INDEPENDENT PROFILE: ALLISON DANGER

ALLISON DANGER is one of the top women wrestlers in America. In her four years in the business she has traveled across America and overseas to work for the former Japanese promotion AtoZ Wrestling. Fans in the northeast know her best as a member of the former ROH group the Prophecy. This interview was done via the internet to accommodate Ms. Danger’s busy weekday schedule.

Alan Wojcik: For those that aren’t aware where did you grow up and if wrestling was in your household who did you like watching?

Allison Danger: Wrestling was in our house for as long as I can remember.  I resented wrestling at first because Steve would practice all the moves he saw on me and it interrupted my Barbie time, LOL.  As a little girl, I didn’t understand his love of it but I did adore Miss Elizabeth.  Having no other girls my age in our neighborhood, I looked wherever I could for a female figure to idolize and Miss Elizabeth filled that void.  It was until my teen years that I started to understand wrestling more and really appreciate what it had to offer. 

AW: You have a famous older brother in the wrestling business, Steve Corino, are you a fan of the stuff he has done in his career?

AD: Of course I am a fan of Steve’s work.  He has worked very hard over the years and it shows. I am proud to say I have a brother who followed his dreams and was able to do what was in his heart. 

AW: Was it his connection to ECW that you met Francine and the Sandman?

AD: Absolutely.  I would come see him at ECW and he introduced me to everyone in the locker room, although a few I had met before they were in ECW.  Francine was great and so friendly that we started hanging out together and one weekend she had to go to a show and wanted some company so I came along and that is the night I started in wrestling. 

AW: When you decided to train for wrestling did Steve discourage you?

AD:  I don’t believe he was too happy about me coming in but he was supportive nevertheless.  He insisted that I do things the right way and he help guide me through that initial time of breaking in.  I can’t imagine getting this far without him showing me the ropes in the beginning and warning me of pitfalls and mistakes that could be made early on.

AW: What made you decide to train with the IWA Cruel School and could you describe some of the training.

AD: When I started in the business, my brother was adamant that I do it right, from the bottom.  He took me to the Cruel School where he was training on some nights; he and Rapid Fire Maldonado taught me how to bump and where to be as a manager and what not.  I was brought on with IWA Reading to work some shows and be a part of their ring crew.

AW: What led you to become Allison Danger and please describe the character for those that have never seen you in person?

AD: When I came in, I used just the name Allison.  My brother added the Danger part so my name wouldn’t sound boring.  I tweak my character for wherever I work.  In ROH, I am nuts.  In IWA Mid South, I am more myself.  It is an ever changing character.

AW: Who was your first opponent and what do you remember of it?

AD: My first match ever was a mixed tag match with Rapid Fire Maldonado as my partner.  It was in Reading, PA and I was a total wreck for it but Rapid Fire helped me and got me through it. 

AW: You have some interesting names for moves in your arsenal. For fans that might have only seen you as a valet/manager please tell me what are the Lovelace Choker and the Pillow Biter?

AD: The Lovelace Choker is a neckbreaker to the knee.  The name was coined one day by Greg Spitz and it stuck.  The Pillow Biter name was replaced pretty quickly by its present name which is now the Curb Kick.  It is a boot scrape to the back of the head.

AW: You valet/manage for many promotions and also wrestle, which title do you prefer to go by?

AD: I prefer manager. 

AW: How did you begin to work for Ring Of Honor and what were your impressions of Gabe Sapolsky and Rob Feinstein and what was your feelings when Mr. Feinstein left after his legal run ins?

AD: I began with the first show ever with ROH.  I was supposed to be a one time deal but Gabe said he was happy with my performance with the Christopher Street Connection and decided to keep us a team, which was great as I really enjoyed the CSC.  I knew Feinstein before I broke in, back when he did work with ECW.  I met him at a few shows.  As for his legal issues, I care not to discuss that anymore.  It’s like beating a dead horse at this point.  I much rather concentrate on the future and keep my fingers crossed that 2005 will be a good year. 

AW: Most fans reading this will know you as a former member of the Prophecy along with Christopher Daniels, Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer.  How did you come to join the group and if you could give a few words about each member along with former members Xavier and Donovan Morgan?

