way people can believe that you’re going to, um, you know, carry yourself the way that you want to. So, I would just tell anybody inspiring that wants to come into this sport, this business to just keep fighting, keep pushing. Um, there’s going to be people that’s going to say no a thousand times, but the thousands of times that you hear, no, there’s always going to be a one. Yes. And that one, yes. Is your blessing. So you take that blessing and you run with it and you do not look back and do not listen to anybody. That’s trying to hold you down.

Watch the interview here: