FWA Home Video Presents... "Coming Home - The Rise of Jillian De Silva..." [Full DVD]

Cryonix Sun Feb 06, 2011 11:00 pm

Coming Home: The Rise of Jillian De Silva

FWA Home Video Presents... "Coming Home - The Rise of Jillian De Silva..." [Full DVD] Jillianboxshot

In this industry, there are few superstars that transcend the conventional thoughts of what is normal. People who you look at where they’ve come from…and what they’ve been through and you would never think…this person made it to the top….This person is a success. Well, for the next few moments…FWA Home Video has the opportunity to spend some time with a truly ‘revolutionary’ wrestler…and one who is rewriting the history books every time she steps foot into the squared circle. Ladies and gentleman…this is “Coming Home”…the rise of Jillian De Silva...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kEgjaH0_Pk&feature=player_embedded

(The opening montage of the DVD is a very inspirational one, set to Jillian’s entrance music. Flashes of Jillian’s titantron play with the opening chords..merging into when Jillian walked out of the curtain at the Mile High Massacre earlier this year. It then merges into scenes from a lot of her different promos, old and new, some of them ending with her blowing kisses….and others with the word, “Farewell”. Finally the song gets to the word, “So, I’m coming home…”. The screen changes to pulsating shots of Jillian standing on top of the triple cage, holding the World Heavyweight Championship, tears streaming down her face. The scene changes to a very well furnished living room in a beautiful four bedroom house just outside of Manchester, England. Jillian is seen with her little sister Nathalie, along with interviewer Renee Hunter, walking through the house, looking over some of Jillian’s accomplishments. As this is being shown, a voice over of Renee Hunter can be heard…)

Renee: Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, and thank you for joining us for this rare glimpse into the world of a truly exceptional athlete. That's right today we have the privilege of spending a little time talking with one of the most popular superstars in the world today. The first ever female world heavyweight champion and The Queen of wrestling - Jillian De Silva.

(The scene fades into Jillian and Renee sitting in the living room on the couch. The sun is high in the sky and beams light into the vibrant room. A pitcher of ice cold water with lemon and lime slices sit on the table in front of the two ladies…along with the FWA World Heavyweight Championship. Jillian is dress comfortably today, wearing slender blue jeans and a black spaghetti strapped midriff. The brunette tresses have a slight curl today…)

Jillian: (With the slightest hint of the Queen’s English): It’s an honor to be interviewed…especially in the place where I grew up. This is kinda surreal for me.

(Jillian and Renee share a light laugh…)

Renee: Well, we're honored to have you...we understand you must be very busy... so let's get right down to it. Could you give us a little background into your early life? What your life like growing up?

Jillian: Well, I was born here, in Manchester, England…yes, this is the house I grew up in. I was the first child of Evelyn and Marcus De Silva. No, I don't have a wrestling pedigree, but both my parents were successful university professors...my father at Oxford and my mother at Cambridge. My sister, Nathalie is only a few years younger than me..And we were both trained from an early age to be proper young women...that is...until I met my Uncle Alex.

Renee: Those who have been following your career will have heard you talk about your Uncle Alex as being a major driving factor in your career. What exactly was his role in establishing your passion for wrestling?

Jillian: Well, my Uncle Alex De Silva and his brother, my father, never really got along...but for the love of his little 'queens', myself and Nathalie, he bared the agony…luckily, they were able to really become family again, before Alex passed. Alex owned a bar on the 'wrong side' of London, my dad would always say...but every time my parents need to take a trip, Alex was the person they called. It's ironic...in his bar is the first time I ever saw wrestling...and it's the place where I met Moira. Now, my uncle wasn’t an ex-grappler or martial artist, no….he was just a passionate wrestling fan...a purist, if you will. Alex knew I loved wrestling as soon as I saw it...so every chance he could, he would educate me about the history of the sport...not the entertainment...he loved the story told during the match...not the hype that surrounded it.

His attitude just...rubbed off on me. I miss him so.

Renee: You say Alex was a purist... and one of the defining characteristics of your style has always been very pure, very technically sound some would say very European. Was that always the style you were most intrigued by?

