- 5 minutes ago
Andrew Pollard speaks to TNA star Gia Miller on her Bound for Glory in-ring debut, Tessa Blanchard, her character's evolution, who she wants to face in the Knockouts division, the WWE/TNA relationship, becoming the top interviewer in the business, and more!
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00:00Hello and welcome to World Culture Wrestler. Myself, Andrew Pallard.
00:03As you can see, I have a very, very special guest today.
00:06TNA backstage correspondent and now TNA wrestler, Glam Gia Miller.
00:11Gia, how are you?
00:13I'm great. How are you? Thanks for having me.
00:15I'm good. I'm good. It's fun to grab some time, talk the good times of TNA.
00:20And also, I should probably throw in as well, for fans in the UK,
00:23of course, you can keep up to date with TNA and all that Gia's up to
00:25on the TNA Plus streaming service.
00:27Available for the very nice price of £9.99 per month or £99.99 annually.
00:33You've got events coming up like Turning Point on the 14th of November,
00:36TNA Final Resolution on the 5th of December.
00:38And we're not far removed from Bound for Glory where you,
00:42not to be confused with Rusty Iron,
00:44but you made your official TNA debut against Tessa Blanchard.
00:48How was that for you?
00:49Wow. Whoa. Deep cut throwback with Rusty Iron.
00:53Thank you. Thank you for the mention.
00:55She heard that from wherever in the world she is.
00:59Yeah, it was a really amazing experience to make my TNA wrestling debut
01:07and on a stage like Bound for Glory.
01:13I mean, a record-setting event.
01:15The energy that night was just absolutely electric.
01:20Unfortunately, it had to be against Tessa Blanchard,
01:23who, y'all know my feelings on her,
01:27but that's not what it's about.
01:29It was about the incredible moment that was Bound for Glory.
01:33Yeah, it's still hitting me, you know?
01:36Yeah.
01:37What do you reckon that Rusty Iron would be up to, actually, these days?
01:40Just to go on that.
01:41I hate to imagine.
01:43You know, she's still hard at work.
01:47She's still hard at work.
01:48But you know what?
01:49She's never far from our hearts.
01:52She's never far from our hearts.
01:54She's probably working the conventions,
01:56maybe agenting a couple matches at some mud shows.
02:01But she's still hard at work.
02:03I know Rusty.
02:03She never quits.
02:04No, no, exactly.
02:06Now, the Tessa match.
02:08I mean, how cool is it for you now to say that you are a TNA wrestler,
02:12as in yourself, Gia Miller?
02:14That must be pretty cool.
02:16Yeah.
02:16It's, I mean, it's really, really cool to now have that notch in my belt.
02:24I pride myself on being someone that no matter what obstacle or job or task you throw at me,
02:33I will be able to handle it, even if it's my very first time.
02:37I will always give everything my best.
02:40So I've officially done, I think, every single job in wrestling at some point or another.
02:49The thing I've done the least is refereeing matches.
02:53But now it's like, it's crazy that I can just, my mom has always called me the Jill of all trades.
03:02So I really feel that getting to show what I'm capable of.
03:08Yeah, exactly.
03:08Keeping yourself valuable, improving all over the place,
03:11making yourself an option for anything they need to do in a company gal.
03:15Now, obviously, the match with Tessa didn't quite go your way,
03:18but there was a little bit of assistance from, you know, a roll of quarters.
03:21Fair to say there's some revenge on your mind?
03:24This is not the last we've seen, Gia Miller, between the ropes.
03:27No, no, no, no.
03:28Things are far from over between me and Tessa because, I mean,
03:33I went into that match making it very clear that, like,
03:37the winning and losing was not what I really cared about.
03:41I didn't care about a record.
03:43I didn't care about advancing in anything.
03:45All I cared about was giving Tessa what she had coming to her.
03:50And I had a couple opportunities to get my shots in.
03:54But, unfortunately, the match ended just a little bit too early.
