Photo Credit: Mike Dunn
Sade of DDT Divas spoke with DC native Trish Adora before her match at the November 16, 2019, Prime Time Pro-Wrestling show. In a DDT Divas exclusive, we chat with Adora to learn more about her four-year wrestling journey, her time training at Team 3D Academy, and her ultimate wrestling goals.
Q: How long have you been wrestling?
A: I’ve been wrestling for four years.
Q: What inspired you to become a wrestler?
A: Growing up my brothers and my dad were into wrestling. I have five brothers and I’m the only girl. Just being around them has grown my love for wrestling. Some of my earliest memories of wrestling were like seeing that WCW smokey ring and seeing the Nitro girls and going like ‘what is this?’ Just starting there.
Q: Growing up, who were some of your favorite wrestlers?
A: I loved Jacqueline, Jazz, Victora, Trish Stratus, Lita. They were all so unique and all so special. I think that’s very, very important to have in wrestling. I thought Jacqueline was amazing. I thought Chyna was amazing. Just seeing stronger girls, being in there with guys just holding their own and telling a smart story that wasn’t too…you know how the stories were in the 90s.
Q: You had the opportunity to train with wrestling legends Bully Ray and D-Von at Team 3D Academy, what was that like?
A: Training at Team 3D Academy is pretty cool. It’s nice to be able to get some knowledge from people that have done somethings that you want to do. I think that’s important when you’re trying to choose a school that you want to go to. Just make sure that the people you are surrounding yourself with are going to be able to give you the rule book. The rule book that they follow. I think that’s important.
They’re [Bully Ray and D-Von] just a wealth of knowledge, aside from wrestling. They showed me how to network, showed me how to represent myself well when you are backstage at certain places. How to get to certain tables and certain rooms. Wrestling aside, that’s definitely the school you go to where you want to kick things up a notch and learn the other side of wrestling.
Q: What path did you take to end up training at Team 3D Academy?
A: I move to Orlando to start wrestling, and I had a plan to go to another school. I actually didn’t even know that Team 3D Academy existed. So I got a job when I was in Florida. On the first day when everyone is like, ‘hey, stand up and say a funny thing about yourself,’ (I wish jobs would stop doing that) a girl stood up and said ‘hey, I’m a wrestler.” I was was like ‘what?’ That caught my attention, so afterward I pulled her aside. She said she trained at Team 3D Academy. ‘What!’ And the rest is history.
I want to wrestle Jazz, like real bad. No forreal! That would be dope! That would be a dope moment.
Trish Adora
Q: What has been the proudest moment in your career thus far?
A: My proudest moment was wrestling at Korakuen Hall in Japan. I think that Japan is just a tough market to break into, you have to know somebody, have to be connected in some way. I always say ‘I did it without an album.’ Basically, saying I didn’t really have any co-signs, and being able to be in a historic building like that just off of the merits of the things that you have shown.
Q: What are your ultimate wrestling goals?
A: I want to continue to wrestle. I want to continue to travel. I want to continue to learn and to continue to grow. I would like to break into new markets. I would like to wrestle in Africa, wrestle in Germany, wrestle all over the world. Just a few countries in now, and I’m just hungry for more. I want to train in more places. I want to go to more seminars. Just learn. That’s what I would like to do.
Q: What countries have you wrestle in?
A: In the UK, I have worked in Wales and Britain. I’ve also worked in Japan. I want to add China to that list. I want to add Germany, Africa, everywhere. I would love to wrestle in Ireland.
Q: Can you talk about your experience being a Black woman in the wrestling industry?
A: Yes. Being a wrestler is very tough. I don’t think that anybody that is a wrestler would say that it’s not. We all know that it is. It’s a tough job to do. You don’t make a lot of money, straight out. It’s a tough road for your body. It’s a tough road for your mind, and that’s just being a wrestler. That’s merely everybody’s experience. Then you add so many more things, like race, sexual orientation, gender, and things like that. And it only becomes more difficult. It feels like there are more walls and higher hurdles to climb. So here I’m just trying to do the good work and hurdle on.
Q: We love your ring gear and in-ring style! How did you come up with it?
A: I kind of feel like I’m a superhero! I would think that whatever I would wear would be something eye-catching. Something where you know what I’m about when you see it. Something that’s bright and fun and something that represents the colors of the diaspora. It’s really just me being larger than life, and I want to show that in everything that I wear.
Q: You’re from DC! How has growing up in DC played a role in you being a wrestler?
A: Well, it has definitely thought me how to sort of pardon myself. I think you kind of have to have somewhat of an armor to be a wrestler, definitely putting yourself out there creatively, physically, and in a lot of different ways. I think that especially being in the public eye with the days of social media you have to have a little bit of armor on. I think that being from DC, I was kind of born with that armor. I, usually, am able to deflect, and I’m able to push forward in a sense. Just take things as they go and be a little bit more easy-going.
