LadySports ::: APRIL

Q & A: APRIL

"I Know I Can Be a Bitch in the Ring"

It says something about just how good so many of the women in the United Kingdom are that, despite the many great wrestlers in the United States, so many British girls are so very popular with PGWA fans in America. There has been a real wave of great youngsters stepping into the English rings of late, and one of the most impressive is April. And LadySports Online is proud to introduce this lovely teenager to fans worldwide!


THE STATS:

Height:  5'1"
 
Weight:  130 lbs
 
Hair:  Dark Brown
 
Hometown:  Bacup, Lancashire
 

LADYSPORTS: Welcome, April! Can you tell us, when did you first get into the sport?
APRIL: About a year and a half ago I started training, but I first started watching it when I was about five or six.

LS: Who trained you?
Futureshock Wrestling Academy, Manchester.

LS: What was your biggest influence to become a wrestler?
A: I was always big on competitive sports, I tried a lot of them: rugby... similar to that of your football... boxing, football ... what you call soccer... weightlifting, but none of them really grabbed my interest for long. I used to watch wrestling every weekend on Sky Sports as a young kid, and would sit amazed at how athletic and flashy the personalities were. I think watching what they did instilled a wanting to be a part of it, and when I was old enough to become a part of it I checked out some local wrestling schools and picked the one which was the closest to me.

LS: How would you describe yourself in terms of attitude, personality, likes, dislikes, and strengths?
A: I believe I have a good attitude where wrestling is concerned, and am hard working and committed, even if I hate working out and dragging myself to go running or to do anything that involves too much cardio.

LS: What is your most marked characteristic as a wrestler?
A: I can be quite the little sneak at times; the refs gotta keep an eye on me.

LS: Describe a typical day of training for you. What is most important in your workout?
A: A day's wrestling training usually starts early in the morning with the two hour travel it takes me to get to my gym in Manchester. The warm up is essential, so plenty of squats, plenty of press-ups, plenty of sit-ups, a lot of stretching and the usual hell of a lot of jogging on the spot. The main workout consists of fundamental drills, going over movement and anything the trainer may pick up on during the session, which may then be followed up by sparring style matches. A slight warm down is used afterwards to prevent any injuries. During the week it's usually just weight training and conditioning, which I need a tad more motivation for.

LS: How would you best describe your ring style?
A: Ring style, British I'd say. I'm still finding myself and developing, but I'm hoping to lean more towards a good strong British ring style.

LS: What moves are you best known for?
A: Bridging Front Chancery, high stomp, lots of holds really... plenty of nasty strikes.

LS: Have you ever been injured in the ring?
A: I have been injured in the ring, during my training time; I thought it would be a good idea to try and Moonsault from the second rope. Although safety precautions were taken, I managed to fall and over extend my back muscles, which led to a hospital trip and a lot of painkillers... which I didn't take. Can't stand them.

LS: Who have been your toughest opponents?
A: It's still early days and I haven't managed to find the opponent that's really slapped me about, and I'm pretty sure I've stood my ground and held my own against them all. If I was to choose anyone, I would say it's definitely Pippa L'Vinn.

LS: Who are your allies?
A: I prefer to work alone and chose the right partner when the situation suits me.

LS: What has been your most memorable win?
A: Over Mya in my home town of Bacup. The match ended with a flying kick to the head of my opponent which allowed me to grab the pin and the match.

LS: What was your worst loss?
A: My worst loss was to Shelby Beech. I even had another girl in with me, Roxi, and we got whooped despite it being two-on-one. I still say it was Roxi's fault... if she had just listened to me and let me pin her, the match would have been over in no time!

LS: Who is the one wrestler you would most like to face in the ring, but haven't yet?
A: I think if I could face anyone in the ring it would be Akira Hokuto from Japan. I'll never get that chance due to her retirement, but she was a tough lady. I know I could learn a lot from her.

LS: What type of match do you enjoy the most?
A: Call me boring, but a good old singles match suits me good. I like to prove that I don't need stipulations to beat my opponents.

LS: What sort of reactions do you get from people when they learn you are a wrestler?
A: "Bit short, aren't you, to be a wrestler?"

LS: What is so special about this sport to you?
A: You never stop learning, ever, and that's why I love this sport. With most sports there's only so far you can go, so many things you can learn, few techniques you can do. But with wrestling it gets pretty endless... people will never run out of things to learn or do, ‘cause people are constantly inventing new ideas and concepts, and it just makes it more interesting every day.

LS: What are your fans like?
A: The fans are just fans, you know? They love wrestling and they appreciate what you do in the ring.

LS: If you had the power, what one thing would you do to improve the sport?
A: Less focus on women's imagery such as bigger boobs and a skinnier frame. Not all of us are 5 foot 11 with legs up to our armpits and have a size 8 waist. Give the shorter, stockier girls a chance; give the bigger lasses more things to do. Less concentration on who's got the nicest arse and more on who's got the better wrestling ability.

LS: What are your thoughts on women participating in the sport?
A: I think it's great that women are participating more in the sport than in previous years; however I think there's been too much focus on image and not enough on pure wrestling.

LS: Any regrets?
A: I should have never tried Moonsaults in the first place. I should have focused on my fundamentals rather than running before I could walk.

LS: What would you do if you couldn't be in wrestling?
A: Id probably be involved with animals some how, like being a dog handler.

LS: What is your personal motto?
A: No pain no gain, I guess... gotta work hard.

LS: What would make you most happy in life?
A: A successful career, having people I could share it with.

LS: Anything else you'd like to add?
A: Just thank you for the interview. Really, it's been a pleasure speaking to you, and I know I can be a bitch in the ring a times but if you're nice with me I'm nice with you.

myspace.com/titch90aj

photos courtesy of April