03:59And I really think that she had to pull out some of her daddy's old tricks
04:04because she, I think she was concerned that if it went on any longer
04:10that I really might get the better of her.
04:12And I would do exactly what I said that I was going to do.
04:14And that was embarrass her.
04:16Yeah.
04:16And you kind of touched on it earlier.
04:18I mean, there's clearly a lot of pressure with the other roles that you do for TNA.
04:21I mean, just the backstage interview role where it's,
04:23you've got to remember so many things.
04:24It's also the ability to think on the fly, to be adaptable,
04:28to show personality and bring some energy.
04:30But what's that feeling like when you come out in front of a record crowd,
04:33the biggest TNA crowd in North American history, 7,794,
04:37for nearly 8,000 people, your family in attendance,
04:39going up against one of the best wrestlers in the world
04:41for your official TNA debut.
04:43How is that feeling?
04:45I mean, the pressure was on.
04:47But I would say the first couple of days leading up to it,
04:54I was very anxious.
04:55But when the actual day came and I entered that building
04:59and I spent all day kind of getting ready,
05:02getting in the mindset of it,
05:04when my music finally hit and I walked onto that stage,
05:09I felt completely ready.
05:11I felt like even though the room was completely full,
05:18I didn't feel the pressure of them.
05:22I didn't feel like they were looking at me in judgment.
05:26I felt like they were with me and that they were behind me
05:29and they were on my side and I felt their energy
05:32and it was just unlike anything I'd ever experienced.
05:36Yeah, it was definitely a game face.
05:38I mean, Tom Hannaford and Matt Raywell on commentary
05:40discussed how, you know, Bound for Glory,
05:42that was showing a different side to yourself,
05:44a more serious, determined ass-kicking side
05:46from the moment you came out
05:47to the moment you get between the ropes
05:48to that headbutt you landed towards the end of the match as well.
05:52I mean, we've seen a little bit of that
05:53for people who've been keeping up with Pro Wrestling Revolver
05:55with the macabre,
05:55but how fun was it to be able to show that side of you
05:58to the TNA audience?
06:00Yeah, it was really fun.
06:02It was really, really awesome.
06:04Because this character that I have created,
06:07this macabre Gia Miller,
06:09this different side of me,
06:11is honestly when I feel more true to myself.
06:17And I know that may come, like,
06:19as a shock to a lot of people
06:20because they know the bright and bubbly and the Gia,
06:25but there is a whole other side of me
06:28and I think that that's everyone.
06:30We all have different masks that we wear
06:33for different occasions
06:34and different roles that we have to play.
06:36And this was a piece of me that has always existed.
06:41For the longest time,
06:42I didn't know how to channel it
06:44and I didn't know how to package it.
06:46But within the last year at Revolver,
06:49I've had the opportunity to release that inner demon
06:55in a positive way,
06:57to create a story and positive change for myself
07:02that I felt I needed at that time.
07:05So it was really great to be able to bring her
07:08into the TNA wrestling world
07:10because it was the same thing.
07:12It was a change that needed to happen.
07:14It was an energy that I needed to channel
07:16if I was going to overcome the obstacle
07:18that was Tessa Blanchard.
07:20Yeah, so basically you're saying
07:20that the bubbly, energetic girl we see on screen,
07:23she's kind of got a bit of an undertaker in it,
07:24a bit of an abyss,
07:25sacrificing people,
07:26doing all sorts of horrible things.
07:27There's an abyss in there.
07:29There's a...
07:29I am abyss.
07:31Those that know, they know.
07:33Janice is somewhere, around,
07:35waiting for people to call it out.
07:36Hey, maybe that's the equaliser against Tessa,
07:39just saying.
07:39Yeah, she wants to introduce weapons,
07:41then by all means.
07:43Yeah.
07:44Now, obviously, Tessa is still on your radar
07:45and Victoria Crawford.
07:47But away from that,
07:47I mean, the knockouts division,
07:49anybody else that really jumps to mind
07:51because it's stacked.
