GLOW cast members Kia Stevens (Awesome Kong) and Jackie Tohn and Chavo Guerrero recently spoke with Scott Fishman for Channel Guide Magazine about learning how to wrestle for the television show, which premieres of Netflix on Friday. You can read a few excerpts below:
Chavo Guerrero talks about what moves and lessons he taught the cast:
“I wasn’t training them to have a WrestleMania match. At the same time, it’s similar to when you’re working with pro wrestlers. I’m training them to be safe, protect their opponent and not get hurt. They had to do moves for a scene 10 to 12 times, sometimes more.
“So they would have to do these same bumps over and over again. Really, my main objective is the same one I had with Lucha Underground or WWE, which is you have to keep yourself in the game. Don’t do anything to get hurt or your opponent hurt.”
GLOW on Netflix Review: The Gorgeous Ladies Steal The Show And Send The Fans Home Happy
Jackie Tohn, who plays Melrose, talks about how the cast reacted to seeing Kia work on some moves before finding out she is a professional wrestler:
“I love Kia. I remember the first day when nobody knows each other from a hole in the wall. Chavo is teaching us how to lock up and circle. There is a ton of choreography involved. We don’t know anything going on. He calls Kia in the ring to use her as an example. We don’t know her. They lock up and start wrestling.
“We all start screaming. We had no idea she was a wrestler. It would have helped us to have Googled the woman we are standing next to in rehearsals. We all didn’t know each other. She sort of showed up like we all did. It was very Bad News Bears. We were this ragtag group of girls. Then it turns out that Kia is this full-beast ass-kicker. You’re like, ‘Oh, cool. Good to know.’”
Kia Stevens talks about how her role in GLOW compares and differs from her Awesome Kong persona:
“I thought with the role that finally people get to see closer to who I am. Kia is a total 180 from Awesome Kong. I’m silly and perky and a lot of fun. Awesome Kong is very serious. So to show this other side and dimension that people can relate to is great. When people approach me they have this one dimensional idea of Kong in their head. So to give the audience and world another dimension to approach me in is very exciting.”
