Interview with IZW Superstar Venus

 

 

“I want to be able to share my passion of professional wrestling with as many people as I can.”

 

 

For Paloma Vargas, better known to wrestling fans in Oklahoma, Texas and across the Southwest, as Venus (formerly Starr), anytime you get to watch a match where Ms. Vargas is competing, the desire and willingness to put on a great show for the fans comes through with every move that takes place in the ring. For Venus, a mainstay on IZW’s Saturday night global television show on GFL.tv, her aspirations to become a professional wrestler started early on as a child, south of the border.

 

 

“I have always loved wrestling. I grew up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and when I was little my mom and my Grandma would take me to the lucha libre shows and I was completely taken by it. I admired it. I met my favorite luchador, Tinieblas, when I was seven years old and took a picture with him. At that moment I knew that I wanted to be a wrestler,” Venus recalled

 

 

From there the spark only grew for Venus as she became a teenager and saw more and more local wrestling. “When I was in high school in 2006, while I was a cheerleader, I also attended local wrestling shows. The local promotion in El Paso (ALLWA) was going to have ring girl tryouts. I thought that this was my chance to actually be involved in the wrestling business somehow. When I went up to the promoter to inquire about it, he took a look at me and told me that I didn’t look like a ring girl. At the time, I had pink hair and had my eyebrow pierced and my tattoos were visible. He asked me if I have ever thought about being a wrestler. I of course wasted no time in saying ‘yes’. The next show I was a valet for one of the wrestlers there, and I haven't stopped since!”

 

 

After getting a taste of the squared circle in high school, nothing was going to keep Venus from continuing down the path of becoming a full-fledged pro wrestler. Even though she had other goals she was working towards, she made the wrestling business a top priority in her busy schedule. “I started training in 2006 in San Antonio, Texas. I moved there for college and contacted some of the wrestlers I knew worked in the promotion in El Paso but lived in San Antonio. I started training with ACW, American Championship Wrestling which later became Anarchy Championship Wrestling. Some of the trainers were Jacob Ladder, Darin Childs and Ken Johnson. For the first few years of my career, I was mainly a manager, but I did have my first full pro match in 2008. I broke into the business alongside Texas wrestlers such as Laz Castro and JC Bravo who were also in my training class...good to see that they are also still wrestling” Venus said.

 

 

As anyone in the wrestling business will tell you, it’s not a job for everyone. The physical demands of the profession require a certain amount of grit that can break most people. In wrestling, it’s not “if” you get hurt, it’s “when” you get hurt, and Venus has had her share of bumps and bruises. “I have had three concussions one was severe. I have sprained my ankle, my elbow pops constantly. I have had four stitches across the bridge of my nose and have sprained my meniscus and MCL in my right knee.”

 

 

Add to that working in a mostly male dominated profession, the uphill battle for Venus is a little steeper than most in a world where the failure rate is close to 99% to begin with. “As sad as it is, and it shouldn't be, being a female automatically puts me at a disadvantage in the wrestling business. Not only is it seen as a ‘man's world’ but the numbers of women in wrestling are scarce. The number of women who are in wrestling for the actual sport and the love of it are even harder to find. But being a woman does not stop me from working harder and stronger than my male counterparts to prove to the world that I can hang with the best. No matter if they are female or male,” Venus stated.

 

 

Those who have watched Venus’ tenacity and wrestling prowess in the ring, or the underhanded tactics outside of it might be surprised that she has even more to offer the business other than just what goes on inside the ring or in front of the camera. Thanks in large part to her college studies in San Antonio, where she managed her wrestling opportunities with her duties as an overachieving college student, Venus hopes to one day merge them together. “I have a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Advertising and have experience in broadcasting and I would love to bring my knowledge in those fields over to the wrestling world. Wrestling has evolved to a much bigger entity than just wrestling. It involves production, advertising, broadcasting and so much more, and to have experiences in both aspects would be priceless,” Venus added.

 

 

Every yin has its yang in pro wrestling and fans of IZW know for Venus, her counterpart is the equally talented Erica. “My most memorable feud has also been my longest, with Erica. I have been going up against her for almost three years now and it hasn’t been easy. I have to give it up to Erica; she is a top-notch competitor that can probably go head-to-head with anyone in the world. She is a legit bad ass with her national winning amateur wrestling background. But once she steps into that ring with me we are both head-to-head competitors at an even level. While she has had her wins on me before, she does not hold the win that I have over her. I beat her at ‘Coronation’ to be the official Queen of IZW,” Venus said.

 

 

“IZW is what other Independent promotions only dream they could be! The talent that IZW possesses is by far the most dedicated and engaged wrestlers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. The production value is impeccable! To know that anyone, anywhere, around the world can log onto GFL.tv and watch the show is unbelievable. It is such a big deal! We have an opportunity to showcase our talents in an avenue that most other wrestlers only dream about! To have the experience of being exposed to a worldwide audience puts us ahead of any other competition and we are prepared to take a step to the next level. The sky is the limit for IZW, with weekly televised programming shown on GFL.tv and iPPVs the only thing that is left for IZW to take over is the world! And they are going to need a queen,” Venus continued.

 

 

Speaking of iPPVs, IZW is set to present its summer blockbuster on July 21 dubbed “Evolution” and like always, Venus will play a pivotal role in the evening’s festivities. “My match at ‘Evolution’ is sure to be one of a kind. Not only is it a Triple Threat Match between me, Erica and Angel Blue, but it is a Tiara on a Pole Match! I don’t know why I have to wrestle for something that is already mine! But since my tiara was ruined in my first coronation by Erica and my second one was stolen by Angel Blue, I have to battle it out for possession of it. I will not only be once again the official Queen of IZW, but I will be the only woman to be crowned Queen TWICE! The fans are sure in for a treat in this match,” Venus promised.

 

 

With Venus’ slick political maneuvering, she has managed to associate herself with one of the strongest factions in IZW history, Brandon Bishop’s Impact Inc. On top of that, she has aligned herself with IZW’s most decorated Heavyweight Champion in history showing that Venus possesses more than just ring skills, mic skills and an overall winning presence. She’s a thinker too, always one step ahead of the game. “I see myself staying where I am at with IZW…at the top. I am the official Queen of IZW and have the World Heavyweight Champion, ‘The Bronze Bull’ Aaron Neil at my side. I am the Golden Goddess! I became the Golden Goddess after I professed my love to Aaron and it was only fitting that he has a goddess with golden locks just like him at his side.”

 

 

To find out more about Venus visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WrestlingStarr and her official fan page at www.facebook.com/VenusStarr, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PalomaStarr or her YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/TheVenusStarr. And don’t forget you can watch Venus every Saturday night on IZW exclusively on GFL.tv.