07:52Obviously, Rosemary is a big favourite of mine,
07:54Mara Sade,
07:55you've got Jodie Threat,
07:56who you're pals with,
07:56the Elegance girls,
07:58Alicia Edwards,
07:59Indie Hartwell,
07:59the Angel Warriors,
08:01Inspiration,
08:01Tasha,
08:02Killer Kelly,
08:03the UK's own Harley Hudson,
08:04who we interviewed a few months ago,
08:05who's lovely.
08:07And even Kalani Jordan now
08:08is the new knockouts champion.
08:09But I know it's tough to narrow it down,
08:10but is there maybe one
08:11that immediately comes to mind?
08:12One or two where it's like,
08:13yeah, at some point,
08:14they can get it.
08:15Uh, you know,
08:18I wouldn't say it comes from a place
08:22of beef or anything like that,
08:26but bringing it back around
08:29to Bound for Glory,
08:31I want to go against,
08:32I'm calling her a hardcore legend,
08:35Alicia Edwards.
08:36I mean,
08:37that spot where she went through,
08:42oh my gosh,
08:42in the tax,
08:43and she was just wallowing around him.
08:46I mean,
08:47so much street cred,
08:49so much,
08:50like,
08:50so many props to her.
08:51She is absolutely hardcore,
08:53and I think she and I
08:55could absolutely tear it up.
08:57I will be here for that.
08:58Yeah,
08:58that watching out of Bound for Glory,
08:59it's like,
08:59this is,
09:00this feels wrong,
09:01I don't want to be watching this,
09:02but it's like,
09:02this is also kind of cool,
09:03like,
09:03what is going to happen next,
09:04and then Ali goes for the 450,
09:06I think it was.
09:07Oh no!
09:08And it's just like,
09:09all the landings just look horrible,
09:11but particularly what Alicia was getting.
09:13Now,
09:14I mentioned Kalani Jordan there,
09:15the current,
09:16the new,
09:16well,
09:17I say new,
09:17the current TNA Knockouts champion,
09:20obviously the WWE talent,
09:21NXT talent,
09:22how have you found that,
09:23that relationship so far
09:24between the two companies?
09:25Because obviously everybody makes
09:26a big deal of it,
09:27and it seems to be going well.
09:29Oh,
09:29absolutely.
09:30It's gone really well.
09:31I think that
09:32the partnership between
09:34NXT and TNA
09:36has been
09:37very beneficial
09:38for everybody involved,
09:40and especially within
09:41the Knockouts division,
09:43and their women's division,
09:46they're,
09:46I mean,
09:47two of the best women's divisions
09:49in all of wrestling,
09:50so you can only imagine
09:52all of the great matches
09:54that we've seen so far,
09:55and that we can look forward to
09:57in the future,
09:58so I can't,
09:59I really can't wait to see
10:00what all happens
10:01coming up,
10:03but so far
10:05it's been really great,
10:06everybody's been
10:07getting along really well,
10:09I think everybody
10:10meshes together really well,
10:11even though we have
10:12a little bit of
10:13territorialness about us,
10:16that's natural,
10:17that's natural,
10:17but it's a healthy,
10:20competitive spirit,
10:21and so I really like that.
10:23Yeah,
10:23I mean,
10:23some people have kind of
10:25decided to criticize
10:26the relationship,
10:26and maybe it's a little
10:27too one-sided,
10:27but then you look at it,
10:28TNA setting an attendance record
10:29with Slammiversary
10:30earlier this year,
10:31then breaking it
10:32with Bound for Glory,
10:33you've got certain TNA stars,
10:36getting introduced
10:37to a new audience,
10:38seemingly on the cusp
10:39of announcing
10:39a big new TV deal,
10:41I know Carlos Silva said
10:41that that's on the way
10:42for early 2026,
10:44and it's just a general buzz
10:45around the company,
10:46I mean,
10:46not to say it's all down
10:47to WWE,
10:47but it's fair to say
10:48that relationship is working
10:49nicely for both parties,
10:50yeah?
