Sportskeeda's own Phillipa Mariee talks about wrestling, journalism, favorite WWE Superstar, and booking Joseph Conners, Gabriel Kidd, etc. (Exclusive)

Phillipa in a wrestling hold

Q. What has your experience been, writing for Sportskeeda?

PM: "I have so much freedom, I have written for a lot of places who have a style guide that they won't change for anyone, Sportskeeda allows the writers to pitch the news and features that they want to write and then has a group where we can all talk too. I have made so many friends that I love being able to bounce ideas off and talk about news with, it's like its own little community and I think it's great."

Q. Congratulations on your baby! So, after giving birth, you were back in the ring within two weeks? Would you like to elaborate on that?

PM: "Yeah, so I was out of the ring from December last year when I found out I was pregnant and then after having my son last month I decided that I had sat around enough and I really wanted back in the ring. Of course, when you're pregnant you are not allowed near the ring because one bad bump could be fatal for the baby so I was sidelined for around eight months and it was horrible, I felt like I was gaining weight and losing flexibility, so as soon as my back was back to normal I was back in the ring. Obviously, it helped that my boyfriend, Callum is also a wrestler at the same school as me so he was there for me to train with and to push me so that I could return sooner. Right now I'm back in the gym and I'm getting myself back into shape and my boyfriend wants us to get back into boxing training and my son is only a month old tomorrow."

Q. Who was your favorite wrestler when you first started watching, and who is it now?

PM: "Rey Mysterio. He was the ultimate underdog, I remember when I was in school I learned Spanish so that I could write a letter to him, then he never replied. Seth Rollins is easily my favorite wrestler now, I chose him out of The Shield because my sister decided she liked Dean Ambrose and I can't tell you how many arguments I've won because Seth Rollins has done so much better in WWE."

Q. Would you like to talk about your experience booking Joe Conners?

PM: "Yeah he was one of the stars who was already in the main event picture when I started booking, he was the Champion on and off as well. I get along with most guys and I don't want to bury Joe because he's still doing a lot around the local scene and I know he helps to train up and coming talent in Nottingham still, but he and I just didn't get along. Some people clash and I think when two creative people go head to head often there are issues, I think Conners was passionate about the business and often wanted to push that forward, I'm glad he's been able to push himself so far in the business, since I saw how much hard work he put in to get there."

Q. What effect has NXT UK had on the United Kingdom wrestling scene?

PM: "I think it's got fresh eyes on the product, which is great but at the same time there are a lot of promotions that are suffering. Southside announced their closure earlier this week, PCW has gone downhill and many others are closing too. It's inspired a lot of people to start training but the fact that many of the current stars are locked in contracts that no longer allow then to perform in their home country for their local promotions has had a knock-on effect. With NXT UK and WhatCulture both signing up all the talent it has left us threadbare, which means that many wrestlers have been able to step into the vacant slots, but it's affecting revenue for companies since WWE is taking the best talent and not allowing other companies to use them. Hopefully, this will change in the future."

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