Maria reveals which former WWE Diva inspired her to compete in the Diva Search contest

Dot Net reader Michael Beattie sent the following recap of WWE Diva Maria's appearance on NHL Live Radio, which took place Friday at the XM Studios at the NHL Store in Manhattan, N.Y.

The interview began 15 minutes late due to poor weather conditions in NYC. The hosts welcomed Maria, who noted she was dressed in a Chicago Blackhawks jersey (her favorite team, naturally). They opened with comments and questions about "Tribute to the Troops" and gave credit to Vince McMahon for continuing the tradition of visiting and entertaining the troops which was made famous by Bob Hope.

Maria was then asked about how the situations in Iraq have changed over the years and she stated that she personally noticed how things have gotten better as far as morale being improved; that the soldiers seem to have noticed they are now making a difference over there and that they are feeling as though they are actually getting somewhere with their efforts. She also mentioned about how much fun they have on the trips and that they are received with great enthusiasm and always have great interaction with the troops and then added that it takes four video crews to capture everything for the TV special.

Talk turned to hockey and how she agrees that adrenaline levels between NHL and WWE are very comparable. Mention was then made of the NHL Winter Classic, as Maria is looking forward to cheering on the Blackhawks. She was then asked about how much of a physical toll the WWE can take on you versus other sports. She said because of the unique nature of the moves performed in wrestling that it is very demanding on a person.

She was asked about her athletic background before wrestling and said that she competed mainly in volleyball and tennis during high school and played just about everything prior to those years because her school was so small. She also spoke of her background in dance as well, saying she had 17 years experience growing up. Maria stated that she was inspired by former WWE Diva, Trish Stratus, to compete in the Diva Search.

When asked about Vince she called him the "greatest boss in the world" and that he is approachable when you need to discuss things with him or ask advice but at the same time he can be a very imposing figure. This sentiment was echoed by one of the hosts when he recalled his experience dealing with Vince during the XFL era.

Maria also played up the family aspect of the WWE saying that the some of the guys were like big brothers and the girls were like sisters. Following that she stated her appreciation for the support she gets from her own family but regrets that she doesn’t get to spend as much time back home as she would like.

The interview, which lasted about 15 minutes, concluded with another plug for the "Tribute to the Troops." Both hosts were very genial and seemed genuinely excited to have her in the studio.