chapter1; just.a.small.town.girl

When I first agreed to be the one to conduct this interview, I honestly did not know what to expect. You've heard all the opinions, and the social circle she keeps indictated that this was not going to be an easy task, but at the same time I was intrigued. Who was this girl that broke out of the shadow of a legend and became recognizable in her own right? Just who was Kia Mitchell? I looked down at my watch, with five minutes until the agreed meeting time, I made myself comfortable. I'd interviewed her boss, and associate, Summer Fox before and figured if she was anything like the self proclaimed Queen as everyone says she was, I'd be waiting a while. No sooner had I pulled my recorder from my bag, the young blonde breezed through the door with a smile that could light up any room. She had her young son, who she is rarely without, resting on her hip and a bag on the other shoulder. She looked like she'd just stepped off of a runway in simple skinny jeans tucked into flat boots and white singlet top, her long blonde hair pulled up into a messy ponytail. But at the same time, she had this sweet charm about her as she warmly thanked me for taking time to do the interview and apologised profusely for having her son with her. Already the idea of her being a carbon copy of the infamous Queen had been dismissed. This girl was genuine. She looked me in the eye, shook my hand and settled into the chair opposite me. As I finished setting up, she attended to the young boy who was a spitting image of her, the big blue eyes and intoxicating smile. Just watching her intrigued me further, this was one side of the girl we would see in the championship scramble, one of five who hoped to take home the gold. So we were both ready, she sat elegantly crossed legged in the chair as I finally got it under way... time to get into the mind of this small town beauty.

WGEFmag; First of all, I want to thank you for taking time to sit down with us today. I know you must be extremely busy with On the Edge just a week a way. You nervous?

km; You have no idea! This is my first Pay Per View appearance... like ever, not to mention my first title shot. On the Edge will definitely be a night of firsts. And that's enough to make any person nervous. But nerves are good, as long as they don't drive you insane. I haven't gotten to crazy yet!

WGEFmag; That's good to hear. Before we get into the Pay Per View, we all want to know about you. You have appeared from practically nowhere and been thrust into the limelight with four other women who have clearly had their share of fame. It's literally like you've just appeared on our televisions, and a majority of the world; not to mention the roster, has fallen in love with you.

km; Hardly in love with me! I had a small fan base from my brief training stint in XCWA and my time with Derek [Manning, her ex-husband], but I'm no where near fanatical status. People know me as Summer's personal assistant, the way I came into this business. The girl that followed around thee Summer Fox. Maybe if I win at On the Edge that will change [laughs]. I doubt some people's perceptions will change though. But that's their perogative. I've kind of always been here. Just in the background. It's the way it's always been. And I've been happy with that. I'm still happy with that. I'm used to not being the center of attention, with my loud sisters, Summer, you know? And in a way I think it helps me. People don't know what to expect from me because I keep it so low key. I don't need to badmouth people to make any sort of statement, the way some people go about it. I just go in there and do what I do. I put it all into going out there and coming out on top. Sunday is no exception. I'm considered somewhat of a 'dark horse' of the wrestling world if you will. Just simply because I don't need to be the focus of attention going into a match. Coming out of one, that's another story. You're always the center when you're getting your arm raised in victory. Fingers crossed that's the way it ends up hey?

WGEFmag; I, for one, hope it does. You seem like a down to earth young woman. A lot of people find it somewhat, strange, that you're associated with the likes of Summer Fox, who has been labelled as a rather disliked person both on screen and backstage. Then we have you, one who seems to shy away from the whole 'Diva' image, what's the go with that? It just seems like an unusual friendship. But then again, your rise to wrestling stardom hasn't been the most conventional. You started as the personal assistant to Summer Fox, and it all went from there. Tell us a bit about it.

km; Fate, one would assume. One day I'm a student at UCLA looking in a Louis Vutton store on Rodeo Drive as a bit of a joke, just to pass some time. Now I'm here, getting to take part in what will be an epic match for a coveted title against four very talented women. It was just meant to happen. Some of it was a bit rough, but you get that in this business and in life. Here was me thinking I'd be the girl carrying the schedule around, keeping the business side of things in check... and I just fell in love with the business. Didn't help I fell in love with a superstar from SWF [the company which first discovered Kia] It was where I met Derek, and it was him that got me into it all. Also got me kidnapped, double teamed, beat up and betrayed.. all in my first week. A real eye opener to the business, but definitely toughened me up for the road ahead. So I suppose I should be thanking him for giving me this opportunity. and for giving me the single greatest blessing of my life in Alex. It's funny, after we divorced, I swore I would never get involved with another wrestler. But hey, that's out the window. As for my 'unusual' friendships? The personas you see on TV are nothing like the people that I know and love. I mean, both Blake and Summer come off as cruel, heartless people who care about nothing but themselves... but I've never seen two people so in love with each other as those two. It's like bi-polar. Blake would kill someone as soon as look at them, but when it comes to 'his princess', he's just the sweetest thing. Same with her, the Ice Queen persona just melts when she's with him... or talking about him. Thinking about him. Anything to do with him really. It's not always what you see is what you get. Just like with me, I'm full of surprises. These are the people fate sent me, and I'm so damn thankful for that. I see Summer like a sister, because she's not 'the Queen of Mean' [a nickname given to her by former partner Gregory James] when we hang out, she's just Summer, my best friend. Everyone's perception of people is different. People see me as trying to be a carbon copy of Sum, but that couldn't be furthr from the truth. We are two completely different people who just clicked. We share a visual similarity, the blonde hair mainly, and all of a sudden I'm trying to be like them. Which is strange, because I don't see myself parading around like a Queen like she does, but whatever. If I do, I deserve to be slapped because I'm still paying my dues. I want to shake that image, but I doubt it. Some people are so narrow minded, they can't see past the things they want to see. And nine times out of ten, it's the hypocrites that try to model themselves around people they want to be. Take a look at some of the roster, you'll see what I mean. The only thing I want to be anything similar to Summer is her wrestling ability. I want to be that good... if not better. And a first title reign would definitely get that train rolling. And they all support me one hundred percent, as any friends do. Especially Chris, he's been amazingly supportive, especially since he has his own title match to focus on, he still takes the time to make sure I'm ready for this. Something Derek never did, he never cared about me.

