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www.PWMania.com recently had the opportunity to interview former WCW diva, April Hunter! April is a professional wrestler, valet and model. She has appeared in several Magazine's including Playboy, Penthouse, MAXIM and many others. In the interview she speaks on several interesting subjects including her WCW career, exotic dancing, wrestling nude, posing for Playboy and much more! Below is the complete interview:

Andy Steven : Firstly April I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview for www.PWMania.com. How did you break into the wrestling business and what have you been up to recently?

April Hunter: Well...more or less I was part of the "original diva search" but without the $250,000 contract...meaning, I did Playboy & was a Met-RX spokes model and WCW saw it. They interviewed 12 of us and hired 5. I was put with the nWo...and bored after a while just walking the guys down to the ring. They came to me and asked if I wanted to be their version of "Chyna and Sable" and get trained to wrestle. When I left to begin training at Killer Kowalski's, both WCW and ECW folded. So, I've been doing a lot of indies and overseas tours ever since.

What's next for me? Well, I'm leaving on Thursday a tournament in Paris , France . 12 of the top women's wrestlers from Japan , Europe , UK , Canada and USA (Queens of Chaos) on Nov 11th. I'm also in MAXIM Magazine (at this point, it's the Latin America version), which is hitting stands this month in both USA and elsewhere. And I have a few new DVD's out! So between trying to balance tours, wrestling, a new puppy and not losing my real job because of tours, a new puppy and wrestling, it's keeping me busy.

Andy Steven : What was your childhood like, did you watch wrestling growing up?

April Hunter: No. My brother and I were wicked Kung Fu and karate fans...we both competed in Tae Kwon Do and I'm also a fan of UFC. My father was a amateur wrestler and shoot fighter. To be honest, the wrestling I knew of growing up - to me - was cheesy and had too much screaming and brightly colored spandex. We were military brats...we moved a lot. I grew up a little here and there and have spent time in Philly, Alabama , Maryland , N. Carolina , London England , Vegas, Boston , CT , Florida ...but call Philly home.

Andy Steven : You were an erotic dancer, however you disliked the industry and became a fitness model, what made you want to be an erotic dancer and what didn’t you like about the industry?

April Hunter: Money. I was broke, five days late on my rent and needed to do something that made money without having to wait 2 weeks for my first check. Dancing was it. I didn't like the club owners "dancers are a dime a dozen" mentality. But there's a lot of that in wrestling, too. I like think you get further with people by treating them decently...but maybe I'm idealistic.

Andy Steven : You signed with WCW in 2000, how did you get in talks with WCW?

April Hunter: Modelling. They contacted me through agent Rich Minzer.

Andy Steven : You were an nWo girl at the start of your WCW career, working with several other models such as Tyleme Buck, Pamela Paulshock, Midajah O’Hearn and Kim Kanner. What was it like working with these models and was there ever any bitchin?

April Hunter: Fun, for the most part. I always had to drive...everyone else was a Cali girl and none of them could negotiate the streets of the northeast. Of course there was bitchin'...we're females. I could tell you lots - but then I'd have to kill you.

Andy Steven : How was it working with the nWo and becoming Steiner’s Freak after the nWo split up?

April Hunter: Unpredictable! Steiner was cool enough towards me. However, he will relentlessly hit on you. No amount of "piss off" deters him. When I met my husband, Steiner and I were working on a show together last year and doing appearances and it was amusing to see them having a bit of a standoff.

Andy Steven : You have posed for several magazines such as Playboy, Penthouse, MAXIM, MuscleMag and many others, what has been your favorite photo shoot and do you prefer posing nude or clothed?

April Hunter: Doesn't matter, as long as it's fun and sexy. I live in sweats with no makeup, so getting to dress up is fun to me. All the shoots are harder work than you'd think...and I KNOW how lame that sounds. I mean, after all...all we do is pose in lingerie, right? But it's long hours on little sleep and even less food in crap conditions. It's usually freezing (and I mean FREEZING) or hot as balls on locations and you're up at the ass crack of dawn, going until late at night. But, for sure, it beats a real job. So I'm not complaining. Much.

Andy Steven : Have any of the wrestlers ever tried to hit on you backstage at an event?

April Hunter: Of course. On show's, there is a room full of men and only a couple girls...all of whom can relate to them and their crazy choice of career. I'm "booked for life" to Canadian wrestler JD Michaels, but that doesn't seem to matter to most guys. I just take it with a grain of salt and as a compliment.

Andy Steven : You have competed for several promotions such as TNA, ROH, competed in Europe , Japan , Mexico and many other countries. Do you have a memory which has topped all others?