AD:  I began ROH with a great tag team called the Christopher Street Connection.  Once our run ended it was decided that Daniels would use me in his fight against (Steve) Corino’s Group.  Working with the Prophecy was one of the best things to happen although I did miss the great times with CSC.  Daniels spent a lot of time working with me on my ringside work and my promo skills and made great efforts to include me and make me a part of the team.  Maff also did this.  We would sit after each show and discuss what we could do as a team to make us stronger and better.  The time and help they gave me I think really made us grow and solidify as a team.  When BJ joined us I was hyped as we had been friends for a while before that and now we got to work together.  After Daniel’s departure, the three of us really had to tighten up as a team and it showed.  Out of the ring we lobbied each other through injury and what not.  It was a very sad time for me when we broke up.  My time with Xavier and with Donovan was pretty short but fun.  Both are great guys and were a pleasure to work with.  Although Donovan is busy with his Japan commitments I do get to see him time to time in another promotion based in Indiana.  He helps me there with my in ring performance and takes the time to critique each match I have there.

AW: During your tenure in ROH the Prophecy had countless scraps with the Second City Saints. Please give your opinion of CM Punk and his co-hort Colt Cabana.

AD: I really enjoyed our run against the Second City Saints of Punk, Cabana and the unforgettable Sexy Ace Steel.  Cabana is probably the funniest guy in the ring today.  Just the craziness he comes up with and who can resist the Barry Manilow music?! Punk is very passionate about this business and it shows in everything he does in the ring.  Steel was fun to work opposite as his in ring skills speak for themselves and his facials are priceless. 

AW: You managed Daniels and Maff on the evening card of December 2003 ROH/All Japan event when they wrestled the Great Muta and Arashi.

AD: That was an experience and a half!!!  Honestly, its shows like that which remind me how lucky I have been in this business.  Not only am I teamed up with some of the greatest in wrestling today but I get to stand by them as them face Great Muta and Arashi!  It’s mindblowing to me.  Standing in that ring, behind Daniels and hearing the fans react to the Great Muta’s music and then his entrance left me breathless.  It is moments like that which remind me how blessed I am.

AW: When he worked for ROH, did you have any run-ins with Teddy Hart because of Steve’s verbal and sometimes physical backstage feud with Hart?

AD: Run-ins? Nope.  I stay out of things that are none of my business.  What is between them stays with them. 

AW: Were you upset when Christopher Daniels chose TNA over ROH after the Feinstein issues? Was his leaving the main reason the Prophecy group was disbanded?

AD: It was a sad time when we lost Daniels but he had to do what was best for him and his family.  I understand the situation he was put in and although I am sad not to be able to continue working with him I respect him and what he had to do.  I owe Chris Daniels a lot, his guidance and patience while we worked together at ROH I feel helped me grow so much towards being a better manager, wrestler and with promo work. Christopher Daniels was the Prophecy.  Without him, we are just trying to keep his ideals and passions alive in ROH.

AW: With the Prophecy disbanded what is your current role in ROH?

AD: I am the only remaining member of the Prophecy and I refuse to let it die.  I will never forgive Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer for leaving me alone and will follow them to the ends of the earth seeking my vengeance. 

AW: You have had many matches with some of the best ladies on the indy scene. If you could please give some comments on the following ladies. Let’s start with Ariel.

AD:  Ariel is a great girl.  Always game to try something new in the ring.  We really bonded when we flew on the same plane together during the weekend we taped with CRUSH (in Minnesota).  I was so proud to watch her grow over the past two years and see her expand her talents to Japan and Mexico. 

AW: On the daytime card of the ROH/All Japan event you wrestled Sumie Sakai.

AD: Ahhhh, Sumie.  She loves to kick me in the chest, lol.  I really enjoy watching her work.  Her match with Daizee at the IWA MS Volcano Girls show I feel was really underrated. Although there is a language barrier we always find a way to make each other laugh.  I can’t wait for her return to the States. 

AW: Moving onto April Hunter.

AD: One of the best things about April is she is a marketing machine.  She knows how to get her name out there and she has a definite appeal to a certain genre of wrestling fans.  I have read some unflattering things she has insinuated about me in some interviews involving politics and a terrible match we had for ROH but I wish her nothing but the best in her career and future endeavors. 

AW: Next is TNA’s Tracy Brooks.

AD: I don’t think people realize that Tracy is probably one of the funniest girls in wrestling today.  That girl is a riot.  Not to mention gorgeous.  Matches with her are always a good time, with us occasionally trying not to crack up in the middle of the ring. 

AW: Next is Daizee Haze.

