In an exclusive interview with PWMania, Kylie Paige (@kyliealexxa) sits down with Scott Mitchell (@scott44mitchell) to talk NWA 78, including her upcoming match with Nattie Neidhart and Kenzie Paige. She also opens up about Kenzie Paige, their rocky relationship as of late, being one half of the NWA Women’s World Tag Team Champions, this era of the NWA, the upcoming NWA Empowerrr event, and much more. Watch the interview in its entirety down below.
Let’s jump right into it. We are now less than one week away from NWA 78, where you will be facing off with your sister, Kenzie Paige, and Nattie Neidhart in a three-way match. What’s your mindset heading into this one?
“Honestly, I feel like I have something to prove, you know what I mean? I’m the youngest. I’m the least experienced, and I almost feel underestimated. I think I really do have a lot to prove in this match. It’s the biggest match I’ve ever been to, thus far. Something to prove is my mindset. I intend to prove it.”
Seeing Nattie in an NWA ring never gets old. She is a legend and is truly a top-tier talent. What has it been like getting to see her step into the NWA, a company full of so much talent and prestige?
“She is awesome. She is a legend. But, at the same time, you’re just waltzing into my home whenever you please. That’s the only problem I am having right now. She’s kind of lacking respect whenever she’s walking into somebody else’s home. While it is awesome, and it is cool, that’s just, it’s just a respect problem, almost. How would you feel if someone random just walked into your home? Exactly. Thank you. Except it’s a legend walking into mine. Maybe I should be a little grateful. I’m not. I’m not. I’m a little ticked off, honestly. But, yeah. Yeah.”
What has it been like for you to represent the NWA during one of the most fun times to be a fan?
“It’s awesome to be able to represent such a prestigious, history-holding company. It’s never been something I thought I would actually get to do. So, to get to do it and to get to do it at the highest level, and get to be awesome while I do it, I don’t think there’s anything else I’d want to do than represent the NWA. Especially during these times, when we’re on a gigantic upswing. I’m not going to say it’s thanks to me that we’re on this upswing, but I am kind of going to say thanks to me. You have me, you’re going to be on the upswing.”
You and Kenzie have been mainstays at the NWA. What has it been like to work with her, so far, at the NWA?
“To work with your sister alone is honestly a dream. But, to get to do it at the NWA, I don’t think that there’s anything better. We have had some rough times the past year or so, but we won’t talk about that. We’re going to talk about the good parts. We’re champions, we’re getting along, we’re best friends, she’s my other half. It’s awesome.”
What would you say was the biggest piece of advice you got from Kenzie was, when you first started getting into wrestling?
“I got a lot of advice from her. I think the biggest one was probably, don’t let wrestling change you. It hasn’t. I kind of took that to heart whenever she said it. I always thought, what does she mean? I’m not changing. I mean. But I see what she means now, so I’m glad I actually took her advice, took it to heart, and actually listened to it. She really cemented that and beat it into my head. There was nothing else. That was the one thing where she was like, ‘If you don’t do anything else, don’t let it change you.’ I was like, ‘Okay, fine boss, fine.’”
You and Kenzie are the current NWA World Women’s Tag Team Champions. While you’re no stranger to this title, is there anything different for you holding it now compared to the last time you did?
“Last time I held it, I was 19 and just hit a year in the business. Looking back at the time, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m awesome, I’m doing this, I’m making history.’ Whoa, did I learn a lot. A lot. In the past, almost three years, a lot has changed, to say the least. I’m smarter, I’m wiser, I know more. I think that’s going to help me retain these. So.”
Your and Kenzie’s relationship on NWA has been a bit rocky as of late, as you threw Kenzie over the top rope at the Burke Invitational Gauntlet to eliminate her. What would you have to say about that?
“1, Kenzie and I have handled this privately, with our therapist, maybe. We won’t talk about that. But, honestly, this is what I told her, and this is what I will tell the entire universe. I heard Kenzie eliminating, she was rocking and rolling, and I don’t know, something happened to my eyes, I don’t know if someone poked me or what, but I heard her doing it. So, you know what, I’m going to do it too. I throw someone over, I can’t see. I can’t see who it was. I throw them over. I blink, I adjust. It’s Kenzie. For half a second there, I was like, is she going to get back in? Will she just get back in? Did the referee see it? She gave me a death stare instead. Whenever I got to the back, I got an earful. I won’t air anything publicly, because we handled this. We’ve had plenty of talks about this on Powerrr, but we also handled this privately and with her therapist. The therapist takes my side after hearing the story, so that’s all I have to say. It was an accident. Freak accident. My eyes. Had to blink, and adjust, and there she was on the floor. I was just as surprised as she was. That was never my intention, never. But, in my defense, she said she wanted me to win. But you’re going to yell at me when I try to win, which I don’t understand. But I’m not going to get into that. I’m not. I can’t. You got me mad. You got me mad again. Let’s continue. Thanks, Scott.”
You and Kenzie appeared on Carson Drake’s podcast this past Saturday on NWA Powerrr, on Comet TV. It seemingly just made things worse for you two. Would you say going on his podcast was a bad idea now?