I kind of feel like I’m a superhero! I would think that whatever I would wear would be something eye-catching.
Trish Adora
Q: What are your thoughts on the growing indie scene in DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia area)?
A: I’m excited about it! It’s nice not to have to drive 12 hours to a show. So it’s good to have something local, something in the city. I can tell all my friends about. My mom can come to see me wrestle. My mom flew down to Florida to see me wrestle once. Well, she doesn’t have to do that anymore. She can just drive about 30 minutes to see me wrestle. I’m really thankful for that and having eyes on this area.
I’m just kind of surprised the more and more shows I go to and the more people that are coming out. People came out to the Afrikan World Diaspora show as well. It’s cool. It’s cool! Maybe we can get a couple of wrestling schools in the area. *Wink, Wink*
Q: You wrestle on the PAWDWC-Block B show, and you were the only woman on the card. What was that like?
A: That was just business as usual. I find myself in a lot of situations being the only woman or being the only Black person or being the only something. I just make sure that I’m a representation of what women’s wrestling is and just represent myself well and the school well. Usually, when I’m in situations like that, it’s business as usual. I know that I just have to go out there, entertain, put on a pretty good match, and live to tell another tale.
Q: Besides wrestling what are some other things you are passionate about?
A: I’m a bartender. That is my trade. I’m passionate about mixology and craft cocktails. I’m passionate about going to the gym. I love working out. I also study capoeira. I’ve been studying capoeira for a few months now, and I’m very passionate about that as well. All of those things, funny enough, help me in wrestling. They help me a lot, actually. Between bartending and performing in front of a live audience. It’s definitely helped me get out of my shell. A big help to all of those things that are helping me.
Q: If you could work with any wrestler(s) dead or alive, who would it be?
A: I want to wrestle Jazz, like real bad. No forreal! That would be dope! That would be a dope moment. I saw that she worked at Pro-Wrestling: EVE and we just missed each other, a month in a half or so. It’ll be nice to wrestle her there actually, at the Resistance Gallery in London. It would be really nice to wrestle her there. That’s another wink, wink. There are no cameras here, so you’re not catching it but it’s another wink, wink moment.
Q: What are some of your favorite moves to do in-ring?
A: I feel like I keep it relatively simple. I think that a boot to the face always works. Also, I think lariats also work. I don’t mind picking people up and slamming people down. I’ll dive on people. Wow! I guess it doesn’t matter! I’m like naming everything. I enjoy having a nice mix bag to play with.
Q: How would you describe your in-ring style?
A: I would say that it’s a mixed tool bag. I would say that. If you need a hammer, I got one of those. If you need a monkey wrench, I got one of those.
Q: Are there any moves you don’t like performing?
A: No, not really. I don’t think that I’ve been put in a situation where I had to be like ‘no way!’ to things. I don’t know what that would be or what that situation would be.
My proudest moment was wrestling at Korakuen Hall in Japan. I think that Japan is just a tough market to break into, you have to know somebody, have to be connected in some way. I always say ‘I did it without an album.’
Trish Adora
Q: Last question, if you could make a list of your top 10 favorite Black wrestlers of all-time, who would you put on your list?
A: So I’m going to do mine in no particular order. It’s really important that I say that because I’m going to name a couple of people and we are just going to go with it. In no particular order:
- Big Swole. She is doing amazing right now. I couldn’t be certain, but she seems as though she’s doing very well with AEW. Things are looking good for her on that horizon and I’m super happy for her.
- Jonny Xross. A good friend of mine and he just promoted The Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling Tournament in Washington, D.C.
- The Rock. Who is Black.
- Jacqueline. Put Jacqueline on there. I would not be here without her or Jazz.
- Jazz. Put Jazz on there.
- D-Von Dudley. My trainer, who to this day is still looking out for me. Who I appreciate very much.
- Jay Lethal. You really can’t do a top 10 Black anything and not put him on there.
- Sugar Dunkerton. Sugar is doing awesome. He is traveling all over the world. and he’s been a good mentor to me and I appreciate him very much.
- Darius Lockhart. Another good guy. They [Dunkerton and Lockhart] actually started tagging together. Pretty excited about that. Darius is just an all-around good guy. He’s a good guy in and out of the ring, and it’s really hard to find people like that.
- Timmy Lou Retton of the Gym Nasty Boys. I think that he is probably one of the nicest people I’ve met in wrestling. He just has a genuine heart. He just wants people to succeed. He’s constantly working, constantly grinding being a good mentor to me and teaching me how to grind and teaching me how to work.
- Jonathan Gresham. Put him on the list. For obvious reasons. It goes without saying.
That’s a rotating list. I could go to 30, really. There are so many good wrestlers of color out here. Black wrestlers that are working hard, putting on from where there are from, representing themselves, and their schools well. Women, men of all orientations and I think that’s dope as hell to see. And I’m just looking forward to seeing more of it.
For more information on Trish Adora check out her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