10:51Oh,
10:51absolutely,
10:52absolutely,
10:53there are,
10:53I said it maybe a year ago
10:57now that these partnerships
11:00and these crossovers,
11:01they don't happen
11:02unless both parties
11:04can benefit,
11:05otherwise there wouldn't
11:07be an agreeance
11:08if it was just like,
11:10oh,
11:10yeah,
11:10we're just gonna come
11:12and prop you guys up
11:13and just make you guys
11:14look good,
11:14and we'll just take
11:16the short end of the stick,
11:17yeah,
11:17that's fine,
11:18then what's the point?
11:19And it was never that,
11:21and it certainly isn't that,
11:22and I've never perceived it
11:23as that,
11:24I think it has,
11:24it has truly been
11:25a partnership
11:26that both parties
11:27have been able to see
11:28a lot of improvement
11:29and benefits
11:31on both sides,
11:32and I think we're just
11:32starting to see that.
11:33Yeah,
11:34and you kind of mentioned
11:35it earlier about how
11:35the knockouts division,
11:36it's one of the strongest
11:37divisions in the world,
11:38women's or men,
11:39it's one of the strongest
11:40divisions in the world,
11:41and that's been synonymous
11:42with TNA since,
11:43well,
11:44since the knockouts division
11:44was a thing,
11:45and there's always a habit
11:47of there'll be a big star
11:48or two,
11:48and then they disappear,
11:49but somebody steps up
11:50from,
11:51maybe from nowhere,
11:52where maybe it's
11:53replacing Gail Kim
11:53or Orson Kong,
11:54and you'd have someone
11:55like Mickie James
11:56comes in,
11:56or Deonna Perazzo
11:58comes in,
11:58and then Deonna leaves
11:59and Jordan Grace
11:59steps up.
12:00Who right now,
12:02obviously,
12:02apart from your good self,
12:03Glam Gia Miller,
12:04but if you're going to look
12:05at maybe somebody who's flying
12:07a little bit under the radar
12:08that in a year or two
12:09is going to be flying the flag
12:10as the knockout,
12:13who's your tips?
12:14Other than yourself,
12:14obviously.
12:15Hey,
12:15that's tough.
12:17That's tough,
12:17because there are so many women
12:20in our division
12:21that have the potential
12:22to step up
12:23and become the figurehead
12:26of the knockouts division
12:27within the next couple of months,
12:29within a year,
12:30and like you said,
12:32things can change really quickly.
12:33I think somebody
12:34that we need to keep
12:35a very close eye on
12:37is Dani Luna.
12:38She has been
12:40on a completely
12:41different role.
12:43She's changed her mindset.
12:45She's changed her approach,
12:47and that's when things
12:48can get really dangerous.
12:49I mean,
12:49she's out for blood right now.
12:52She knows what she's capable of,
12:54and I think we need to watch
12:56and see this evolution
12:57of Dani Luna
12:58over the next coming months.
13:00Yeah.
13:00Now,
13:00it's five years
13:01since you've been with TNA
13:02or Impact,
13:02as it was then,
13:03which is,
13:04I know,
13:04it's absolutely flown by.
13:05I believe you're like six years
13:06in terms of the wrestling business
13:08in general.
13:09That's gone so quickly,
13:10and things kind of get weird,
13:12because obviously,
13:13there's the pandemic
13:13in the middle of things,
13:14which kind of throws time off
13:15for everybody.
13:17Where,
13:17if you say you look ahead
13:18to maybe 12 months
13:20down the line,
13:21where do we see
13:21Gia Miller all being well?
13:24Well,
13:2612 months down the line,
13:27a year from now,
13:28I will still be
13:29under contract with TNA,
13:30and I'll be,
13:31and I'm happy for that.
13:33When I signed my last deal,
13:36when they told me
13:37three more years,
13:39and especially at a time
13:40where not a lot of people
13:41were getting
13:42three-year offers,
13:44it was a lot of
13:45one and two years,
13:46sometimes even shorter term.
13:47When they offered me
13:49three years,
13:49it was no question.
