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By Les Honig She always
considered herself a perfectionist in all she attempted to
achieve, so for Erica Porter, current UPW women’s champion, it
is no wonder that in the one year since she first entered the RAW
Center for training, she has come so far so fast.
“It’s just how I’ve been all my life,” she
explains. “When I
make the commitment to do something, it is total and complete.” Yet for those
who watch her excelling in her training sessions and in her venue
performances, her entrée into wrestling may seem to be a natural
and facile one, but little do they realize that the path here to
future stardom has taken many twists and turns, with standout
performances in other prominent fields as well. Born in
Guatemala City, Guatemala and coming here to settle in Maryland at
the age of 4 with her family, Erica was a young achiever as she
tackled a whole variety of sports but it was gymnastics that most
caught her childhood fancy. Close
to her older brother David, (16 months her elder), she cites him
as an early role model, who despite their normal sibling
conflicts, she followed around trying to do many of the boy things
he would do himself. The pair were early wrestling fans as well,
although her parents didn’t understand and particularly like
that attraction they shared for today’s premiere form of sports
entertainment. As she entered
her pre-teens, this previous tomboy gave up gymnastics to enter
the world of dance; enrolling in a ballet class through the
recommendation of a friend, and she quickly loved it and excelled
here as well. She also developed a rebelliousness that she speaks
of with some amusement now. “I
just had a total lack of respect for authority.
I wanted to do my own thing and didn’t want anyone to
stand in my way." Continuing her
studies throughout high school but then focusing more on jazz and
tap, she entered and graduated Pittsburgh’s Point Park College
with a degree in dance. Erica then decided to seek fame and
fortune out West, so she packed up her car and drove out to the
Coast settling in the Los Angeles area.
“I wanted to pursue a choreography career and also wanted
to do video work but unfortunately many of the casting directors
felt I was too muscular in appearance. It was then I decided
instead just to let myself try anything and everything to see what
I wanted out of life.” Holding a
variety of jobs the next several years from a sales rep for
colognes and perfumes to a personal trainer to a heavy
construction worker and even as the director of her own mobile
dance and gymnastic company, it was a contact from a friend who
advised her that auditions were taking place for “female
athletes in a superhero show” that began to set her on her
present and quite promising pro wrestling career course. The auditions
were for Women of Wrestling (WOW) and Erica quickly saw that
producer David McClane was indeed portraying ladies in a positive
light, something which was very important to the future grappler.
Combining her ability to high fly with her South American
persona, McClane developed the character of Jungle Grrrl, an
identity which Porter quickly took to with enthusiasm.
Building a devoted following, she continued with the role
until the show’s end left her once again with the need to look
for another career choice. Fortunately for
Porter, however, she was referred by McClane to the Travel Channel
which was in the process of developing a documentary centered
around the pro wrestling business, and when the filmmakers used El
Segundo as a shooting location, she found out that there indeed
was a wrestling school nearly right under her eyes.
With a fellow ex-WOW wrestler she went over to see what
action was underway there, and coming in to a Saturday session,
she was immediately struck by just how right it all seemed. Tom
Howard was teaching the class and after bouncing around with the
boys, Erica was totally at home and would make that fateful
decision to commit herself once again to a new field, only this
time it seemed for good. Now with the
ladies’ title firmly around her waist, Erica Porter seeks even
greener pastures someday, hoping to parlay her early successes to
a run with the nation’s premiere wrestling company, Titan
Sports. Until that happy day comes, however, she will continue her
endless pursuit of square circled perfection here, mixing it up
with the best of the guys and fellow gals. “I
just want to encourage other women who might have an interest to
check Ultimate U out, “ she encourages, and adds in typical E.P.
fashion, “However, if you’re only coming out for the fame and
fortune, you best forget it. To succeed here you need to really
have a passion for wrestling itself, not just for the glamour.
It’s hard work and if you don’t give your all, you won’t
stand a chance.” Spoken in true Erica Porter fashion…and spoken in a way deserving of future mega-success and for now, in a way that certainly qualifies her as our choice for July’s Wrestler of the Month. |
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| Past Wrestlers of the Month: | |||