WGEFmag; Ah yes, the fiancee. Let's talk about that. Chris McKenzie and Kia Mitchell again seems like an odd pairing, but still seems to work. How come?

km; Because we make it work. He has so much love for Alex [she indicates to the boy playing quietly on the floor beside her] which was a big thing, because he is my life outside the ring, and he's just so genuine. I know that everyone thinks I'm just the latest in succession of his chain of women, but like I said, I don't care what people say. They don't understand, and they never will. So don't even try. Let the haters talk smack, as some would say. It just comes down to what you think and feel within yourself. Self belief is the ticket to success.

WGEFmag; Inspiring words. So we can assume you believe you will walk out the WGEF Women's champion at On the Edge? You've got some stiff competition. You recently suffered a defeat at the hands of Tapanga Britt, and Adalyn Raine has been rolling. Your thoughts?

km; I'm going into the Scramble with the thought that I can do this, I can walk out on top. Friday Night was my benchmark test. I didn't win, but I damn sure took it to the champ didn't I? And I can only go up from there. I can't go in there comparing myself to the other girls. Because I'm not them, I'm nothing like them. I'm just me and that's all I can be. So I give it all I can and let the others worry about what they do. Some seem to be more concerned where my head is at more so than there own. That's the downfall in the end. You can only do so much, which is why I've been relatively quiet about the opponents. Been working three times as hard with Summer, Chris and Kevin [Sane], who are all certain that this is my time. And I'm certain too. I've never been more focused on anything than on that belt, this match and the win. Not to mention my motivation. [she patted her son's head lightly] Every match, win or lose, is for this one right here. It's the biggest motivator in my life. The success, the glory, the accolaides... nothing compared to my biggest achievement. But not to say I'd look a gift horse in the mouth if I did win.

WGEFmag; Well what goes into such a match, preparation wise? We see people doing interviews and their promotionals, etcetera, but we don't get to see what goes on behind the scenes. Can you give us any insight to what it's like just before going out in front of thousands of live people, and millions around the world?

km; It's such an incredible rush, and I think it will be multiplied by like a thousand come On the Edge. It's such a massive deal, the top prize of the Women's division so a hell of a lot goes into it. The stuff you see, you expect. Except the claws really seem to come out tenfold when gold is involved, people find the tiniest, most insignificant things to magnify and it's actually kind of funny. In a really sad way. Big matches seem to bring out everyone's insecurities, whether they like it or not. So it's not just the physical prep you gotta look at, it's psychological. You gotta be ready, because not only will they bring the in-ring talent, they bring the mind games. The ways they break you down before you step into the ring with them. A lot of the preparation is blocking that stuff out. It's insignificant. And if it's not mind games, it's being underestimated. But it's cool, I'm the underdog. And I like it that way. No where near as much pressure. [she laughs lightly]

WGEFmag; Let's take a closer look at the match a little closer. It's quite a tangled little web of histories. You've got the champ, who's beaten everyone except Adalyn Raine simply due to the fact they haven't faced each other. You've got people with strong alliegences to each other, and some enemies. Adalyn's undefeated, Britney's disappeared off the radar and Ivy's biggest claim to fame was drawing with your mentor Summer Fox...

km; That was a joke and a half. If you knew what went on behind the scenes, you'd understand what happened. Summer's not one for excuses, and neither am I, but the outcome was due to some backstage issues between Miss Fox and some members of staff. Had time been on her side, the end would have been completely different. It's a well documented fact. Ask Trish and Kaylee, they'll tell you straight up. So there is nothing to brag about in a hollow draw, not even a victory. And a personal message from Summer, if Ivy wants to continue to leech off of it and pop off at the mouth, she should put her money where her mouth is after the Pay Per View.. She'll have plenty of time because there is no chance she's walking out with the Women's title. And that's all I'm going to say on that.