April Hunter: Definitely the tours overseas. I love Japan , Europe and the UK a LOT. It's a big part of why I wrestle and one of the things modelling never allowed me to do...travel. Nudity and centerfold modelling is not a big deal anywhere but here in North America . I'm a photographer on the side and often request an extra day or two if I'm making the 12-19 hours flights somewhere so I have time to look around wherever I am.

Andy Steven : You were trained by Killer Kowalski, how did you and Killer start talking or how did you get him to train you?

April Hunter: The WWE referred me to him. When I left WCW to train, WWE called. I flew out to LA to meet with them the day after WrestleMania and they set up Kowalski's for me. I like him; I learned a lot about not just wrestling, but the business from him.

Andy Steven : You have been in many tag teams from The Killer Babes to T & A to working with your partner J.D Michaels. Can you tell us about these moments and if you have a favorite?

April Hunter: the "Killer Babes" (Nikki Roxx and I - named that cuz we were the only 2 girls who didn't quit training at Killer's) was the first female tag in America and I like to think we started the women's tag divisions that are out there now which Team Blondage solidified. Unfortunately we ran into two major problems...we didn't have any other teams to work and Nikki tended to think mainly only of herself when taking bookings. She would jet off to Mexico rather than make the tag team a priority, so we didn't last. With Talia and "T&A", it's whole different gimmick. We're taking the proverbial piss on what women's wrestling has become, wrestling in lingerie and short skirts - and Talia's committed to making the team work. She's got a great character and look in the ring and I really like working with her. My favorite type of match is intergender tag, so doing matches with JD rules. He's a great worker and easy to play off of. He gets amazing heat and connects with the crowds.

Andy Steven : You have wrestled wrestling matches in the nude, when you were with Carmen Electras NWWL, what were your thoughts on this and how was the fans reaction’s when you done it? Would you do it again and did you enjoy it?

April Hunter: So far, I've only worked with them for one match--with a severely broken nose which was packed at the time. I'm sure I didn't look my prettiest! One of the wrestlers they brought in for me to work cracked me in a practice run-through on a frigging hip toss, of all things. She went down to a knee, which my nose kissed sideways. I like working for NWWL, they pretty much rock. Very professional and fun. As far as working nude...it's a little weird, but I danced nude, and at least you don't have to keep adjusting your costume. I'm not sure we look our best hitting the canvas nude and seeing everything shake though! But whatever...I'm guessing some like that!

Andy Steven : You have also had quite an interesting movie career, can you tell us a bit about your movies?

April Hunter: I've not really pursued acting, but gotten a few cool parts and commercials. I did "Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy" as Don Frye's wife last year. Luckily all the non-wrestling acting parts were played by real actors, so the movie turned out well. It's hitting the film festival circuit now and hopefully will be picked up by a major company.

Japan has been especially kind to me, between working for Toyota and doing an action movie called My Zombie Mermaid. That was with Zero One's Hashimoto, Korean pop star Sonim, Nicholaus Petis, etc. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFVnybPQVVw.

Andy Steven : How did you meet your wrestling husband, J.D Michaels and what’s married life like? Babies next?

April Hunter: I met him in Winnipeg , Canada when I broke my nose (yet another time)...he was there watching my match and told me how the girl had dropped me (on a cross body off the top, she only caught my legs and I went face first into the mat with her). So, he basically used that as a reason to start talking to me, because he's very quiet unless you know him. And the next night, he broke his nose in the same place I had. I really liked him - he was witty, smart, good looking (even with a broken schnazz), real and fun, but didn't think much would come of it, because we were on opposite sides of different countries, but he proved me wrong.

Married life is good; I can't complain. It's actually better than I thought it would be. He's my best friend, I adore him, he's good to me and we fight like crazy like most couples do. We recently got a puppy, who was sick and almost died. After that stressful experience, I think it was major birth control for both of us and we're not thinking babies any time soon!

Andy Steven : What is your opinion on current WWE/ECW and TNA programming?

April Hunter: Not much more than anyone else's. I don't work there, so couldn't tell you much, to be honest.

Andy Steven : What are your goals for the next 5-10 years?

April Hunter: I'm not sure-I tend to just run with things. Off the top of my head: To see as much of the world as possible, stay sane in an insane biz and be one of the extreme few wrestling marriages that work.

Andy Steven : I would like to thank you very much once again April, for taking this time to take part in this interview for www.PWMania.com, I wish you the best of luck in the future and do you have any messages to say to your fans?

April Hunter: Are you still reading??! If so, thank you! You can see more of me here: www.AprilHunter.com and myspace.com/TheUltimatePrize.
Take care!