Willow Nightingale on Misconceptions About the AEW Locker Room, Vs Mercedes Mone, Embracing Her Role Model Status

By Jason PowellEditor-in-Chief of ProWrestling.net (@prowrestlingnet)

Good Karma Wrestling with Guest Willow Nightingale
Hosts: Jonathan Hood of ESPN Chicago, Gabe Neitzel of ESPN Milwaukee and Brian Rowitz of ESPN West Palm
Twitter: @GKW_Wrestling

What it means to be a representative of the people when she’s on screen: “You know, when people started coming to me with that question, I guess it was around the time I signed with AEW, about two years ago, and I realized that when I started wrestling, I didn’t intend to be a role model for anybody. I didn’t intend to be some kind of representation for people who are unconventional in the way they look or the way they act or anything like that.

“But really, people have resonated with me for a lot of reasons. But that’s one of the things that keeps me going when I feel like things are too difficult or too hard or there’s too much stress, it’s like a lot of people are counting on me, not just because they love me and they want to see me succeed personally. But when have we really seen someone who defies the norms like the angry Black woman? I’m someone who shows you Black joy. When have we seen curvy, curvy women be portrayed not just as monsters, but as athletic, powerful people, and sometimes, I mean I’m not the fastest, but, you know, I have a little bit of agility in me.

“So I think it’s important to break down stereotypes and show people that there’s so much more that an individual can be than what you think they are. And I think I have to continue to champion that, to break down those stereotypes. It’s not an easy task, but somebody has to do it. If you have something negative to say about it, you know, it’s water off a duck’s back.”

On facing Mercedes Mone multiple times: “The first time I faced her, I had videos of her. I had been a fan for a long time. I knew what to expect from her. And once she started her run in New Japan, I think you got to see another side and another layer of what she’s capable of. So I was able to use that to my advantage the first time. I faced her and, of course, she got hurt. And you know, I’m a competitor. At the end of the day, I’m going to use that to my advantage as well.”

“But before this match, I don’t know. She hadn’t wrestled in a year. I wasn’t sure what her training had been like before everything else. If she had changed her training. But I had confidence in myself, knowing that I had beaten her before, so I know it’s possible and I can do it again. At the end of the day, you know, she’s one of the best for a reason. It didn’t work out in my favor. I wish her the best. But right now, I’m in contention for the Owen Hart Cup, looking to win it so I can face Toni Storm for the women’s world championship.”

What do the media and fans have bad things about the AEW locker room? “I don’t want to say that you’re all wrong. You’re just blabbering on Twitter and stuff. But I do think that there’s a lot of people who are going to make the worst of a situation or are constantly trying to sensationalize things because that’s what gets attention. And of course, that’s what gets views or likes or clicks or whatever. So people are going to go out there and make it as crazy as possible.

“But I think the morale is pretty good. I feel like there are some really great people in the locker room. Like last year, we had Will, we had Okada, we had Mercedes, these really big signings and even before they got here, a super, super, solid roster, like the best wrestlers. You know, they say, ‘AEW is where the best wrestle,’ it’s so true and I think that should be the focus.

“I don’t think people should really care about what goes on behind the scenes. I think we get along great. But it’s a wrestling show that people can watch. What we show on the screen is ultimately the most important thing, so watch it on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays to see that.”

What else she would like to accomplish in her career: “I’m playing in the Owen Hart Foundation tournament, I won it last year, but last year the stakes weren’t as high. I think I won the tournament and for me it was more of a statement. This year there’s the challenge of going to Wembley, which I didn’t get to do last year, which was a big burden for me in the second half of the year. So I want to go to Wembley. I want to fight for the women’s world championship because I haven’t gotten there yet and that’s definitely one of my big goals and to win there would be a beautiful dream moment, the chef’s kiss. That’s the biggest thing for me right now.”

“They just announced at Forbidden Door, Wrestle Dynasty is coming to Japan on January 5th. It also feels like the kind of thing where, like I mentioned before, we have a deep roster. We have so many incredible, talented wrestlers that could be in it. But there’s like this big part of me that’s like, I have to be one of them. I was the first woman, under AEW contract, to go to New Japan and go to CMLL, representing our company. So for me, I’m like, you have to be there.”

Other topics include her mom watching Swerve vs Ospreay, how she lives life with a smile, her wrestling inspirations, and more.