Queen Sharmell On King Booker, Hall Of Fame Induction, Kurt Angle Storyline

On Reality of Wrestling:

"Well, we really wanted to give our students the chance to feel like they're in the big leagues. And so this is practice for them to get to that level. That's why we wanted to pull out all the stops, make it as big and you know, all the smoke and mirrors as we possibly could have that. So that was the goal and we're well on our way, we still have a few more things we want to do. But yeah, shaping up pretty well."

On having stars from NXT appear:

"Absolutely. So it's great for the fans, obviously, because they get to see the superstars that they watch on television, they get to see them up close and personal. Then it's great for our students because they get to work somebody who's there at the next level. So it's a good rub for them."

On previously working with James Brown:

"Oh, goodness. Yeah. So I toured with James Brown for three and a half years. Amazing experience, I wouldn't trade that for the world. But we were on the tour bus one day heading probably from New York to LA something like that. But the guys on the tour bus were watching wrestling. They were watching Monday night Nitro. And all of a sudden, I saw these dancers on the screen, the Nitro girls, and I was like, wait a minute, who are they? I want to be one. So that's how I transitioned from James Brown to the Nitro girls. I found out about them and auditioned and got a spot." 

On what James Brown was like behind the scenes:

"So he treated all of the dancers like we were his grandchildren, because he had grandchildren our age, and it really was a family environment. I appreciate that more than he will ever know. Professionalism I already had, but I learned it to the nth degree from him. He was very serious about his craft. We always joked and said we did two shows a night because Soundcheck was a full-blown show. And then we had the show and he was always on top of it. He could hear every little thing. So if you were, you know, not on the right note, or if the dancers missed a step, he saw everything it seemed like from behind his head. But then offstage, treated us like family cared about us. So it was just such an amazing experience."

On becoming a Nitro girl:

"Well, again, I heard the Nitro girls were looking for one more dancer. The dance world again was small, they had a closed audition, you had to be invited to audition. I simply said, I'm going to get this job, I claimed it before I even stepped in there. And I just gave it my all and it is funny because I was getting ready to go on tour with James again for another two or three months stretch. The day before we were getting ready to leave, I had already auditioned for the Nitro Girls, but it had been about a month. And so I called Kimberly Paige who was the head nitro girl at the time. And I said listen, I am still very, very interested in this job. But I have to go on tour tomorrow with James Brown because that's, you know, my job right now. She said Hang on, let me call you right back. In about five minutes she called me back and said, If you could just please stay at home, we're gonna go ahead and hire you." 

On possibly thinking about becoming  a wrestler:

"I did [think about it], but of course, dance was still my first love. So it wasn't until, and as you know, WCW kind of kept changing leadership for a while right towards the end. So I don't remember who was in charge at the time that they decided dance has no place in wrestling and if you want to keep your job, you have to go to the Power Plant and learn how to wrestle. Well of course, at that point, I was hooked. And what they say is true, this is not ballet. So wrestling was not dance. But you know, I gave it my all I just enjoy being a valet much more."

On the end of WCW:

I never thought it would go under. I mean, yes, we all heard the whispers. And maybe it's just because I didn't want it to go under, because that was home, that was family. But really right up until the very, very end. Like I said, we heard those rumours it was going under but then we kept changing management. So I kind of just thought it would keep going like that until something stuck.

On Queen Sharmell:

"Booker was doing the King of the Ring at that point We were married when he was doing King Booker, and he just wasn't wanting to be away from home so much. I don't know he talked to powers that being was he was like, Well, what about bringing on Sharmell Queen Sharmell and all of that. I mean, I was already there. They brought me back before the Queen gimmick, but just when he was going to do the king, he just said, What about the queen?" 

On that Kurt Angle storyline:

"Kurt was stalking me. Because I was so new at that time. I don't even know. It's just like, you know, they were like, Okay, here's what you're doing. Okay. I don't know who came up with any of that. But I thought it was brilliant. Everybody's real touchy right now in this day and age. But it didn't bother me. I thought it was great. It was interesting, but I don't know if you could get away with that. In this day and age. Everybody's like, no, we can't do that. It wouldn't fly, but because I knew it was acting, you know what I mean? Now, there are some serious situations out there that are like that and I don't condone that at all, but when it was acting it was okay for me, that's just me." 

On her pro wrestling legacy:

"I'm really proud of my legacy and pro wrestling because I think prior to me, you didn't really see someone who looked like me being a queen. And even though I was crazy, and you know, hitting people with chairs and shoes and that sort of thing. But at least I carried myself in a regal fashion. [why the shoes?] You know, that's pretty much all I had at the time. So you use what you have. But just to have somebody who looks like me be in that position. I hope that I'm looked at as a trailblazer." 

On backlash from the Hall of Fame induction:

"I felt like I deserved it but you know, I made the mistake of looking at the internet trolls. Some people were saying some not so kind things and I eventually turned it off. But I know that starting out as a Nitro Girl and then being a valet for several people in a backstage interviewer and then, little bit of wrestling and then Queen Sharmell and then doing this to train the next generation of sports entertainers. I mean, I know I've put my time in."

On the infamous match against Jenna Morasca:

"Well, it was a match that in my opinion just really shouldn't have happened because neither of us, especially Jenna, she had never had a match before. [She trained] for like, a couple of days, not even a week, and that's not on her. But you can't train for a couple days and be a wrestler. It just doesn't happen like that. So just, you know, kind of was unfortunate, because I was by no means a ring general and then she had only been in the ring a couple of times. I’m not sure what it was all about but we did our best."

On her scariest in-ring moment:

"The scariest moment I ever had in the ring was my first match. Because again, like I said, it almost was like, one day we were Nitro Girls and the next day, we were at the power plant. My first match happened very quickly and it was against Tammy. Tammy, I believe was just again, was so many years ago, she may have just been coming from WWF over to WCW. Her and Chris came over to WCW. So I didn't really know her, because she was just getting there. And so I'm already green as green can be and I'm wrestling somebody I don't know. I didn't know what to expect and that was my scariest moment in the ring because I felt like I was a deer in headlights. I don't think I've even watched that match. But just the unknown was really scary for me."

On her favourite Booker T moment:

"I know he's my husband, but I really am a fan and I'm equally a fan of his entertainment. So the grocery store with Steve Austin, all that stuff was Steve Austin, you know, the bingo game, the nuns, like, Oh, my goodness. And then the stuff with Goldust. It's just hilarious. Right? So yeah, I'm equally a fan of his entertainment as well as his wrestling."

What is Sharmell grateful for?

“That God loves me, that Booker chose me and this wonderful life."