by Daniel Johnson
Photo Courtesy of Aurora Flame
Interviewer’s Note: Aurora Flame became the first ever holder of the Nordic Women’s Wrestling Championship in 2011. Although Flame won the title at a Fight Club Finland (FCF) event, this championship is not exclusive to FCF and represents all Nordic countries. Some promotions that recognize the championship include Svensk Wrestling Syd (SWS) and GBG Wrestling in Sweden, the Norwegian Wrestling Federation (NWF) in Norway and Dansk Pro Wrestling (DPW) in Denmark. Flame began training as a wrestler in 2006 in Finland before making her debut in 2007 in England after meeting the Knight Family, which includes current WWE star Paige, who was formerly known as Britani Knight. Looking to the future Flame will soon be making her debut in the United States when she wrestles for the Classic Wrestling Association (CWA) in New Jersey later this month. This interview was completed on September 28, 2013. In this interview Flame and I focus on the topic of wrestling as the Nordic Women’s Wrestling Champion.
Daniel Johnson: In a nutshell how would you describe yourself as a performer?
Aurora Flame: I am a hard hitting female warrior representing the old school style of wrestling.
Daniel Johnson: For those unfamiliar with you where and when were you born and how long have you been wrestling?
Aurora Flame: I was born in Tampere, Finland on March 7, 1986. I was accepted to the Pro Wrestling Finlandia’s [PWF] wrestling academy in the summer of 2006 and since then I have been wrestling nonstop.
Daniel Johnson: How did you find out about Pro Wrestling Finlandia and what did a typical day of training look like for you? Also, did you have a head trainer? If so who was it?
Aurora Flame: I was already familiar with WWE when I decided that I wanted to become a wrestler myself, so I searched the Internet and found out that we had wrestling here in Finland as well. We had three training sessions per week. On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. We trained for four to five hours per day and did a lot of stamina and strength training exercises along with the basic wrestling training. Our head trainers were Stark Adder and StarBuck.
Daniel Johnson: Currently the company you wrestle for the most is Fight Club Finland. Was this your first home promotion or did you have a home promotion before this?
Aurora Flame: Yes, I mostly work for Fight Club Finland, previously known as Pro Wrestling Finlandia, which is the only pro wrestling promotion in Finland. I had my professional debut in England for WAW [World Association of Wrestling] in 2007.
Daniel Johnson: How did you first become involved in Pro Wrestling Finlandia? Was it through the training camp? Also, what made you decide to debut in England rather than Finland?
Aurora Flame: First I went to see a couple of PWF’s wrestling shows before I sent my application for the training. I wanted to debut in Finland, but at the moment we didn’t have other female wrestlers. I went to England on my holiday and met the Knight family. I got the opportunity to train with them and be part of their wrestling show. So of course I said, “Yes”.
Daniel Johnson: For readers unfamiliar with FCF’s women’s division what would you tell them that might get them interested about the division and who are some performers to watch out for?
Aurora Flame: Well we only have three female wrestlers of which one is a transsexual, so I can’t really say that we have a women’s division here. But what I can say is that no one here is afraid to break their nails or get bruised.
Daniel Johnson: You first won the Nordic Women’s Wrestling Championship in a tournament by last defeating. Jenny Sjodin. What memories do you have of the tournament and what most stands out from it for you?
Aurora Flame: I remember the feeling I had when I raised the title belt up for the first time. Jenny has always been a very tough opponent because of her style of wrestling which is very similar to mine. It is always a pleasure to fight her. She gives me a challenge.
Daniel Johnson: What was the experience like of being named the first Nordic Women’s Wrestling Championship? Also, how important do you think it is for a title to have a strong first champion?
Aurora Flame: It was amazing. I really believe that it’s important for the champ to be a wrestler, not a diva.
Daniel Johnson: Have you held any other wrestling championships to date and if so how do they compare to the Nordic Women’s Wrestling Championship?
Aurora Flame: No, I don’t have any other titles yet. I challenged Queen Maya for the RQW Women’s Championship [Real Quality Wrestling] last year but didn’t got the belt because of an interference from Jetta.
Daniel Johnson: Your first reign with the Nordic Women’s Wrestling Championship lasted 188 days before you dropped the title to Jenny Sjodin. What match most stood out for you from this reign?
Aurora Flame: Well I only had one defense before I lost the belt, but the match where I lost was really intense and definitely the match of the night. I remember being so sore afterwards that I couldn’t even sleep on my back for over a week.
Daniel Johnson: Was that another match against Sjodin or someone else?
Aurora Flame: Yes, it was against Jenny.