Jillian: I would say so. The psychology of being a much smaller woman going with a mat based attack was the greatest challenge for me...And I would have it no other way. A lot of people seem to thing my…aggressiveness is an act. Ask Moira, she’ll tell you…I’ve been challenging the boys since I was….Jesus…five years old. Fencing, archery, darts in the bar….I always thought…”If they could do it…so could I.” That was one of the many things that my uncle taught me. Then, the rest just fell into place. Once my uncle Alex started showing me real submission, technical and British chain wrestling...something just...clicked. My parents always stressed to me about being ready for any situation with firm foundation...and it just seemed to line up with that teaching. I enjoyed having Alex show me the difference in the way a bridge should be performed for a pin...as opposed to an 'impact bridge' as he would call it. At a young age...it was all very scientific...and I always loved science.

Renee: Aside from the prominent influence of your Uncle Alex, who would you say you looked up to at this early stage of your development?

Jillian: I would have to say a young Shawn Michaels...god, I had such a crush on him, honestly..what girl didn’t?...But wrestling wise, I was awed by Mr. Perfect. I would mark out every time I saw the 'Perfect Plex'. I knew it was a normal fisherman's suplex...but the fact that it was...honestly...perfect and got over was great. I was also following a young Steve Regal's career. Now, here was a guy I could get behind. A guy who was fighting every day since a young age...in Blackpool, a place where I've had some soccer scraps with Moira, Ashley and Caley in my day...but a true English Chain Wrestler...his style was so...flawless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXv2Mj__HT0&feature=player_embedded

Renee: Shifting gears slightly, many fans are familiar with your early friendships with Moira Crawford, Ashley O'Ryan... but a lesser known fact is that you were also pretty close friends with current women's champion Jenny Ignito. How did she fit into the equation?

Jillian: Heh...I met Jenny in Shimmer Women’s Wrestling...God, years ago. I had my first match against Sara Del Rey and...She was the match right after mine. She wrestled a girl by the name of Daisy Rowland...Jenny was so green at the time...she broke the poor girls' arm when putting on that Fujiwara armbar.

(Jillian laughs…)

Jillian: Shimmer wanted to fire her after that, but Kong, myself, Melissa and Sara all came to her defense. I've always looked on her like a little sister since then...her and Moira. It's just not a question anymore...she always will be family to me.

Renee: Family? Ah! So you played games like a family? Ewan mentioned something about twister?

Jillian: Oh, my god...alright. Here's the story. It was back when she was with Shimmer and I was with the English Wrestling Federation...and we had both gotten our FWA contracts. She flew over to my flat in London at the time and we...imbibed a little...ok...a lot. Jenny had this weird idea of playing twister...so we did...with special rules. That's all...and though we did wake up on the couch together, nothing happened…. As much as Ewan wants to believe...hope...and pray something did..

(Jillian laughs again…)

Renee: Ewan also asked me remind you that "You talked about Sushi on my DVD"…

(Jillian throws her head back in laughter for a few moments, then…wiping a tear from her eye she says…)

Jillian: ...Just to make note that it's his favorite dish..

(She gives a sly grin and a wink to the camera…)

Renee: Just out of curiosity...what's yours?

Jillian: Lord…Ewan, put you up to this, didn’t he? Well...he does serve a mean prime rib… But...I would have to say...um...angel hair pasta with homemade white wine parmesan sauce and shrimp scampi. Mr. Edwards made that for me the night I defended the North American Championship...It was so good.

Renee: You heard it here, folks…’The Legacy’ can cook.

(Both women share a laugh…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBaYbOnp7hU

Renee: …But back to serious business. You briefly touched on your time in Shimmer. Which of course is where you were discovered by Dean Malenko and offered a spot at his new training facility The Icebox. What was it like training with "The Iceman"?

Jillian: Hell on earth. He would physically and mentally beat the ever living s*it out of me. Now...I wasn't the easiest girl to get along with, but he demanded respect...and at first I wouldn't give it to him. I remember having to come to the icebox every day for three months straight at three in the morning and start ground and lucha drills. He had the security camera on..and if I wasn't in the ring at three, I had to stay an extra three hours...for submission endurance training. I fell out, passed out and tapped out so much back then…he forced me to respect him. I would be trying to catch my breath on the mat and he would just walk by and ask me in the cold voice of his…”Are you dead yet?” Of course I would say no….and he would answer, “Then we aren’t training hard enough!” He really kicked my ass...and now I love him for it.

Renee: Now you were a member of the inaugural class at The Icebox. We all know Dean has a real eye for talent, you must have been working with some pretty impressive classmates?

Jillian: Ugh…You’re going to make me bring up Shawn, aren’t you?

