Get to know Taiwan’s first female pro wrestler Princess Pistachio better with this introductory interview
A couple weeks back, we shared a story about the debut of Taiwan’s first female pro wrestler, Princess Pistachio. Now, with the help of some friendly translators and the kind folks at Z Channel, we get to take a more in-depth look at Princess Pistschio and her story.
We were able to obtain a translation of the interview Princess Pistachio did with Z Channel that was originally printed in Traditional Chinese. This interview goes into the Princess’s motivations in pro wrestling, her goals, why she chose New Taiwan Wrestling and of course, her dreams. Thanks so much to Z Channel for putting this interview together and to CK for taking the time to double check the translation.
Pro Wrestling Is A Dream That I Never Want to Wake Up From– Princess Pistachio
By Z Channel, Proofread by CK
Original Article（中文）https://www.facebook.com/zchannel.com.tw/posts/4148093858627078
On February 12th, Princess Pistachio, the first female wrestler who was trained under a Taiwanese wrestling promotion, made her debut at the Emerge Music Festival in Taichung, Taiwan, writing down a whole new page in the history of the wrestling scene in the Southeast Island. On her debut match, Princess Pistachio faced A-YONG-GO, the leader of New Taiwan Entertainment Wrestling (NTW), the self-proclaimed “台灣第一勇(Taiwan’s bravest and strongest ).” Despite the gap of experience, Pistachio managed to grace the crowd with her strength and elegance, prompting the crowd to go wild for the princess.
Though she didn’t get the win on her first day of the two-day event, Princess Pistachio took home her first victory with her “Sugar Rush'' finisher against Sky the next day, proving that not only can the princess draw eyeballs with her presence, but she is definitely a force to be reckoned with. “What’s her vision towards the future?” or “What is wrestling to her?” you might wonder. The following is the interview with the princess herself to see what is underneath her glowing mask and the shining outfit.
(Z for Z Channel, P for Princess Pistachio)
Z: How did you get into pro wrestling at the very beginning?
P: Have you ever dreamed? Dreaming is like… you can’t remember how you traveled or how you ended up in one place. You just went with it. You simply go with the flow whether it makes sense or not. Nobody questions their dreams, right? I come from nowhere and the squared circle is where I end up.
Z: Does that mean there’s no reason for you to become a wrestler?
P: No . But I do know some people may become wrestlers because of the things that happened in their childhood, inspirations and all that. But not for me.
Z: Then, what brought you into pro-wrestling?
P: Once upon a time when I was traveling alone with all my stuff, I was so exhausted. Then, I stumbled upon a “jinjia,” and I went to ask for a stay.
Z: Is it MARI-HANA’s “jinjia”?
P: I can’t remember. They offered me a job and accommodation. During my stay there, I tended to have the same dreams over and over, like training and wrestling in the ring. I liked that and I wanted it to keep happening. I worried that I might not dream about them ever again. So everytime I had dreams, especially of having wrestling matches, I’d try my best to prevail against my opponent in it, to paint the sweetest dream possible.
Z: Why did you choose NTW over other wrestling groups in Taiwan?
P: You pass by an enormous amount of people everyday. Also, there’s a lot of people that you won’t even have a chance to meet once. Maybe the people from NTW pass me by during the daytime in reality. That’s probably why they appear in my dreams at night.
Z: What’s your thoughts on your debut match?
P: Do you know that you can fall asleep again in your dream? If you’re following NTW’s social media account, you can see that I was up-side-down as I took his finishing move. I was sent straight to another realm of consciousness, realizing I had lost the match as soon as I regained the first dream. It upsets me, not only because of losing, but also because of not being able to win one for the crowd with my glow.
Z: What do you think about being the first female pro wrestler in Taiwan?
P: It’s a little frightening facing male wrestlers since they’re thick and strong… But I can do it, too. I’m the bravest princess ever! If there could be more girls showing up in my dreams, whether it is a training one or fighting one, it will be interesting!
Z: Can you share with us about your ring name?
P: Every night before bedtime, there’s a voice beside me whispering, “Goodnight, my little princess.” I think that’s what turns me into a princess in the ring. As for Pistachio… People just call me Pistachio here, I’m still figuring out what that means. Since it’s already difficult for me to keep track of my dreams, it’d be great if someone can help out.
Z: Which pro wrestler impacts you the most? Who would be your goal?
P: I started to watch wrestling because I hoped to create victories in the dreams where I would wrestle. At the very beginning, I was fascinated by Hana Kimura’s match. How could a girl turn out to be THIS WILD? Then I was drawn to Stardom matches. The wrestlers from Donna del Mondo (DDM) all have a unique kind of confidence and spiritual power. DDM motivates me a lot.
Z: Is DDM your top goal?
P: Being obsessed with them doesn’t mean being like them is my goal. My current goal is to win against male wrestlers, win a belt by myself. Should I be wrestling overseas, it would be fabulous to compete with the ones I look up to, no matter the venue or the stakes. After all, you don’t get to control your dreams.
Z: What is your dream in your future career? Is it going to be like a dream within a dream?
P: I wish I could meet the person from the “jinjia,” take a good look at his/her profile, and tell them I did it, right in that magical square.
Z: What is pro wrestling to you?
P: Pro wrestling is a dream that I would never want to wake up from.
Z: Please send some words to the wrestling fans.
P: No matter who you are, or what decision you are making, it’s never a bad thing to take the first step! The chance may slip through your fingers before you know it. And It’s okay to quit. As nihilistic as that may sound, once you take the first step, there’s no turning back. You might never imagine moments like this. As soon as you choose to go down the path, it changes everything. Have faith and start your first step, regardless of what it is.
Z: Thanks for having the interview.
P: Thank you!
