Highlights From Recent Interview W/ WWE’s Vickie Guerrero!

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/wrestling/blog/2011/06/highlights_from_interview_with_wwes_vickie_guerrero_1.html

Here are some excerpts from a phone interview I conducted with Vickie Guerrero last week for a story I wrote in today’s Sports section of The Baltimore Sun.

Being a wrestling fan growing up: “No, I wasn’t. I had four younger brothers, so they had the TV most of the time. So when wrestling or any man sport came on, I hated it automatically. And then when I met Eddie [Guerrero], it grew on me, so I did become a fan over the years.”

Meeting Eddie Guerrero: “We met on a blind date. Both of our best friends knew that we were single. It was kind of a funny story. We met at a nightclub because I told my girlfriend, ‘Well, if I don’t like him, then I can just go dance with someone else and leave him at the bar.’ That’s the big joke, because I never left his side [laughs].”

Desire to be a performer in wrestling: “None at all. I was always happy with being at home, taking care of the kids and being there for Eddie. … There was a story line going on with Rey Mysterio, and WWE asked me to come in and do some stuff with my nephew, Chavo. It was kind of a test run. I don’t think we were even talking about a contract or staying on. It turned out to be really good and we had a lot of chemistry together, so they said, ‘Do you want to stay on?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, it would be awesome.’ So that’s how it started.”

Turning heel: "Oh, I was ready for it. I think it goes back to watching Eddie do promos [in the living room and in the bathroom for 15 years. The louder I can get the fans and the angrier they are at me, the more it fuels the fire in me to just push them to the edge even more. It's a high.”

Meeting fans: "I like to show them the person I am outside the ring. And outside of it, I'm just a quiet, normal person. I've gotten to know a lot of fans on a personal basis, and it's really nice to have a conversation with them and see how they're doing when they come to the airports or I bump into them outside the arena. Without the fans and their support, we can’t do this. … It is uncomfortable when people are yelling at me to go home or saying 'excuse me' really loud at the airport and everyone's looking at me [laughs]. I don't know how to explain it to 20 people there watching me, going, 'What are they talking about?’”

“Excuse me” becoming a catch phrase: "That was just a fluke. I think I probably forgot my lines one night and just kept saying 'excuse me' to remember what I had to say next, and the fans just got louder. I tried it a couple more times and we thought, let's stay with it and see where it goes. Now I sign all my autographs with 'excuse me.'"

Hobbies, interests outside of wrestling: “I own a scrapbook studio in my house. I customize scrapbooks for customers and I deal with shadow boxes. I’ve been doing that for 18 years. I started weight training this past year, so that’s an interest that I really enjoy on my off time. And spending time with my little – well, she’s not little anymore – my youngest daughter. She’s 16. We hang out a lot. And I have my friends. I’m pretty much a homebody.”

Losing weight: “I’ve lost 52 pounds. My secret was to stop eating all the junk food after leaving the arenas. I never really trained the first four years I was with WWE, so I wasn’t happy with how I looked and I wanted to have some improvement, so I found a personal trainer and also started doing the nutrition side of it. I’m really happy with the results, and I probably have like 20 more pounds to go. You cut out breads; you cut out all the junk food. I don’t drink any more sodas. I just eat healthy chicken and steak and rice. I don’t have any fried foods. I do have my cheat days and I look forward to them because you have to enjoy life. It’s so bad at our catering at work because our dessert table is bigger than our entrée table, so I save my Mondays and Tuesdays for a piece of cake or something that’s sweet. That’s my reward if I work hard during the week.”

Jokes about her being overweight on WWE television shows: “They really didn’t bother me. Well, I guess they did to an extent, but not to where I was feeling bad about myself. It was who I was. We have beautiful women that work with us, and when I was in the locker room with them and we’re dressing and stuff, I would look at them and be like, ‘Oh, this is ridiculous. I’m going to change.’ I wanted to feel good being a part of their group and to live a lifestyle that was going to be promoted with the WWE. Now when they say the jokes, it’s like, ‘Whatever.’ [laughs] The jokes have helped grow my character to what it is. I just kind of roll with it and leave it behind me when I leave the arena. Again, there's the character and then there's the real person. You can't take what's going on at work personally.”

Her oldest daughter, Shaul (aka Raquel Diaz), training in FCW: “I’m so proud of her. I got to see her a couple times in Tampa, and she’s working really hard. She’s always wanted to do this. She loves the lifestyle and she looks just like Eddie in the ring and has a lot of his characteristics. Hopefully, I can work with her later on up the road.”

Working with “Jersey Shore” star Snooki: “All I can say is that I wish I got to slap her at WrestleMania [laughs]. She’s actually very sweet. She was a great sport. She gave us all her effort and she had a great time. She didn’t realize how big the sport was until she actually was involved at Mania. She had a lot more respect for it after she finished working with us. It was fun. My daughter watches ‘Jersey Shore.’ I never watched it before so I kind of tied everything together of who she was. She’s funny and we had some good laughs. It was a pleasure working with her.”
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