October 2005
By: Julian Radbourne
It was a sad day for women’s wrestling when Molly Holly left the WWE earlier this year. Since then, Nora Greenwald, the woman who brought the character to life, has released a highly acclaimed shoot interview DVD, telling her side of the story. I had the opportunity to speak with Nora for this exclusive interview recently.
Julian Radbourne (JR): Nora, thanks for taking the time out of your schedule for this interview. Let’s start with some background information, where you’re from, that sort of thing. When did your interest in the wrestling business begin, and who were your favourites back then?
Nora Greenwald (NG): When I was 10 years old I liked Ricky Steamboat, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, The Bushwackers and Hulk Hogan.
JR: When did you decide that you wanted to become a professional wrestling, and how did you go about getting into the business?
NG: I was 19 years old and was invited to a pro wresting school in Florida. I talk about this in detail and have actual footage from my training on my DVD available at www.noradvd.com
JR: How hard, or easy, was the training?
NG: Hard, but fun.
JR: How long did you train before your first match?
NG: About 6 months.
JR: What were your thoughts and feelings going into that first match, and how would you rate your performance that night?
NG: I was nervous and the match was horrible.
JR: You got your first big break in the wrestling business when you joined World Championship Wrestling as Miss Madness in 1999. How did you come to be associated with WCW?
NG: Macho Man asked me to teach Gorgeous George to wrestle. We became friends, and he asked me to be a part of his Team Madness.
JR: You were involved a great deal with Madusa, who is regarded as one of the best female grapplers of the past few years. What was it like working with her?
NG: It was an interesting experience I will never forget.
JR: I understand you also helped train some of the women who were hired by the company when Vince Russo was in charge. How would you describe yourself as a wrestling trainer?
NG: I am a better trainer that performer. I like to help others.
JR: You left WCW in the summer of 2000, about a year before the company went under. How did you feel when you heard the news?
NG: It was a weight lifted off my shoulders. I could then work for the WWF.
JR: There’s literally thousands of stories about how badly WCW was run, and how bad the atmosphere in the locker room was. What was your experience of this?
NG: I didn’t think it was that bad. I was just bored because after Savage left I was rarely on TV.
JR: A few months later you signed with the WWF, and made your debut as Molly Holly a short time later. Were you nervous about making your debut for the biggest wrestling company in the world?
NG: Yes I was nervous.
JR: One of the things that struck me about your role in the women’s division is that while other women were pushed on their looks, you were pushed on your wrestling ability. Was this the case?
NG: When I was a “good guy” they often said very nice things about my appearance, so I think they did push my looks along with athletic ability.
JR: One of the things I enjoyed the most about your work during this time was your stint as Mighty Molly during the WWF/Alliance angle in 2001. Was wrestling as Mighty Molly as fun as it looked?
NG: Yes it was a blast. It was nice to get the “rub” from a character as popular as Hurricane.
JR: One of the things I couldn’t understand was a certain angle where the size of your backside was played for laughs. Is it true that you didn’t really like this idea?
NG: I cried myself to sleep every night.
JR: It was at Wrestlemania 20 when you lost a high profile match against Victoria, which saw Victoria shave your head afterwards. How did the creative team go about pitching this idea to you, and how did you feel about doing it?
NG: Actually I pitched it to Vince McMahon personally.
JR :It’s nearly six months since your last wrestling match. Are you just taking time off to rest, or have you called time on your career?
NG: I have no plans for my long term future. I may go back to WWE, or I may not.
JR: Your shoot interview DVD has earned some rave reviews since it’s release. Did you think that the interview would become so successful?
NG: Yes, I worked hard on it.
JR: Looking at the big picture, what’s your overall opinion of the wrestling business as it currently stands, and if you thought anything needed changing, how would you go about changing it?
NG: I would like to change it to be more like a ” Little House on the Prairie” episode.
JR: Nora, I’m afraid time is against us, so let’s start to wrap things up with some information on how people can get in touch with you, and how they can get a copy of your DVD.
NG: Ordering information can be found at www.noradvd.com.
JR: Nora, it’s been a pleasure and an honour talking to you. Thank you for your time, and the best of luck with your career.