Here’s my exclusive interview with Queen K
Kwame Shakir: How did you become a wrestling fan?
Queen K: I became a wrestling fan when I was a child I want to say around the age of 6 or 7, but it started because my mom was a huge fan. My mom loved the Von Erichs, Free Birds, Koko B Ware, and Ric Flair. I wouldn't be a huge wrestling fanatic if it wasn't for her.
KS: On a pretty hot Monday night in July 1998 at the young age of 12, I remember flipping through the channels and seeing absolutely nothing that interested me until I stopped to watch a match on an episode of Nitro and upon watching that match, I was absolutely blown away by what I was seeing because this wrestling thing was clearly unlike anything I’ve ever seen prior to that because there were on-screen characters, promos, builds, feuds, and storylines. The match was a very memorable match, but what made that match memorable for me was the ending of that match and I immediately fell in love with wrestling
KS: What made you decide to come up with Queen K’s Wrestling News & Dastardly Duo Podcast?
QK: I started Queen K Wrestling News because my ideas or what I stood for and by intimated others in this particular popular wrestling site. I realized why should I write or post for anybody that does not represent me so here I am. The podcast started because I am very opinionated and of course funny. It's not a lot of black women that are a host of shows with a male cohost in a male dominant sport and community. Plus we needed to bring some southern flavor in the black wrestling media community.
KS: What chances would you like to see in the wrestling landscape that can make wrestling better again?
QK: That's a good question, I would say booking and also not dismissing the talent you already have. The booking needs to make sense and also use the talent that you have. It's unfair at times but I also understand that some people we sometimes want to see are not the stars the business needs for longevity if that makes sense.
KS: What are things you like and don’t like about the current landscape of modern day wrestling?
QK: What I like about modern wrestling is we have great athletic pro wrestlers in both men and women divisions. They are very gifted, diverse, and adapt at such a fast past than before it's incredible. What I dislike is that social media can ruin certain announcements or “spoilers”. Like don't announce it we miss shock values.
KS: What are your top 5 favorite wrestlers ever?
QK: My top favorite wrestlers are Shawn Micheals, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, and Triple H (all in-ring wise).
KS: My top 5 favorite wrestlers are 1) Booker T 2) Jazz 3) Kofi Kingston 4) Eddie Guerrero 5) Sting
KS: What are your top 5 favorite wrestler themes ever?
QK: My favorite wrestling themes is of course Shawn Micheals Sexy Boy, Stone Cold 98-00 theme, Kane 98-02 Theme, DX with Run DMC, The Rock when he was in Nation of Domination lol and an honorary mention the Bossman lol.
KS: My Top 5 Favorite Wrestler Themes Are 1) NWO Wolfpac 2) The Rock (2003 Hollywood Heel Theme) 3) Eddie Guerrero (2005 Heel Theme) 4) Booker T 5) Basic Thugganomics
KS: What are your top 5 favorite wrestling matches ever?
QK: My top 5 wrestling matches I would say 1) Shawn Micheals vs Bret Hart at WrestleMania 12 2) Chris Jericho vs AJ Styles at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas, 3) Stone Cold vs Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 when Stone Cold passed out, 4) Sasha Banks vs Bayley NXT Takeover Brooklyn, and 5) Macho Man vs Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania 3 all great matches to me.
KS: My Personal Top 5 Favorite Wrestling Matches are 1) Mr. Grim vs Fred Yehi at The Inaugural Pan-African World Diaspora World Championship Tournament 2019 2) Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at WM25 3) Finn Balor vs Pete Dunne for NXT Title at NXT Takeover Vengeance Day 2021 4) AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe vs Christopher Daniels for The X-Division Title at TNA Unbreakable 2005 5) Omega vs Okada IV in NJPW 2018
KS: What is your happiest moment as a black wrestling fan?
QK: My happiest moment as a black wrestling fan was definitely when Jackie was announced to enter in the Hall of Fame in our city. She means a lot to me we from the same area in Dallas and she was definitely one of the greatest women champions of all time a phenomenal athlete.
KS: In your view, what wrestling match would you call “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever?”
QK: It's hard to determine that I honestly don't know it's so many from different era and promotion. I want to say Shawn Micheals vs Bret Hart Wrestlemania 12.
KS: For me personally, a match that I would call “The Greatest Match Ever” is Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at WM25. These two legends gave it everything they had from Taker nearly killing himself with the dive that hit the cameraman including kicking out of two Sweet Chin Musics to Shawn kicking out of not only Taker’s signature chokeslam and Last Ride, but also his iconic finisher: The Tombstone Piledriver. The storytelling, chemistry, psychology, and emotions in this match was absolutely Off The Chain!!! This is definitely one of those matches that deserves the moniker of “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” I would call this match the best match of Taker and Shawn’s legendary careers.
KS: What is your favorite live wrestling experience?
QK: I was at Armageddon when Undertaker threw Rikishi from the top of the steel cage and he landed in that truck full of hay. That was a cool experience and also saw Jushin Liger wrestle in Dallas at the New Japan G1 Tournament seeing him wrestle before his retirement was awesome.
KS: What was your favorite trend you saw or did during your middle/high school days?
QK: Lol it was important to have every color of phat farms lol
By Kwame Shakir
