For the past 12 years, Madusa has been a female standout in the man’s world of monster truck driving. But with an illustrious 18-year wrestling career prior to that, and a reputation for being a Harley-riding gearhead, the transition from wrestling to Monster Jam was a natural one. On Feb. 16 she returns to the Georgia Dome, where she has developed a reputation for being one of the most entertaining freestyle drivers with car-crushing abilities that rival any other driver. As she navigated the streets of Atlanta on Valentine’s Day (threatening to kick my ass for missing a couple of turns), Madusa called Wrestling with Pop Culture to discuss the current state of women’s wrestling, how Monster Jam compares to wrestling and the chances that she might someday return to the ring (even making a joke about the infamous World Championship Wrestling Monday Nitro incident where she dropped the World Wrestling Federation Women’s Championship into a garbage can in 1995).
You’re about a month and a half into the 2013 season. How has this year been treating you thus far?
Like every year, our first quarter is the busiest with January, February and March, ending March 23 with the World Finals in Las Vegas. That has turned into a three-day circus celebration of entertainment. Their motto is “It’s all about the fans,” and fans are important. I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for the fans. However, there are some long days at the World Finals. Before you even race you are worn out from signing autographs. After that, you have a week or so off and you just wait to see if you’re booked for some international shows. We travel all over the world now, so it’s a lot like wrestling.
The World Finals sound a lot like WrestleMania.
Yes, it is a lot like WrestleMania.
Speaking of WrestleMania, about a year ago you put out a challenge to Beth Phoenix for the WWE Women’s Championship belt you still possess. Now that she’s out of WWE, has there been any additional talks about that?
We tweeted back and forth a few times and I wish her the best. It’s a shame that they let such a great talent go. She looks good, can wrestle and can cut a promo, and that’s hard to find anymore. It was a bad day for pro wrestling when she left. I do still have the title. They never stripped it from me or yanked it from me and we never had a match for it. It is what it is. I’m still the champion, always was, always will be.
Since WWE no longer acknowledges the Women’s Championship, having replaced it with the Divas Championship, what are the chances that you might actually defend your title in a WWE ring someday?
That Divas Division is like going to a candy store and picking out your favorite lollipop. Which flavor do I get to suck on next? That’s nothing against the girls personally. Everyone loves what they do and it’s entertaining. Vince [McMahon] is a marketing genius, so he’s doing something right with those chicks and they don’t mind doing it. So, whatever works. But I would like to go in there and clean house. I don’t want to get back into wrestling long term and get out there and bump on the mat all the time. I already did that. But to make cameo appearances every once in a while and shake things up? Yeah!
It was recently announced that Trish Stratus will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. What are your thoughts on her induction as a female wrestler?
I think the Hall of Fame is a genius idea – another money-making machine. How they choose, why they choose or the order that they choose, I have no idea. Who cares? If someone lives up to a wrestling persona, then they go into the Hall of Fame. Why shouldn’t anybody that’s wrestled before be in it? That’s how I feel. I don’t care what order they go in if it’s somebody important that made a dent in pro wrestling.
Have there ever been any talks of you being inducted into the Hall of Fame?
They haven’t contacted me about the Hall of Fame, but they have contacted me a couple of times since I retired in 2001 about coming back. But who knows? Maybe they’re just waiting for the right time to induct me. I can see my intro now, my dear. I would call Waste Management and every truck around and I would bring every garbage can there is. I think you know what I mean.
Back to Monster Jam. Has Madusa been showing up the boys on the tracks this year?
Absolutely. They don’t call me the Queen of Carnage for nothing. This Saturday I’m in Atlanta, which I think is sold out. Isn’t that insane? I think it’s great, though. They have ten, 12, 14, 16 trucks or whatever they’ve got and they have this huge pit party. But it’s a good time. You can’t go to any other entertainment event and get as many pictures and autographs and fan interaction with the talent than you can here.
Last year was Grave Digger‘s 30th anniversary and this year Maximum Destruction celebrates a decade of devastation. When will we be seeing Monster Jam celebrate Madusa’s anniversary?
Yeah, go figure. Let’s talk about this men and women stuff. We got 30 years of Digger and rightfully so for Dennis [Anderson]. He deserves all the recognition he gets. Then we have Max-D, which is ten years. Tom Meents has probably actually been driving for about 20 years, but Max-D has only been around for ten years and he drove Goldberg for the first two years. But Madusa’s been with them for 12 years. Where’s my anniversary? Woman in a man’s business again – first for 18 years, now for 12 years. It’s just unreal.
Have you addressed these concerns with anyone at Monster Jam?
No, but I’m sure my fans would love to have a Madusa anniversary party.
Given the things you’ve already accomplished in wrestling and monster trucks, what else might Madusa want to do?
There’s another niche that I’m into right now that will slowly be revealed to the world. It’s exciting and something new. It doesn’t mean I’m closing the doors on anything else. I just finished some certification degrees and I’ve been into fitness and wellness my whole life. I’m a wellness life coach for cancer patients and I educate people and help people with today’s health fads and healthy choices. It’s just re-educating everybody that we can eat what we want, but better, and there are better and right choices. That’s just a little bit of it.