As noted earlier today, WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix spoke with The Miami Herald to hype WrestleMania 28. Here are some highlights:
On the Pin-Up Strong movement:
“I think that in combination with living a healthy lifestyle and really presenting a good role model for women is kind of what ‘Pin-Up Strong’ encompasses. It’s basically just words that I wanted to put out there for young women to identify themselves with. I wanted to show them that women of all shapes and sizes can be beautiful and powerful and set a good, classy example. You can find more out of your life, find success and be classy at the same time.”
On wrestling Tamina Snuka at the Elimination Chamber:
“I’ve been so excited. Everybody has been listening to me blab forever about working Tamina. I get to work with Natalya all the time, who is third generation, but now we have the daughter of Superfly Jimmy Snuka. She is the real deal. She definitely has that flavor and incredible athletic ability that is second to no one else. She is very special and very physical, which I look forward to a girl who can go and really bring it. Someone who can hit as hard as I hit, and we can go toe-to-toe, and it’s a challenge. She has really been waiting for an opportunity like this. I think she has been in the company for maybe three years and really been pushed to the forefront for this opportunity. I really see her shining week after week. I’m really looking forward to our match. There is not only going to be a great diva’s match with a great amount of physicality, but you are going to have that nostalgia behind it. I certainly grew up watching her father and admiring everything he has done. I’ve done my share of studying Roddy Piper’s strategies. So I’m looking forward to putting some of that in the match. I think you are going to have a good match at the Elimination Chamber.”
On WrestleMania 28:
“It’s hard to pick [an opponent]. I would even like to go one-on-one with Natalya at some point. We have that ‘who is better’ mentality that we haven’t been really able to explore yet. Kharma is an ideal opponent. I’ve seen so many fans who have said that it’s the match they want to see. They would like to see these two titans who have never crossed paths kind of mix it up. Then there is Trish [Stratus]. We’ve met before in tag matches, but we come from two different eras. We have never had a singles encounter. That would bring something entirely different to the table. Alundra Blayze has come from another different era. She was literally one of the females who inspired me to do this. So that’s a really controversial match because of the way she left the WWF. She has kind of been this notorious figure toward the beginning of the Attitude era. So it’s interesting to see all of those options. Do I have a favorite opponent out of those? No. Bring it all on. Whoever it is, I will know the opportunity to have a WrestleMania match would be spectacular. It would be the highlight of my career.”