You may not have noticed it, but Canada is having something
of a Women’s Wrestling Renaissance these days, and a rising star in the Great
White North is a young blonde named Leah Von Dutch. LadySports Online is very happy to help
introduce Leah to fans the world over!
THE STATS:
Height: Five feet, seven inches
Weight: One hundred and twenty-five pounds
Hair: Blonde
Hometown: Amsterdam, Netherlands
LADYSPORTS: Welcome to LadySports, Leah! Tell us, when did you first get into
the sport?
LEAH VON DUTCH: I got into the sport in early 2011 where I would ring announce,
ref, sell tickets, sell merchandise and manage. I then won the "Edgucational Scholarship"
and started training at Square Circle in Toronto, Ontario.
I made my pro wrestling debut in September 2011.
LS: And who trained you?
LvD: Dangerboy Derek Wylde, Shawn Spears, Rob Fuego, Taylor Wilde and Marcuz
Marquez.
LS: Who have been your biggest inspirations to be a wrestler?
LvD: When I was young I really looked up to Trish Stratus and Lita. Now I
really look up to Manami Toyota..she is incredibly talented.
LS: What are you like in the ring, personality-wise?
LvD: I am the girl next-door who won’t back down from a fight.
LS: Describe a typical day of training for you. What is most important in your
workout?
LvD: Right now the most important part of my workout is training at Squared
Circle. I do go to the gym and do yoga but I really want to perfect my
wrestling skills.
LS: How would you best describe your ring style?
LvD: I am working on being a high-flyer!
LS: Who have been your toughest opponents to date?
LvD: I would have to say Sara Del Rey and Courtney Rush. Sara is so experienced,
and Courtney has that hard-hitting style that keeps me on my toes.
LS: And who have been your biggest allies?
LvD: I would have to say the Cody Deaner. Ever since I started wrestling he had
faith in me, and we work amazing as a team. He's brought me under his wing and
showed me the ropes of wrestling.
LS: What has been your most memorable win?
LvD: I have a couple. I would have to say beating Evilyn during CCW in front of
my friends and family. It was the first time a lot of them got to see me in
action and it was awesome being in front of the people I love. I would also say
beating Jenn Blake was a huge win for me. She is so experienced; I think the
win put me on the map.
LS: And how about your worst loss?
LvD: I would have to say it would be against Sara Del Rey. I trained so hard
and so long but I just couldn't pull out the win!
LS: Who is the one wrestler you would most like to face in the ring, but
haven't yet?
LvD: I would love to wrestle against my trainer Taylor Wilde and I would also
love to wrestle against fellow Canadian, Gail Kim!
LS: And if you had to retire tomorrow and could have only one more match, who
would you most like to wrestle?
LvD: My dream match would be against Manami Toyota!
LS: What is your favorite style of match?
LvD: A mix of technical and lucha.
LS: Have you ever been injured in the ring?
LvD: *Knock on wood* No! I’ve jammed
fingers, extended elbows, been hit in the temple, but no serious injuries!
LS: If you had the power, what one thing would you do to improve the sport?
LvD: I'd give female wrestlers (both on TV and off) more time to wrestle and more
chances to wrestle (for example, two or three women’s matches per show).
LS: Any other sports you enjoy?
LvD: I love any water sports (swimming, wakeboarding etc) and was a competitive
diver for a couple of years. I also enjoy snowboarding and soccer.
LS: Any regrets?
LvD: None!
LS: What would you do if you couldn't be in wrestling?
LvD: I currently plan and carry out activities for seniors, and love my job. I
would definitely continue on that path for a while. I went through school to
become a phys ed teacher so maybe I would pursue that eventually.
LS: Can you tell us what the one piece of advice you would give to someone just
starting out in the sport would be?
LvD: Grow a thick skin and be patient
LS: What is your personal motto?
LvD: Live life to the fullest!
LS: And lastly, anything else you'd like to add?
LvD: Check me out on Edge's WWE DVD- I’m on the blu ray extras! Also add me to
twitter @LeahVonDutch and Facebook- Leah Von Dutch
LS: Thanks so much for speaking with us, Leah!
LvD: Thank you!
Visit Leah at Facebook
Photos courtesy of Ms von Dutch
