Bell Time with Lady Vendetta

Lady Vendetta/JL Wiseman Holdings Inc.

I first met Lady Vendetta many years ago when I attended a show where she accompanied Mad Man Pondo to the ring as his valet. I learned quickly that they were a couple and all I could think of was, what the hell was a lady like this doing with, with PONDO? Years down the road I found Lady Vendetta to be one of the most approachable wrestlers and one of the most vocal and honest. Vendetta takes her craft seriously and does not like any indignation thrown at the sport she loves, especially toward the women.

Now, at 44 and still looking as awesome as she did that first day I met her, Vendetta has moved on from Pondo and has a beautiful family with two beautiful daughters, Edana who will soon be training with Pondo to join the ranks of the business and daughter Summer, as well as husband Chad who supports Vendetta in all that she is and all that she does.

Trained mostly by Sam DeCero from Windy City Wrestling, the former Super Maxx with “brother” Madd Maxx, Vendetta used her karate and jujitsu skills. It was easy for Vendetta to learn the ropes of the professional wrestling business. Lady Vendetta has had a successful career and continues to step into the ring to take on any and all challengers.

It was a true pleasure to speak with Lady Vendetta; she is one of a kind in the business and many of the Divas and Knockouts could do well to learn what the epitome of a lady professional wrestler should be. Many thanks to Lady Vendetta for taking the time for this interview and best of luck to her in the future. Also, good tidings to Edana as she takes on learning the roughest craft in sports -- but with a teacher like Pondo and a mother like Vendetta, she will go far. I look forward to speaking again with Vendetta and Edana once her career begins.

Q. Your dream opponent would be?
A. Wow, I don't really know...I worked with so many fabulous ladies over the years! I'd love to have another chance to work with Sherrie Martel, she was awesome!

Q. What is your best road story?
A. I did a 2-week tour out west with Dale Mann. Wrestled in a different town every night, then drove the ring truck and a huge van to our next destination after every show. One night I was driving the van following the ring truck through Yellowstone National Park. We drove on and on and on and on...buffalo were lowing alongside the road with frost on their backs and steam rising from them...I kept waiting for an elk or a bear to barrel out in front of us. After driving for hours and ending up back where we started, I found that all of the guys in the ring truck had gone to sleep and let Little Road Warrior, one of the midget wrestlers drive....by taping a block of wood to his foot. He was hopelessly lost and wouldn't wake any of the other guys up because he was afraid they wouldn't let him drive anymore. Our van ended up running out of gas, it was 5 a.m. and the only gas station didn't open until 8 a.m. so there we sat. Definitely a memorable experience....I wish I had gotten to see all of that scenery in the daylight hours!

Q. Who is someone you always like to watch wrestle?
A. I loved the old Wrestling at the Chase and Bulldog Bob Brown...I remember Rick Flair's first matches there and the VonErich's. (Sighs) I don't watch wrestling on TV anymore nowadays! (Laughs) That was the good stuff!

Q. As a promoter who would be in your money match?
A. Wow again! Too many good people out there! First choice would be Bull Pain and Kane (Glen Jacobs).

Q. Do you think tag team wrestling is a lost art?
A. At this point yep....the majority of the tag matches I see the partners have NO idea how to work together. I believe they just have so many people wanting to wrestle they throw them all in the ring at once just to squeeze them all into one show...chaos in the ring.

Q. If you got the call from New York, would you change your gimmick and to what?
A. Nope! I have a wonderful family I actually like to spend time with, and I have no interest in becoming a soap opera phony!

Q. Do you think titles need to mean something again?
A. Definitely! Nowadays it seems after their first few matches out of wrestling school, everyone has a belt. What's the point when you haven't worked for years perfecting your art to earn it? I wrestled for 8 years before I earned my first belt...and BELIEVE me I EARNED it!

Q. You own a promotion, who are the first five workers you hire?
A. Mailia Hosaka, Shannon Kay, Referee Evil Zebra, Luna Vachon and Becky Lee.

Q. What is the craziest match you have done?
A. (Laughs) I've done some pretty crazy crap! Matches in glass, thumbtacks, someone once handed me a Butterball turkey and I used that on my opponent in my match. Honestly, I guess the craziest was an evening gown match that I didn't know was going to be evening gowns match. I had one of the guys bring me 3 black garbage bags from the concession area and I made me an evening gown right there in the dressing room out of them. And I do say they didn't look bad at all...I didn't realize I was such a fashionista!

Q. Do you prefer hardcore, traditional or a mix of the two for your own matches?
A. I actually really prefer the traditional matches...there are too many scary things going around for hardcore anymore.

Q. Besides you, who is the best to ever step into the ring?
A. As I've said repeatedly...too many good people out there to choose one who is best...one of my favorites is Mailia Hosaka.

Q. Who is your favorite opponent?
A. That is a tossup between Mailia Hosaka and Luna Vachon.

Q. If you could change one thing about the business, what would it be?
A. I'd like to see the mystery to it all return. It drives me crazy how a lot of these promotions let anyone and everyone back into the dressing rooms roaming around.

Q. Does wrestling need a union?
A. Not from my point of view...I have no difficulty handling any problems I may run into, and I'm not afraid to let a promoter know what I need. On the other hand I'm quite easy to work with and I think I am respected for my honesty with everyone.

Q. What drew you into the business?
A. My ex-husband Mad Man Pondo. I was his valet but I had also studied karate and jujitsu before we met. Just standing at ringside left me empty...I wanted to be in the ring with all the action. As I was dwelling on what to do it was as if fate decided for me! Sam DeCero of Windy City Wrestling (as it was known back in 1994) contacted me and wanted me to wrestle in Chicago for him. So, they started me out on my training and I wrestled in Battle of the Belts that year against Toni Alexis. It was an amazing feeling and I never looked back!

Q. Do you think heels and faces need to be clearly defined again?
A. Yes! I wrestled my first 10 years as nothing but a heel, and now for this last 8 depending on the promotion I'm bounced around back and forth between good and bad. Hell, I'm not sure WHAT I am anymore! (Laughs)

Q. In the annals of wrestling, what do you want to be said about you?
A. The truth! (Which seldom happens!) I just want fans to realize how dedicated I am to keeping women’s wrestling alive and trying to keep the old school era from being completely lost. I am a tough opponent and work hard in the ring to deliver an outstanding match for the fans.

Q. What decade, the '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s or '00s, do you think best defined wrestling?
A. I believe the '50s. Can you imagine how tough it was for the ladies back then to be thought of as serious athletes? I love the idea that so many of them had the heart to fight for what they believed in!

Q. Do you think internet PPVs would help indie promotions?
A. Seriously no! There are TOO many promotions who use whomever they can find most cheaply to wrestle...which a majority of the time ends up being people who should still be training....and the matches end up being just awful.

Q. What is one thing you want fans to know about you?
A. My family means the world to me, the family I have here at home and my wrestling family. I try to go above and beyond what is necessary to give my "family" a good wrestling match and keep them wanting more. I chose the name Lady Vendetta because I am a "Lady" that has a "Vendetta" against anyone who tries to oppress women’s wrestling or make us look like un-athletic fools!

As always I am Jerry Wiseman...and then the bell rings.