STORM ON THE HORIZON (FSM 94; June 2013)

FSM: How was your overall experience of Japan?
Nikki Storm: It was amazing. It’s an intriguing country, and such a difference of cultures - yet some things were oddly familiar. I really enjoyed seeing their dark, bizarre, and often very funny subcultures, and I loved [the district of] Akihabra.
There were many things lost in translation, but the girls there are so genuine and passionate about wrestling. It helped me realise the quality of wrestling training I received at the Source Wrestling School in Glasgow, with Damian O’Connor and Mikey Whiplash. I was prepared for the physicality and conditioning, and I was able to bring British holds and counters that the girls hadn’t seen before. It helped me re-evaluate my own goals, and I’m really focused now for the future.

It was a very successful tour in terms of results. Were you pleased with your matches?
It’s actually a shame that I had to return when I did, as I had started to really settle in.
I enjoyed all the matches, and performing at Korakuen Hall on my debut was amazing. I had to get used to doing the big multi-person tag bouts, but they were good experiences. Over in the UK, it’s rare that I get to do matches like six-woman tags, so that challenged me. I even did a seven-way, which was mind-boggling.
I really enjoyed my EVE title defence against Nakamori, but my favourite was my final match against Bolshoi and Kazuki. I loved every second of it, and would love to wrestle Bolshoi again. We had great chemistry, and could put on a hell of a battle if we get a chance to do it again.
You went in Japan as a champion in your own right, but were you able to add to your game by going out there?
I don’t think I’ve added a large amount to my game, but I’ve maybe been able to culture my style slightly. The Japanese have a very different style of psychology than I’m accustomed to, so I got to learn how they put together their match endings, and it was a great view into their world.

The All Japan Women group is still considered to have featured the greatest women’s wrestling of all-time. Is that a period that you’ve studied?
As part of my preparation, my trainer Damian O’Connor had me study a variety of matches from All Japan Women. Manami Toyota is an inspiration. I also think the modern joshis, like Emi Sakura, Leon, Tsukasa Fujimoti and Hikaru Shilda, are excellent.

You’re involved in the TNA Gut Check. Is a spot on their roster a goal for you right now?
The opportunity to live and work in America is a goal of mine, and TNA has a phenomenal Knockouts division that includes Mickie James, Tara, and Gail Kim, amongst others. It would be amazing to learn from these talented wrestlers, as well as show off what I can do in the ring and on the microphone, on a weekly basis on national TV.