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.

www.madusa.com

During her professional wrestling career, the woman best known as Madusa helped legitimize women’s wrestling in the American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling. She held the Women’s Championship in pretty much every organization she worked for and was the first and only woman to ever hold the WCW Cruiserweight Championship (just one of many firsts for the woman also known as Alundra Blayze). Having put her wrestling career behind her, Madusa is now a successful Monster Jam truck driver (driving the Madusa truck, of course), having won the World Finals Championship in both freestyle and racing. As she readies for this Saturday’s Monster Jam event at the Georgia Dome, Madusa spoke with Georgia Wrestling History‘s  Georgia Wrestling Now on Jan. 9. Here are the highlights from the interview, conducted by Wrestling with Pop Culture, Nemesis, Matt Hankins and Harold Jay Taylor.

You’ve been driving monster trucks for several years now. Did you go directly from wrestling to monster trucks?

I had my first show [of the year] last weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma and just slapped the snot out of the boys. I love it. Altogether I’ve been driving about 10-12 years. But we only drive three months a year, so actually only maybe two-and-a-half, three years. I’ve won two championships and it has not come easy, I’ll tell you that.

I was still wrestling when I went into monster trucks. Monster Jam approached me because they wanted a cross promotion and wanted a name to get more little girls in seats and that’s exactly what they’ve accomplished.

Do you make more money driving trucks than you did in wrestling?

Oh, hell no. I made more money in wrestling. However, I’ve been frugal and smart and have other businesses and things going on. So I can enjoy what I do and I’ve been blessed. Monster trucks are sort of how wrestling was 20 years ago, so I think it’s going to take another ten years or so before the pay is the same. I remember the days when I had to drive 300 miles and I made five bucks. But you’ve got to love what you do. If you don’t love what you do it will show. Little boys have dreams of being in the spot I’m in and I just fell into it. I had never been to a monster truck show, never really seen one and never could really give a hoot, so I’m lucky.

When you first started driving a monster truck there were several other wrestling-themed trucks. None of those are around these days, but you’re still here. Why do you think you’ve outlasted the other wrestling trucks? Are you just that damn good?

Yes, I am that damn good. However, they had a contract with WCW for some of the names in WCW. I was the only talent that actually drove their own truck. Goldberg, NWO and all of them, they licensed their names over to Monster Jam. None of them drove their trucks. Goldberg’s quote was, “There’s no way in hell I’m getting in that truck. You are crazy, girl.” I’m an adrenaline junkie. I love it and it was a great marriage. It was perfect. And for 10, 12 years I’ve just been jamming it, kicking it to the top, winning two championships.

It has not been easy being a woman in a man’s world – not just once, but twice – and have to prove yourself from the bottom up all over again. When I finally did win a championship, that’s when I earned the guys’ respect.

How many female monster truck drivers are there?

There’s not enough. I think there are about five of us now. Being the First Lady of Monster Jam and opening the doors for others, it’s a great feeling to see the change and possibilities. We have some great female drivers, so it just feels so good to see them rising through the ranks. I hope one of them gets a championship here soon because it would be good to have another woman on board to feel this great feeling. When I won the championship, I won it in racing. It was against Dennis Anderson [and] Grave Digger, so when you have man against woman, student against teacher, Ford against Chevy and icon against icon, I almost couldn’t breathe! When I’m sitting at that starting line and that light is red, waiting to turn green to go, I was as calm as could be right then and there. The only thing I could think of is, “Oh my gosh! This is like ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney, and I’m gonna kick his ass.” And I did. It was awesome and it was the best feeling ever.

Have you ever thought of branching out into other types of racing?

Honey, if I was 20 years younger I probably would. I’ve always been a motorhead. I’ve been riding Harleys for over 20 years and dirt bikes and four wheelers and I love to hunt. I’m a girlie girl inside at times and I love to put on makeup and jump in the high heels. In my earlier years I was always ahead of my time. From wrestling to boxing to going to Japan to whatever, it just feels so good to have been able to pave a lot of avenues for what it is today. I really wish I would have thought of NASCAR 20 years ago or so. I would’ve been good.

You’re good, but you’re also a character that people want to go see. It seems like drag racing and other sports could use someone like that.

Madusa isn’t just a name or a character any more; it’s a brand. It has taken many years to do that, but it’s a brand. But talking about top people? Oh, honey. You look at them Force girls. I wish I could be one of them. One of the Force girls said, “I dig that Madusa chick in her monster truck.” Well, little does she know I dig her and her racing. She’s got a great push, a great name and some great talent, so she’ll be able to go a long way in her sport and carry it along for other women.

Which do you think is more physically dangerous, wrestling or driving a monster truck?

I get hurt more in this truck than I did in wrestling. After 18 years of pro wrestling, broken bones, blown knees and whatnot, you can imagine what 10,000 pounds of g-force in mid air will do to your body. You’ve got to take precautions either way. But anything is dangerous. Walking out of the house is dangerous. You’ve just got to think smart and be smart. They take 100% safety precautions in any arena they’re at, so it is what it is.

You’ll always be remembered in wrestling for taking the WWF Women’s Championship to WCW and throwing it in a garbage can on Monday Nitro. You obviously accomplished a lot in wrestling aside from that, but if there’s anything you’d like to be remembered for in wrestling what would it be?

I was under contract and I was told to do that by Eric Bischoff or “there’s the door.” But there’s a lot of things to be memorable for. Opening the doors for the new Divas division, opening the doors for women to be who they are today, changing up women’s wrestling, making it legit wrestling, bringing Japanese wrestling into women’s wrestling. Do we actually throw in winning championships? I don’t know. You tell me.

Do you keep up with what’s currently going on in wrestling?

I don’t make a point to watch it. If it’s on TV and I’m surfing and see it, I will [watch it]. Lately I’ve been catching Beth Phoenix on there and I thought, “Dang. It’s about time we got some girls on there that can kinda wrestle, look good, have some knowledge. Every time she wrestles someone, she’s the one that’s carrying the opponent. And she has to always set herself back to make the other person look good. You know what that reminds me of? It reminds me of when I was there and it pisses me off. I feel like they’re stiffling her a little bit because [they] don’t have somebody of her caliber. So what do you do? There’s other girls coming up the ranks that are starting to be as good as her, but she’s untouchable right now in WWE.

You still have the title belt you took to Monday Nitro and you recently issued an opportunity to Beth Phoenix to challenge you for it. Do you think you have a chance of that happening?

Well, let’s get something straight. If you’re referring to the YouTube video I posted a few days ago, I was merely talking about my merchandise and the questions I’m being asked. So I was just answering a question. That is not throwing it out there and saying, “I want to come back.” What happened is that video went viral, so I was like, “Why is my merchandise so crazy? Wow, great. More T-shirts sold. That’s awesome.”

To hear the full interview, go to www.blogtalkradio.com/psp. For more information, go to www.madusa.com or www.monsterjam.com.