Jackie Gayda Interview: Talks about her WWE release, & Tough Enough
On Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 4:31 AM EST Brian Kelley of AudioWrestling.com sent in the following:
AudioWrestling.com Interview Recap: Jackie Gayda breaks her silence on The Mayhem!
Recently released WWE Diva Jackie Gayda was a guest on this week’s edition of Monday Night Mayhem, which can be heard in streaming audio every week exclusively on the AudioWrestling.com website, the exclusive legal home of "The Spring Break Incident" Video-On-Demand, featuring WWE RAW Diva, Stacy Keibler!
This MNM Exclusive is Jackie's first interview since being released by the WWE two weeks ago -- and is now available to hear for FREE on Real Audio!
Here are highlights from the interview provided by the show's co-host Shawn Walters ("The Angry Hero") of www.MondayNightMayhem.com & www.AudioWrestling.com.
The Big Mosh & The Angry Hero welcome former WWE RAW & Smackdown! Diva Jackie Gayda to the program, recently released from the WWE along with her newlywed husband, Charlie Haas. Jackie explains the emotional rollercoaster she’s been on the past couple weeks, being angry, confused, and scared all in a short period of time. Nonetheless, she feels that “whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger" -- looking for the time being to further her wrestling aspirations, along with Charlie. As Jackie puts it, she has seen “the light at the end of the tunnel” and looks forward to the challenge ahead.
Jackie continues on, comparing her entire WWE experience and wrestling career as a “one big rollercoaster ride.” Between everything that happened to her on a physical and personal level on Tough Enough to eventually meeting her husband, Jackie has taken time to reflect on where wrestling has taken her in life and how it has allowed her to grow as a person. To her, one’s success depends on whether or not you want to be an “ordinary person” or an “extraordinary person.”
As far the reactions from her fellow WWE superstars over the release of both her & Charlie, Jackie says the lines of communication have definitely been open. One of the first phone calls she made was to Victoria, with whom she had been (and still plans on being) close to when she was on RAW. Overall, Jackie, much like Charlie, has been in contact with her friends from both rosters and talks about the support network they all share to help each other back on their feet in the wrestling business.
On the state of women’s wrestling, particularly in the WWE, Jackie talks about how just before WrestleMania last year, Dawn Marie and her had pitched an angle to help revitalize the division and give the fans something unique, only to be met with a tepid reaction from the writers. It was then she knew the focus of the women’s division was changing for the worse, evident today with Trish Stratus being out and no mention of the Women’s Title on WWE TV at all. Jackie feels the division needs to get back into the wrestling aspects, something that personally drew her into the sport. She adds that women can be sexy & athletic in the ring while competing, not just meant to be placed out there in a bikini for no other purpose than just to show their body off.
Jackie gives her thoughts on the whole RAW Diva search, noting that like tag wrestling, women’s wrestling in the WWE is in a “down phase” and they have now turned to the T&A factor to get the product over. She does agree that Christy Hemme was a good choice to win the competition last year and has earned the respect of the girls in the locker room by going out there and being physical. But while she understands how important it is for Divas to always appear sexy, Jackie can’t see why they exclude the actual wrestling aspect from the Diva Search. She comments how its frustrating to see the Diva segments going on backstage, getting lambasted by the audience, yet one must go with the flow and see where the creative team take it.
In talking about competing on the independent scene of women’s wrestling, Jackie is looking forward to the challenge, especially with not having that opportunity, being a part of Tough Enough. She realizes that she hasn’t scratched the surface of working a more physical style in the U.S. & overseas and is excited to get involved.
The focus of the interview shifts over to Tough Enough, where Jackie got her start on the second installment of the series. She recalls being in her second year of college, watching RAW while doing her homework, intrigued by watching Trish & Tori wrestle and become active competitors. On a whim, Jackie sent in her tape for the first TE, making it to the top 25 but not getting a call back to the finals. She headed back to school and took advantage of the second Tough Enough try-out to which she was accepted and ultimately won the contest, along with Linda Miles. For her, it was a constant hurdle to face all the negative connotations about TE and having to constantly prove yourself, but in the end, she is able to look back proudly at all that she had accomplished.