AD:  Daizee is quite possibly my most favorite person to work with.  The enthusiasm she brings to each match is contagious.  Not only does she come with new and fresh ideas but she is open minded and loves to try new things.  I really feel she brings out the best in me. 

AW: You got to be on TNA Wrestling Xplosion when it was filmed before the weekly PPV’s, any comments on your TNA appearance.

AD:  The folks at TNA were always very kind to me the few times I went down there.  Everyone was friendly and I was able to do a few things on the Xplosion show.  I was very thankful for the opportunity. 

AW: You did a tour or two in Japan working for AtoZ Wrestling. How did you come to work for them and please talk about wrestling in Japan?

AD:  I can not say enough great things about AtoZ, Japan or the people there.  Those six days there was a wonderfully surreal experience.  The weather there was great, not too hot, and not too cold.  I was near a subway station that had plenty of people and action going on.  The first day there I went straight to the AtoZ dojo and had dinner with the ladies there then it was off to the hotel to sleep.  We had three more days of training there and at night several members of AtoZ would take us out.  I was able to see Toryumon live and eat at Ribera’s.  Friday night was show night then afterwards it was back to the hotel to rest a little bit.  Saturday was an off day for us so I was able to catch some sights around Tokyo and even enjoy Korean BBQ with April Hunter, Leo-Na and Mariko Yoshida.  I will always be grateful for the experience.

AW: Some of the matches with the people listed were for two different promotions that I would like to get your views on. First is Jersey All Pro Wrestling.

AD:  JAPW gave me a chance to get my name out there in the first year or two. 

AW: The other promotion is the WXW where on October 9^th 2004; you participated in their Elite 8 Tournament. On that event you defeated Simply Luscious in round one but fell to Mercedes Martinez in the second round. Please talk about the promotion, the event and your two opponents that night.

AD:  I have always enjoyed working at WXW.  I get to wrestle and grow each time I go there.  It is great to be able to pick Afa, Samu and Mana’s brain after a match to learn and be better at the sport.  Elite 8 is a great opportunity to work with new people and get your name out there.  In the previous Elite 8, I lost to Angel Williams in the first round.  This year, after an enjoyable match with Luscious, I was able to pull out a win and go on to the second round.  Unfortunately, I pinched the ulna nerve in my right elbow, causing the whole arm to swell twice its normal size and lose feeling.  Mercedes was able to gain an advantage on that arm quick and force me to tap out.  I was bummed as I have looked forward to meeting Martinez in the ring and my chance was quickly cut short by an injury. 

AW: For any jealous women out there, where do you get the great outfits you manage/wrestle in?

AD: I can’t imagine anyone is actually jealous….if you want jealous check out the amazing stuff Haze is sporting these days.  My gear lately has been a work in progress.  I acquired a sewing machine and have slowly been working on new stuff right from scratch.  Hopefully 2005 will bring some cool new styles to me.

AW: What are your feelings on how the WWE treats its talent, and also your view on the recent Raw diva talent search.

AD:  I don’t keep cable in my home so I didn’t really follow the diva search with exception of the occasional glimpse of it on the internet.  As for how WWE treats its talent, I can’t really say as the little I hear about it is based off the internet and I prefer to not make assumptions or opinions of that.  Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear is my motto. 

AW: You were one of the women featured in the annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated Women In Wrestling issue as well as being recently ranked number 16 in the www.WrestlingClothesline.com top 50 women in indy wrestling. Do these accolades mean anything to you?

AD: It was very nice to be recognized in their ranking.  I went up a few spots from the previous year’s ranking and that was cool to see.

AW: You recently began to set up a relaunch for your website. Please give the site information and tell the fans what can be found there?

AD: My new website will be found at www.prettypieceofflesh.com hopefully before the end of this year.  My webmaster and I ran into a few problems with our last hosting situation but she has been working hard on this new and improved site.  There will be an updated schedule section, link to my live journal and a more organized photo gallery with lots of new pictures.

AW: If you could have a match with anyone, man or woman, who would be your dream opponent and why?

AD:  My dream match would be with Manami Toyota.  I can not help but watch her matches with my mouth dropped in awe.  She is amazing and fearless.  Her energy is boundless and her body and mannerisms tell such a story in the ring. 

AW: What do you hope the future holds for you in wrestling and in life?

AD: Hopefully both will hold health, happiness and self growth. 

Thanks to Allison Danger for her time. Please view her site and www.ROHwrestling.com