Wrestling works wonders.
The two-time and current ICW Women's Champion Viper has made her way around the pro wrestling scene competing in the United Kingdom in promotions like ICW, having a run in WWE's inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament and she is also the SWA World Champion.
With WWE's recent launching of its NXT U.K. brand and the announcement that there will be a NXT U.K. Women's Championship on the brand as well, Viper feels that the U.K. wrestling scene is where the women of the sport are currently thriving as she shared during her interview with 'The Scotsman'.
“The UK is an absolute hotbed for women’s wrestling,” says Benson. “We’re some of the best in the world and I think it’s because women are good at putting emotion into the fight. Women’s wrestling used to be very much treated like a sideshow but now it’s the main attraction for a lot of people. When I first started there were, maybe a handful of girls in the UK, and certainly none that looked like me.”
Viper also stated that plus-sized women in wrestling would normally would have to play the role of the menacing, angry wrestler who wears dark colors but in her case she rocks the blonde hair with a one-piece and smiles on her way to the ring and flips the switch once the bell rings.
“Wrestling helped me be comfortable with who I am. Originally it was difficult because I was very different but over time it helped me learn to love all the things that made me different. The thing about Viper was supposed to be the connotations, that I’m a venomous bitch." She laughs. “When I first made Viper I was 16 and she was a little snotty brat you were hoping was going to get a skelp. Then as I grew up I got more confident and now I don’t really feel there’s a lot of difference between Kim and Viper any more. A lot of her just came about by being a big blonde badass, doing what she wants. Back then if you were big girl in wrestling, you had to be bad, angry and grumpy and wear dark colors. I went along with it for a while, then I was, ‘Absolutely not. I’m gonna have big, blonde curly hair and wear whatever I want’. I do have a black leotard, because well, that’s flattering, but I’ve also got a really nice bright blue one and a bright pink one. I like make-up too, there’s this greeny gold highlighter I love and I do big heavy eyes ‘cause you want them to go, ‘Oh, she looks nice’ from way over there – paint for the back row. I come out to heavy metal and go ‘hiya!’, ‘cos that’s just me. Everybody says that doesn’t go, but that’s the point. I’ll like whatever I like, and I’m not going to do what you think goes or fits. I hate being told what to do.”
Speaking of competitors in the Mae Young Classic, the second go-around of the tournament will commence next month at Full Sail with more details coming the forefront as we inch closer to the special.