Daniel Johnson: I believe you won the title for a second time in your current run with it when it was vacant. How did your second reign come about and how if at all has it differed from your first reign?
Aurora Flame: The title was proclaimed vacant since Jenny wasn’t able to defend it due to an injury. At the time I was the number one contender so I was automatically in the next title match. I defeated Sara Elektra, who is another Finnish wrestler, by a pinfall after my finisher. The second reign has been similar to the first.
Daniel Johnson: What, if anything, has stood out most for you from this second reign so far?
Aurora Flame: Well I have been getting more interviews this time.
Daniel Johnson: Cool, you mentioned earlier there are only a few wrestlers currently competing for the Nordic Women’s Wrestling Championship. Could any more female wrestlers be brought in, in the near future or is this unlikely to happen?
Aurora Flame: The Nordic Women’s Championship isn’t just a Finnish title. The Nordic Women’s Champion represents all Nordic countries and promotions in Finland (Fight Club Finland), Sweden (Svensk Wrestling Syd, GBG Wrestling), Norway (Norwegian Wrestling Federation) and Denmark (Dansk Pro Wrestling). To be able to challenge for the Nordic Women’s Championship the person would have to be from the Nordic countries or had wrestled there.
Daniel Johnson: What would you most like to accomplish before your current reign ends?
Aurora Flame: To defend the title in as many countries as possible.
Daniel Johnson: Are there any wrestlers eligible to wrestle for the Nordic Women’s Wrestling Championship that you have yet to wrestle, but would like to? If so then who?
Aurora Flame: Sweet Saraya definitely!
Daniel Johnson: Awesome, I also had some questions related to your broader career. What is the furthest you have wrestled from home and do you plan to wrestle abroad more in the near future? If so then where?
Aurora Flame: I think the furthest place in Europe has been Spain. I am going to the USA next month so that’s going to be my new record.
Daniel Johnson: Awesome, what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment in wrestling to date?
Aurora Flame: I must say the title that I won and the tour that I had with NWE [New Wrestling Entertainment] in Spain.
Daniel Johnson: Also, I was curious, where will you be wrestling in the USA and do you plan to come back often or is this a one time shot?
Aurora Flame: I’m wrestling for CWA in New Jersey and I hope to come back in the future.
Daniel Johnson: A lot of wrestlers have the end goal of either making it to WWE or to a lesser extent TNA. Do you consider this to be a major priority for you? Also, which company do you think you would fit in better and why?
Aurora Flame: I hope to earn a living with wrestling. I haven’t really followed WWE or TNA lately, read: in four to five years, so can’t really say which would be better for me.
Daniel Johnson: I always like to hear ribs and road stories. Do you have any that you would be able to share?
Aurora Flame: Not really, nothing special. But hopefully the trip to the states will be special.
Daniel Johnson: Cool, winding down I also like to ask five non-wrestling related questions just to bring a little uniqueness to the interview. Outside of wrestling what television shows do you currently enjoy watching?
Aurora Flame: I actually watch a lot of cartoons.
Daniel Johnson: Any you like in particular?
Aurora Flame: The old ones, like Ninja Turtles.
Daniel Johnson: Cool, what was your favorite movie that came out this year?
Aurora Flame: This year? Not really sure. I don’t usually go to the movies.
Daniel Johnson: No problem, what is your favorite food that you tried for the first time this year?
Aurora Flame: Not sure if this is a correct translation but Arctic char.
Daniel Johnson: Cool, what song that came out this year have you enjoyed the most?
Aurora Flame: “Hollow” by Alice In Chains.
Daniel Johnson: What is the last book you read and would you recommend it?
Aurora Flame: “Sex and the City” by Candace Bushnell.
Daniel Johnson: I wanted to end with just a few more brief wrestling questions. What advice would you give to someone in Finland who is interested in becoming a wrestler, but unsure of how to start?
Aurora Flame: Go to the tryout weekend.
Daniel Johnson: What is the weirdest part of being a pro wrestler?
Aurora Flame: Loving the beat down you get in every training.
Daniel Johnson: Who is one wrestler 25 or under that you think readers should know about?
Aurora Flame: Paige from WWE.
Daniel Johnson: Is there anything you would like to promote?
Aurora Flame: Female wrestling in general.
Daniel Johnson: Is there anything you would like to add?
Aurora Flame: Just keep following my career and female wrestling!
Check out Aurora Flame in action! In this match she takes on Jenny Sjodin in the tournament finals to crown the first ever Nordic Women’s Wrestling Champion:
Categories: Wrestling Interviews
The Johnson Transcript 
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