“In a sense, maybe. But, also, he had some valid points for me. He said, ‘Kenzie, you are the longest-reigning Women’s World Champion, and Kylie never got a shot.’ Thank you. Nobody else has even mentioned that. I’ve been thinking it, but nobody has even mentioned it. Then, the TV title that she held never got a shot at that either. Maybe it was kind of a mistake. We’re on good terms, so don’t you dare ever question it. Kenzie and I were locked in, going into this match with Nattie. But, Carson, he had some good points. He did try to instigate. He did try to bring up the Burke Invitational Gauntlet, just like you did. But he also had some valid points to me. So, maybe it was a happy mistake. But I learned something from it. I learned that someone is on my side. Someone sees my point of view. So, I don’t know if it was a full mistake.”
On the same episode, you guys faced off with The Hex in a very hard-fought match. Following the match, you guys got attacked by Paige Collett & Sirena Veil. What went down here?
“A bat and her big butt friend came out and attacked me from behind. I didn’t know what was happening. When I watched it back, I was like, ‘Oh, oh, you want to attack me?’ So, don’t worry, business will be handled. But I didn’t expect it. You attacked me from behind after I won. I mean, congrats for trying to call your shot or whatever, but you could have done it a little differently. That was kind of rude, in my opinion. But whatever, noobs.”
The big picture with the NWA is that it is one of the most exciting eras to be a fan of. We saw recently that it moved to Comet TV, now on Saturdays at 4 pm, as well as Tubi, where fans can watch all the old episodes. What has it been like for you to be a part of this era?
“I mean, it’s awesome. I won’t say growth, I won’t say that. Because if you don’t know NWA, you’ve been living under a rock. But it’s awesome to watch it evolve and constantly be on an upswing and constantly get better. We’re going out to all of these different streaming platforms. We’re making it available for everyone. I’m not going to say it’s thanks to me, but whenever you have this face, you want to put it everywhere. So, maybe it is. Maybe it is thanks to me. Actually, it is. It is thanks to me. It’s awesome to be a part of it, and it’s awesome to be the cause of it, so.”
For fans who may or may not be on the fence still about tuning in, what would you tell them about why they should check out NWA Powerrr?
“If you’re ‘on the fence’ about tuning in, the PPD is there. There’s no, I don’t think that there’s any other reason to watch. But there are other reasons to watch, and I’ll tell you about them right now. It’s hard-hitting. It’s fun. It’s a breath of fresh air. Also, another thing I love about NWA, they never let women’s wrestling take a backseat. It’s always on the front lines, almost every single episode, you’re going to have a women’s match. Who doesn’t want to watch women’s wrestling? That’s why you should tune in. Not just for me, not just for the women, but for the NWA as a whole. It’s amazing.”
It was also announced that you and Kenzie will be presenting NWA Empowerrr, which will take place on Friday, August 28th, in Sevierville, TN. What is your mindset heading into this one?
“To put women’s wrestling on the front lines and make sure everybody is there to watch it. Women’s wrestling is one of, if not the most important thing to Kenzie and me. So to be able to hold this event is a dream. It means more to us than anyone will ever know. Our goal is to just put it out there and see what we’re working with, and make them fall in love with it. They will. As soon as they lay eyes on it, they’ll fall in love with it. There’s no question about it. August 28th, Sevierville, TN, Empowerrr, hosted by Pretty Empowered. Come watch it.”
This show is important for an abundance of reasons. The biggest perhaps is that it’s a way to provide a platform and celebrate the incredible women of the NWA women’s division. How important is this to you?
“It means everything. It means everything. The fact that the company I’m signed to cares this much about women’s wrestling shows I signed in the right place. It’s awesome. It’s awesome. I can’t thank NWA and Billy enough for caring this much about women’s wrestling enough. It’s awesome.”
Already announced for that show are La Princesa, Tiffany Nieves, Gisele Shaw, Sirena Veil, and EFFY. What can you tell us about who else may be at the show?
“The PPD does not spoil. I’ll keep my secrets. But I will say. Some familiar faces, some new. That’s all you’re getting. That’s the only hint that the PPD will give you. You just have to come see for yourself. If you don’t see, you’re a noob.”
Liviyah, whom you met in the finals of the Tournament For Tomorrow, signed with the NWA recently. What has it been like for you to see her growth in her own right, take over the northeast scene, and now kind of follow in your footsteps?
“Stalker. I hate her. I think she’s a stalker. I think she’s a chungus. I think she needs to leave me alone. I don’t know what her obsession is. But, I will say, it’s awesome seeing her take over. It’s awesome seeing her branch out to all of these other places, and it’s awesome seeing her branch out to the NWA. She’s a great wrestler. I’m a little part of her journey. Did I beat her up a lot, and that’s my part in her journey? Yeah. But I’m still part of it. But I hate her. Chungus. I hope she sees this.”
Looking ahead for you, what are your goals?
“The number one thing right now, Japan. I want to go to Japan so bad. But, besides Japan, I want the NWA World Women’s Championship. Maybe double champ? Those are my two big goals right now. Maybe in the future, after I accomplish those, I’ll rethink some more. But, right now, Japan and the NWA Women’s World Championship. That’s right there.”
Do you have any future opponents you want to share the ring with?
“Oh man. I’m open to anybody. Someone I really want to get in there with, maybe it’s not realistic, but my mentor, Miss Jazz. I still need to run my one with her. She’s amazing. She taught me a lot. She and Dr. Tom are the ones who made me who I am today, so I definitely want to share the ring with her at least once, at least once. In some capacity. It would be awesome. Besides that, I’m down to wrestle anybody. Anybody.”