WGEFmag; ..Yes, well there you go. You answered one of my of my questions. Now for what I would guess would be a standard question. Biggest threat?

km; Each woman is a threat in her own right. There's five of us in one highly combustible element. Anything can and will happen. So it would be wrong for me to say that one would be more significant than the others. But if I had to, I'd say Tapanga. I have so much respect for her, she's done great things with that title. She deserves every ounce of respect she's earned. Not to mention she's annihilated two of her four opponents, and beaten me. So she is the mark for this match. Most would say Adalyn, but she's been non-exsistant for a few weeks. Not discounting Britney or Ivy though, but the thing is they've produced no evidence to the contrary that they're any better than half the Divas who didn't get a look into the title match. Let's look at it logically. Ivy faced Tapanga in a tag team match at Showtime, the last Pay Per View, and got completely destroyed by her I faced Tapanga on Fight Night and was only a second away from beating her. Already seeing the comparison? For those who think I'm not a legitimate contender, and seem to enjoy living in the past, take a look at the records. They're much of a muchness between most of the competitors. So for people to run their mouths is pretty silly, because they're in the exact same boat. We've all got something to prove, all got the insecurities and all got the haters who think we can't do it. The only difference is that I am going to walk out with the Women's Championship on my shoulder and join the ranks of the great champions before me.

WGEFmag; So you and Chris McKenzie, the King and Queen of the WGEF?

km; [she laughed] Chris is already the king, and I know he'll come out of the Elimination Chamber still with the title. I believe in him, just like he believes in me. I just pray he comes out in one piece. Five angry superstars gunning for him, can't end well. I'm nowhere near the Queen, I can't think of myself as royalty. Whether I'm still clawing my way up the ranks, or the new Women's champion I'll always be Kia from Pine Ridge. The small town girl who somehow ended up mixed up in this crazy business. And I am so thankful for that.

WGEFmag; And I'm sure there are many fans that are thankful for you being a part of the WGEF, and I sure am for you taking the time to sit down with me today. Good luck on Sunday!

km; Not a problem, it was fun. And I'm sure there are going to be four people who aren't so thankful once the scramble is over.

And there you have it. There was not a bad word I could say about this girl. She'd even slowly coaxed me into rooting for her this Sunday with that killer smile and charming laugh. She definitely was just a small town girl who got mixed up in this world through fate, and boy are we glad that she did. Will her long and arduous road take her to the Women's Title? Only time will tell. Until then, we'll definitely be keeping our eye on the dark horse of the Championship Scramble.

- written by John Newman for WGEF.com

chapter3; right.on.target.

So isn't this an interesting turn of events? ... No, not really.  Adalyn decided she wanted to play, and Tapanga... got drunk. The others? Well, we all know that Britney was a no show from day one... and Ivy? Who the fuck cares. Wow. This is what we're coming to in a Women's title match, kind of sad to be honest. But whatever, it's not about them and their oh so generic attacks. It's about the new Women's Champion. That's right, the new champ. Where did this sudden confidence come from? From the fact that in the midst of that drunken rambling, Tapanga Britt said something that pissed Kia off to the max.  Gave her a whole new objective in this match. To most it would be insignificant, but it was a touchy subject for her. It gave her more than just proving the world wrong. Now, it was a matter of pride.

She stood in the quietest corner of the gym, swinging wildly at the punching bag as sweat ran down her face. People recognized her, hard to miss the tiny figure in pink shorts and black tank top and a mass of blond hair even if it was pulled up into a messy bun, but noticed she didn't look like she'd apprieciate being approached for pictures and autographs. Add in the fact that Summer was there barking orders and shooting menacing glares at anyone who even looked like they were thinking about approaching her. Kia was oblivious to it all. The only sounds she could hear was her breathing, the thudding of fists agains the bag and Summer motivating her by mimicking the champion's latest ramblings. She hadn't hit the sore spot yet, but she knew that to use it would unleash the anger that Kia needed to take down.

>_<

"Come on, you hit like a little blondie... I would know because I'm blonde too. But it's different because I have pink and black in it! It's totally different!" Summer tightened her grip on the bag as Kia punched a little faster. "BARBIE! You and your fake tits... that mine are biger and look more plastic than Barbie herself... It's so sad that that's our champion. Claiming she's the greatest champion ever... bullshit. She's been the champ for what, a month? Puh-leeeease." 

"Shut up! Now you're starting to make me laugh!"

"See what I mean, you gotta be ready for anything. Even the least likely of challengers can best you and walk out the sole survivor. So keep an eye on all challengers, not just the ones you view as a significant threat. Because it's the one's that don't that will knock you off your pedastool and take the throne. Which is exactly what I have planned. This was just a basic demonstration, nothing like what you will see at the Pay Per View. But one thing is the same, you will see me, Kia Mitchell walk out as the new WGEF Women's Champion. End of story, see you Sunday."

And the scene fades on Kia leaving the maze.