SoCal Val has joined the commentary team for British wrestling show WOS Wrestling (Picture: ITV)

TNA Wrestling star SoCal Val says her confidence has helped her as a woman in the wrestling business.

SoCal Val, real name Valerie Wyndham, is set to be the voice of WOS (World Of Sport) Wrestling, a new ITV entertainment programme dedicated to showcasing the best the world of UK wrestling has to offer.

Fans of TNA might recognise her from her time as a TNA Knockout, interviewer and ring announcer for Total Nonstop Action from 2006 until 2015, but she has been into the world of wrestling since she was 11-years-old.

Now as a commentator on WOS Wrestling she is determined to hold her own in what is famously a male-dominated business.




She told Metro.co.uk: ‘I am a girl’s girl. I have my bevvy of girlfriends always, and I’m very into female empowerment and being a feminist, and I feel like the fact that they allowed a girl to be amongst all these talented men, and have a voice and have a strong voice, is something that I’m very proud to carry that torch. I can’t believe my luck. It’s amazing.

‘I’ve done wrestling shows for years and years. I used to do teeny tiny shows. I did a show with Daniel Bryan, it was so low budget, there was a ring outside and we had to bring the cars and get them to put on their headlights because we had no lights, they didn’t work, so people had to shine their headlights on the ring. It was night time show. So to go from those humble beginnings to this is pretty damn incredible. I’m excited.’

So what’s her secret to bossing it for all these years? Val says believing in yourself is key, and hopes she can inspire other girls to follow their dreams.

Val said: ‘Confidence is something that I’ve never struggled with because I’ve always been a very positive person. Confidence comes from positivity.

‘I’m always the person who goes, “I’m gonna show up, I’m gonna look great”, because I’m a fashion girl, I dress to feel confident. I had my power red lipstick on for all ten episodes of WOS, which sounds silly, but it made me feel powerful.

‘As scary as it could have been I thought, “I belong here and I’m gonna hold my own with these guys”.

‘Females need a voice in wrestling and I’m so honoured and proud of WOS for realising that, that they have a female in the commentary box. Its never been done, at least not to this extent. Ever. To be the person they chose is…I’m beyond words.

‘When I was a little girl – my sisters were watching wrestling in the living room and I walked by and I loved the girls, and the female characters. I loved the power suits, and I always wonder, is there gonna be a little girl watching WOS and thinking, “Well Val’s on that. She’s hanging with the boys, she’s holding her own”.

‘That would be my dream, for a little girl to watch me and go, “I can do that too”. I hope that happens.’



She continued: ‘I never wanted to be wrestler at first. I bruise like a peach! I wasn’t an athletic girl. I loved the characters that were strong, female, characters that held their own with the men. They were unapologetic about being feminine.

‘To be in a male-dominated business, everyone has their own style, you don’t have to transition to be someone who’s tough all the time. I’m a very feminine girl but that doesn’t mean I should be discounted for having a place in wrestling.

‘All I wanted to do was contribute in my own way. I wanted to contribute creatively and as a strong voice.’

There’s some fearless ladies on the WOS roster, and Val says Viper is one fans should watch out for, not least because she can ‘kick my ass’.

‘I’m a girl’s girl first and foremost, and having so many strong women on the roster is great, but the three women we have competing – I’ve known Viper for years, I’ve seen her when we started doing shows here about five or six years ago, she was someone who stood out for so many reasons.

Viper is one to watch (Picture: ITV)

‘First of all, it makes a lot of difference, she’s a really nice girl. She’s a professional girl. She’s great with the fans, that means a lot to me. She’s so charismatic and has great personality. She has such a great look. She’s not the typical thin wrestler, she has a great strong and powerful look.’


See Viper kick some butt when WOS Wrestling starts on Saturday at 5pm on ITV

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