You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Rookie pro wrestler Sami "Bambi" Hall will try to create that good first impression when she makes her 麻豆社国产debut at the All Star Wrestling (ASW) show on Sept. 30 at Totem Hall.
For Hall, a second-generation wrester, professional wrestling was something she grew up around from a young age.
"My mother is a wrestler and I've been around it my whole life," she told The Chief. "When I turned 18 I decided to try it out and I loved it."
Breaking into the sport can be difficult. Intense training and the taxing physical toll it takes on your body can dissuade many from sticking with it, but Hall persevered.
"The first few classes were the worst because they just want to see how much you can tolerate," she said, noting that she began training in October 2010. "After the first few months it gets easier because your conditioning is up."
Hall trained at the ASW training school in Surrey, led by "Gorgeous" Michelle Starr and Disco Fury, but she was also invited to take part in the reality television program World of Hurt. On the show, wrestlers are followed as they are trained by a well-known professional wrestling legend. Hall and her cast mates got to learn from one of the biggest stars in wrestling history - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
"When I first heard about World of Hurt I wasn't too interested in it because I'd only been wrestling for 10 months," she said. "But my name was entered without me knowing and they called me up on my 19th birthday and asked if I wanted to be on the show. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to train with Piper?"
Hall said she was nervous at the start of the filming but said the experience of working with Piper was a thrill.
"The first week was kind of awkward because you have to get to know people and I'm kind of shy," she said. "But the two weeks we got to train with Piper were amazing. He took so much time with us and showed us everything he knows. He's a really easygoing guy but once you get him angry he will kind of go crazy. But I think he gave us his heart and we gave him ours for the show. The whole experience was definitely the highlight of my career so far."
The show will premiere on The Cave television network in January but Hall said she's equally pumped to make her debut in 麻豆社国产later this month. She said she aims to be known as a technical wrestler and she will have to bring her best when she takes on veteran competitor Raven Lake on Sept. 30.
If she has her way, World of Hurt won't be the only time you see her on television. She said her goal is to make the big leagues of pro wrestling but for now she will be working hard to make a name for herself.
"When I first started training, my goal was to go to [World Wrestling Entertainment] or [Total Nonstop Action]," she said. "But now I realized that goal is going to be harder than I thought. Right now I want to be recognized as a good wrestler, travel to different places, get booked on big tours and get my name out there."
Her skills in the ring have impressed several competitors in ASW, including Squamish's own Cody "TKO" Smith.
"It's been a pleasure watching her evolve from a young student to an almost full-fledged wrestler," he said. "I'm looking forward to what the future will hold for her."
For more information on the show, visit www.aswcanada.com.
