Maria: I'm Just One Big Fan
By THE LILSBOYS

The following was posted on The Sun Online June 26, 2006

FOR us guys there are lots of male role models in the WWE - but for female wrestling fans it is harder to find someone to look up to.

Sure all the girls are gorgeous and lovely people however, with a few very notable exceptions, too many Divas are picked for their looks over any love of wrestling.

So say thanks for Maria, a girl who is quite literally living out her grappling dreams every day.

The Diva Search contestant turned backstage interviewer is a long-time wrestling fan who marks out any time she meets a hero, will watch every match on every show and is even dating one of the most talked about new stars in the industry.

In an exclusive interview, she told us: "I didn't get into this business through a modelling or casting agency putting me forward - like a lot of the other Diva Search girls.

"I was, and still am, a huge wrestling fan.

"When we first started a lot of the girls didn't have a clue who anybody was backstage, but I even knew Todd Grisham!

"I got into wrestling through my dad. We used to watch the WWF, as the WWE was then called, WCW and ECW together.

"I switched off during high school, but by the end I was watching it again.

"My favourites were definitely Stone Cold, The Rock and The Hardy Boyz. I loved Lita, I thought she was just amazing, and Trish is an awesome girl too.

"From the first time I saw The Coach interview The Rock I knew that's the role I wanted to play.

"I always looked up to the people who were around the wrestlers but still had their own distinct characters. People like Mean Gene Okerlund, Jimmy Hart, Paul Heyman, Miss Elizabeth and Sensational Sherri."

Maria, 24, continued: "One night I was watching Monday Night Raw, saw the Diva Search commercial and entered online.

"Since then every day has been like a dream.

"I've got to wrestle Lita, meet Steve Austin, announce Jimmy Hart at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis and even work with The Rock briefly during the Diva Search.

"I remember walking into catering one day and The Rock was sitting in there.

"I did not breathe from the moment I walked in until I closed the door behind me on the way out. Then I just started screaming!

"The first time we spoke he kissed me on the cheek. That definitely didn't calm my nerves.

"I didn't wash this cheek for a month!"

Maria admits that entering the business from the outside world - where she was a model, dancer and reality TV star - rather than an independent wrestling group is a tricky step.

It's not just in-ring and promo skills she's learning every day, but the code of the locker room.

"It was rough coming in," she confesses. "You don't know what the rules are.

"You have to learn to shake hands with everybody. You have to learn that if a veteran comes in and you have a seat, you give it to them.

"But that wasn't a problem for me. I respect the business so much that I always try and do what's right by the company.

"If there's a guy that's been getting bumped around for 15 years you don't want to do wrong by him.

"Because he's been working his butt off to get the company to the position we're in now so that I can have a job."

One wrestler who Maria has done more than give her seat up for is CM Punk.

Some readers may not have heard of him yet but he's torn it up in the indies, particularly Ring Of Honor, impressed in Ohio Valley Wrestling and is surely the next superstar to be called up to the big time.

With former OVW boss Paul Heyman a huge fan - the rumours are Punk could well be the first homegrown star of the new ECW.

Maria's remaining tight-lipped on her boyfriend's future.

"I honestly don't know where he's headed," she told us.

"I wish I could say, as I know there a lot of people out there who want to know what's going on with him.

"I hear good things and I'm sure there'll be some good news over the next couple of months.

"He's been in wrestling almost 10 years. He's had five star 60-minute matches with Samoa Joe.

"So he's definitely ready.

"And I will say this - he will be a phenomenal addition to ECW if he's there."

Many stars who date in wrestling try to keep it secret from fans for fear the extra publicity and pressure will harm their relationship.

Maria first admitted seeing Punk in a webchat with us, your trusty SunSport Online wrestling columnists, after photos of them kissing circulated on the Internet.

Now she's happy to tell the world.

"Everybody pretty much knows about us," she laughs. "Even when I was on a show in Ireland there was a CM Punk chant.

"When I do signings people will come with CM Punk T-shirts on saying 'look, look' and I'll be like: 'Yes, he's my boyfriend. I know!'

"But we don't care. We even do signings together down in OVW.

"Some relationships in wrestling are very hard, but we have it pretty much down. I hope we don't ever turn out mean to each other.

"We've been together for almost eight months now and are really solid.

"We speak on the phone a lot and text message like crazy people. It's actually weird not texting him right now.

"We have so much trust in each other, which is the thing you need when you're on the road or it will fall apart.

"Yes, there are lots of good looking guys in wrestling, but they all turn out to be my brothers. That's the only thing I can think of them as, because I am so happy with him.

"It would be awesome if Punk comes to Raw and we could travel together, having all those great road trips.

"But if he does end up on ECW or Smackdown - as long as we're both happy in our jobs, just spending one day together every week would be great too.

"We live together right now, and hopefully we'll buy our own house by the end of the year.

"So things are going really well."

Maria's career is taking off as fast as her love life.

She does a lot of the backstage interviews on Raw, has her own kiss-cam segment in the ad break of every show and a track about her legs on the new WWE album Wreckless Intent had led to obvious comparisons to Stacy Keibler.

She says: "My new theme tune is called With Legs Like That. I didn't like it at first I have to admit, because I couldn't hear it properly, but now I love it so much.

"I've heard those rumours about me taking Stacy's spot, now she's doing well outside of wrestling... but please don't compare my legs to hers!

"I will never have the 41.5 inch legs she does. But I promise you I will be coming out all by myself."

Maria puts a lot of her newfound confidence and success down to Paul Heyman, who she worked with extensively when both were in OVW together.

She raved: "Paul is an amazing man. He has brought me out of my shell more than anybody.

"Lance Storm taught me how to wrestle, but Paul taught me how to be me in front of the camera - rather than 'I have to say this line exactly like this'.

"Now there's a piece of me in every single interview or segment I do.

"That's made it even more fun, because now I can go out and have a good time."

And what does Maria hope the future holds for her?

"I'd say women's champ on Raw for me and ECW champion for Punk.

"That would be the dream."