Going further into TE2, The Angry Hero asks Jackie about fellow housemate Jake, or as he liked to call himself “Chisel.” Jackie recalls that while Jake had the looks, charisma, and was overall a nice guy, the in-ring ability didn’t “flow” that easy, with Al Snow going so far as to write an “L” and “R” on Jake’s hands to help him out.
Jackie talks about the physical aspect of TE training, remembering the six consecutive hours of training a day for thirteen weeks, with tons of calisthenics & drills on the beach. Jackie jokes how Hardcore Holly won’t mess with her too much because she was able to withstand one of his chops. She looks ahead to the independents as a different kind of training and paying her dues on the circuit.
Jackie gets into her relationship with the other TE winners, particularly Linda Miles, Maven and Nidia. She talked to Linda once shortly after Linda was let go/quit the WWE, but hasn’t heard from her or anything about her since. Maven was at her & Charlie’s wedding so they still keep close. As for Nidia, Jackie says she will be teaming with and squaring off against her overseas and looks to become closer with Nidia during that time.
On being paired up with Rico, Jackie didn’t know what expect about the nuances of the character other than the costumes. With Rico being a modern version of the “Exotic” Adrian Street, Jackie wanted to do her best to complement him as his valet “Miss Jackie," based on Street’s valet, Miss Linda. She mentions how the writers gave them a lot of leeway to express themselves with their characters and were happy with the results. Jackie hoped that Vince McMahon would actually tell them to “tone it down” rather than “turn it up.”
Jackie discusses the transition of heading over to Smackdown! from RAW and how her personal and professional began to click. She remembers just getting adjusted on RAW and switching over to SD! was difficult since it’s a brand new “family”, seeing how the two brands rarely cross paths. But in true Hallmark card fashion, she believes things to happen for a reason and her move to SD! did lead her to meet her husband, Charlie Haas. Jackie talks a bit too about the whole Miss Jackie/Charlie Haas/Dawn Marie love triangle angle, with its abrupt ending at Armageddon 2004 of Charlie leaving both girls. She says the angle’s focus changed so suddenly due to a change in the writing staff and the angle was forgotten rather quickly.
While in the topic of Dawn Marie, Jackie touches upon Dawn’s recent WWE release, considering she is currently with child. Jackie explains how complicated the situation is, seeing how Divas need to always been looking impeccably fit and able to get physical, in addition to the recovery period of having a child and actually being a parent. Jackie was very shocked in some respects but is also able to understand why the WWE might feel justified in releasing Dawn Marie.
With her release from the WWE, Jackie actually plans on heading back to school to finish up her broadcast journalism degree she was working towards back before Tough Enough II. She had some minor experience in media beforehand, but now with her time in the WWE on her palate, she plans on parlaying her “real world” experience from the WWE in a viable career option. Jackie explains how the WWE taught her a lot about the aspects of TV production & acting in front of a camera, and how she will utilize that knowledge to her advantage.
In closing, Jackie gives her thoughts on the industry in its current state. She feels wrestling is in a “gimmick phase,” trying to give everyone a character to create the next Rock or next "Stone Cold." Jackie says wrestling needs a big “oomph” and if this is the present cycle its in right now, then we just need to see how it goes and to keep wrestling on the “up & up.”
Check out more about Jackie Gayda over at www.JackieGayda.com and be sure to catch her out on the independent scene real soon!
You can hear Monday Night Mayhem in its entirety every week only on www.AudioWrestling.com.
Be sure to tune in to the entire interview with both Jackie Gayda & Charlie Haas (Monday Night Mayhem Exclusive), in addition to another slam-packed edition of The Mayhem, which will feature interviews with one-half of The Midnight Express, “Sweet” Stan Lane, and the legendary WWE Hall Of Famer & manager of The Naturals, “The Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart!