TNA’s Tara: I want to be a Page 3 girl

SHE'S won championship belts in both WWE and TNA and is generally recognised as one of the best female wrestlers in history. But there's only one thing Tara really wants — to appear in The Sun. In an exclusive interview to promote TNA's upcoming UK Tour, Tara told SunSport: "I'd love to be a Page 3 Girl! "I'll pack my swimsuit for the tour and wait for you guys to call me." The brunette, who was known as Victoria in WWE, added: "I love the fact that the TNA Knockouts Division are making such a mark on wrestling fans and I appreciate the fact that many people tune in to see us sexy girls. "I love that we get a lot more ring and interview time than other companies offer their ladies. "I mean we get to main event TV tapings and house shows. I see the ratings and our segments are often the most watched parts of impact shows." Having started her career as a member of the Godfathers Ho Train, Tara can relate to the cynics who belittle the females who get high paid jobs in wrestling for their looks alone. She said: "I was signed (to the WWE) with no wrestling experience, I was in the right place at the right time and my look and my fitness training background helped me get that job. "I paid my dues though. I spent three years going to wrestling school, working my way around the indy and developmental leagues. "You know I'd never bad mouth girls who have got an opportunity in this business without any in-ring ability. "the big thing though is that they need to realise just how hard you have to work and bust your butt to get the recognition you deserve." After leaving WWE, many felt that Tara would head to TNA — but she said it wasn't an obvious decision to her and that she considered retirement. Looking back at that time, Tara revealed: "When I left the WWE I really did think that was it, I was through with wrestling. "It seemed like I was not good enough to hold a title or get a good storyline anymore, but yet I was used as a tool to help new girls improve and gain confidence, I'd lost my interest. "I knew about TNA and I first started watching it when Awesome Kong and Gail Kim started tearing the house down with their classic matches. "It wasn't until I spoke to them that I realised that the schedule would be so much easier on my body. TNA offered me a deal of no house shows and only TV tapings initially. "I couldn't resist that. I'm so glad now as I see the division being as hot today as the WWE glory days of myself, Trish, Lita and Mickie." The upcoming TNA UK tour is poised to be the biggest yet for the company, with Sting and Hulk Hogan confirmed for the shows. Tara is excited about rubbing shoulders with the legends. She said: "The fans are so amazing in the UK, we get engulfed in their enthusiasm and it makes us work harder too. "We'll be having fun out there and with Mickie James, Gail Kim, Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky there we are sure to have some great matches. "It's unbelievable to think of how successful we are as a brand in the UK, you know we were always compared to the WWE, but we are not the same and never have been. "I think we are really standing out as ourselves now."  THE SUN .