13:50It was absolutely,
13:51I'll be here
13:52till the wheels fall off.
13:54This is my home.
13:55This place
13:55raised me.
13:57I say that all the time,
13:58and I can't see myself
14:00anywhere but TNA.
14:02Yeah,
14:03and is it going to be
14:04more of a focus
14:05on the in-ring?
14:06Obviously,
14:06the Tessa issue
14:08is still lingering,
14:09but once that's done,
14:10are we looking at you now
14:11as a fully paid up,
14:12regular,
14:13full-time member
14:14of the knockouts roster,
14:15or is it just the occasional
14:16match when called for?
14:17Hey,
14:18only time will tell.
14:20Only time will tell.
14:21Right now,
14:21I'm going to put
14:22all of my focus
14:24into where I see
14:25it is most beneficial
14:27for me,
14:27and so I'll never
14:28lose sight of my microphone.
14:31I can't let that go.
14:33Last year,
14:33I was ranked number two
14:34in the world
14:35of backstage interviewers.
14:37I can't let that slip.
14:38I've got to get
14:39to number one,
14:40but if I make my way
14:43into the ring
14:43every now and again,
14:44hey,
14:45that's all right by me.
14:46Yeah,
14:47number one is on the table
14:48totally,
14:48but I'm looking at the time.
14:50I know we need
14:50to wrap things up,
14:51but a final question.
14:52What about you saying
14:53about getting to number one?
14:54What about getting to the UK?
14:55Any rumblings of TNA
14:56coming back to the UK?
14:57Obviously,
14:58there's a big audience
14:58over here for you guys
15:00and gals.
15:01Oh,
15:01and I haven't heard
15:02any rumours,
15:03but that's always
15:05the talk in the locker rooms.
15:06When are we going to go back?
15:07When are we going to go back?
15:08When are we going to go back?
15:09So we're going to put that
15:10out into the universe
15:11because I would absolutely
15:13love to come to the UK.
15:15I would love to meet
15:16the TNA faithful
15:17that is UK based
15:18because there is such
15:19an incredible community.
15:21They're so supportive.
15:22They're so wonderful.
15:22So I would love
15:24for that to happen.
15:25We're going to put that
15:26out into the universe.
15:27Manifest it out
15:27into the universe.
15:28I like that.
15:29We'll be here for it.
15:30I believe it's getting on
15:30for two years
15:31since the last tour.
15:32I don't know.
15:32Again,
15:32time.
15:33I've lost track of time.
15:34In a minute.
15:34Yeah.
15:35In a minute.
15:36Far too long.
15:37Right.
15:37Get on to Carlos Silva
15:37about that.
15:38We will get this done.
15:39Once the TV though is done,
15:40Carlos,
15:41that's it.
15:41UK,
15:42come on back over here.
15:43Right.
15:44Just to get things wrapped up again,
15:45you can keep up with Gia
15:46and all the,
15:47whether it's backstage
15:48or in ring
15:49on the TNA Plus streaming service
15:50available in the UK
15:51for £9.99 per month
15:52or £99.99 per month
15:54or per month annually
15:55with events like
15:56TNA Turning Point
15:57on Friday,
15:57November 14th
15:58and TNA Final Resolution
15:59on Friday,
15:59December 5th.
16:00Finally,
16:01Gia,
16:01how can people keep up to date
16:02with yourself?
16:03The socials,
16:04plug yourself.
16:05Yep.
16:05You can find me
16:06on all social media platforms
16:08at Mean Gia Miller.
16:10That's me.
16:11Go look it up
16:11and give me a follow.
16:13Absolutely.
16:14It's been an absolute pleasure,
16:15Gia.
16:15Thank you so much
16:16for giving us
16:17so much time
16:17to come and have a bit
16:18of a natter with us
16:19here at What Culture Wrestling.
16:20This has been
16:21What Culture Wrestling.
16:21I've been Andrew Pala.
16:22This has been Gia Miller.
16:23We will see you soon.
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