Masha Slamovich will face Jordynne Grace at TNA’s annual Bound for Glory pay-per-view. We sat down with her to see how she’s preparing – and to discuss her other rivalries.
Masha Slamovitch is the current number one contender for the TNA Knockouts Championship and will face her best frenemy at TNA’s biggest show of the year. As Masha and Jordynne Grace have been on the same page for much of their shared TNA history, we asked Masha if her alliance/friendship with Grace was just a marriage of convenience or is there genuine respect and friendship there?
She said, “I think it’s safe to say that it’s a balance of both. I think that it’s no secret that me and Jordynne are very close friends, but I’m also a firm believer in that some of the best matches are fights between friends. I think that we’re the perfect partners for each other as we push each other to the limits and bring the best out of each other. I’m extremely confident that that title is coming home with me one way or another.”
Our biggest event of the year – Bound For Glory – is THIS SATURDAY LIVE on PPV and TNA+ from the Wayne State University Fieldhouse in Detroit!
Get tickets HERE: https://t.co/K775dHXQOs
Get Bound For Glory on TNA+ as part of the seasonal discount HERE: https://t.co/EkIqqcuYSK pic.twitter.com/5ndwyCibla— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) October 22, 2024
As Jordyn has been the face of the Knockouts division for a while now, even representing TNA in WWE such as in NXT and the Royal Rumble, we asked Masha if she feels ready to slip into that same role?
“I feel prepared. Quite frankly it’s been a long time coming and I think I’ve been on a journey inside a TNA ring and outside of it, so Bound for Glory is going to be the culmination of several years of hard work and experiences that have shaped me into the person and wrestler I am today. I don’t see any other way to phrase it than I’m ready to take my throne.”
Masha was part of a very dominant tag team with Alisha Edwards known as The Malisha until they were defeated by Spitfire. Since losing their titles, the two have feuded with each other before moving on to other battles. We asked Masha if there’s any unfinished business between her and Alisha Edwards?
She told us, “I think we’re going to need to see about that. Alisha has her hands full with The System, Tasha Steelz and everything else. But I certainly think that neither one of us forgives and forgets, so I think she’ll rear her ugly head and I’m going to have an answer for her like I do every time. No story is every truly left unfinished.”
As Alisha was a member of The System stable while The Malisha were the Knockout Tag Team Champions, but Masha wasn’t, we wanted to know if Masha ever felt like an outsider with the group?
“I think I was on the outside, I’m not sure that anybody ever really saw me as part of The System, including myself. But for a brief period of time, it was mutually beneficial. Throughout my career I’ve been a bit of a lone wolf. There’s been people who pop in and out, overstay their welcome and then leave. But I think my journey is mine to be had.”
Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly were a dominant tag team.
Masha Slamovich also formed a strong bond with her rival turned ally Killer Kelly, we asked if the two would one day possibly go into battle together again?
Masha said, “Whenever the time is right, there could be an MK Ultra reunion – somewhere down the line.”
Masha battled Shayna Bayzler at GCW Bloodsport on WrestleMania weekend (2024). Now that TNA and WWE have a working relationship, we wondered if a rematch was on the cards?
“I had such a great time competing in Bloodsport against Shayna and I would love to run it back with her, be it at Bloodsport or in any other promotion. I think we have really good chemistry and that seven minutes was nowhere near enough to show what we can do together in the ring.”
Finally, Masha Slamovich is rarely the villain but never fully embraces the hero status either, so we wanted to know what attracts her to the role of the antihero?
“I think this really ties into what I enjoyed as a fan when watching wrestling growing up. I always enjoyed the villain and the antihero. I never really cheered for the babyface, I just kind of liked seeing people fight.”
“Wrestlers like Fit Finlay brought the violence and the chaos, it was just a brawl and that’s what attracted me to wrestling. That’s an aspect of myself that clearly comes across when I’m in the ring as well. I don’t try to lean into either side, I think it just is.”
“It’s been a great ride so far, and I look forward to seeing what the next chapter holds with TNA.”
TNA Bound For Glory will take place at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit on October 26, 2024. You can order the pay-per-view on the TNA+ streaming service and app.