(Jillian laughs…)

Jillian: Oh my…'Simply' Shawn Cortez....one of the greatest 'catch as catch can' wrestlers I have ever been in the ring with...and as Ewan will tell you...one hell of a stiff worker. Shawn was all business in training...but the moment it was over...he was the quintessential ladies man. He would have beautiful women wait...wait for him to finish his three hour training session just so they could go on dates with him. He is quite a guy...and a great friend to this day.

Renee: Now another noteworthy fact about your graduating class at the Icebox, is that you were the only female. Would you say that this was the deciding factor that would push you out of the women's scene and compete with the men?

Jillian: It's funny you should ask that. My present from Dean for graduating at the top of my class, was a one-on-one match with himself. We went at it in the ring for an hour...no pulled punches, no rope breaks. After that match he told me, "You have the body of a woman...but the heart of a horseman". I was stunned to silence. Here he is...comparing me to the legendary four horsemen. He then told me that he never...ever trained me to be a 'diva' wrestler. At first it was punishment for being so rebellious...but it turned into a hardcore regimen. Looking back on it now…I would see all these talented women wrestlers...and that was all they were to people...they weren't recognized as athletes...until they died. I was under the opinion that a change...a revolution needed to take place...but before you could change an industry...you had to change minds. So right then and there my wanting to wrestle guys..and my tag line was born.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAAiSoz7Nik&feature=player_embedded

Renee: Which of course brings us to FWA. You were one of the new faces brought in during the "Attitude" era as people are calling it nowadays. G-Rich was running the show at the time. The man is clearly a wrestling genius, but he isn't known for being very PC. Was it a struggle getting him to hire "A Girl" considering there was no women's division?

Jillian: Yes....the reason I was contacted by the FWA in the first place was because of a little angel by the name of Amanda Kanellis...god rest her sweet soul. She sent G-Rich tapes of me in Shimmer and the EWF...and he had me fly to New York for a meeting. I remember that meeting clear as day. He asked me what I hoped to accomplish here in the FWA with no Women's division...and I told him flat out. "I'm not here for a women's division. I'm here to be the first ever female World Heavyweight Champion."…

He laughed at me.

The board of directors laughed at me...the camera crew laughed at me....but then..I cut my intro promo after that night's Fight Night...and G-Rich's words then were "Holy S*it that's a great character!" I was controversial from the word go...but they signed me.

Renee: And they clearly didn't regret it, because you were very quickly thrust into one of the company's most prominent feuds, against a man are calling a future hall of famer.

Jillian: Oh….yes. My good...”friend”, Kenneth LeBlanc.

(Jillian pours a glass full of water, adding a lemon and a lime to it, before continuing to speak…)

Jillian: Now you want to talk about people who couldn't stand each other...Kenneth and I were like oil and water. In the ring...we had this natural chemistry...we played well in front of the camera...but in the shows leading up to our matches...we never spoke. We always made sure we were on opposite sides of everything…even down to the Royal Family vs. Revolutionized.

(Jillian takes a sip of her water…)

Jillian: He would always talk about moving up the ladder...but when he got the chance...he would wilt under the pressure...god, I'm drudging up an old promo now. A lot of those words I spoke against LeBlanc were true feelings on my part.

Renee: There were rumors circulating that the legitimate heat between you two spawned from the fact that he was uncomfortable about wrestling a woman... is there any truth to that?

Jillian: The heat was from the fact that he had two jobs...one here in the FWA and one...elsewhere...and he had to put me over. He was furious that his 'reputation' was going to be tarnished by losing a feud to a, and I quote, 'God Damn British B*tch'. See, I would always, always show him up during matches and he couldn't stand it. This is not to say that he wasn’t an amazing athlete…he was…but I was always the better. He would walk around backstage...wondering..."What do I have to do to beat her?" I reveled in it...cause no matter what he did...I was always one step ahead of him...then...and now.

Renee: Well you did come out on top in that feud... and it propelled you to instant stardom. Mile High...

Jillian: Oh lord...the clash of champions, so it was. Me, Nate, Sinclair, Leblanc, Curtis...and the monster known as Kelleher. I have to tell you...I sat in the arena all day, watching them build that structure. I was terrified. That’s the thing I remember most about that day…just watching the stage crew erect this monstrosity. I had to ask myself…like every thirty seconds, “Am I really going to do this?”

(Jillian takes another sip of her water…)

Jillian: Honestly, looking back on it now, it was me putting undue pressure on myself…heh, story of my life, honestly…I went into that match thinking I HAD to win…or at least put on a fabulous showing…because these were the five men that had established themselves as the elite of this federation…and here I was with them. I was...so close at that point...but, I came up just short. I am proud to have taken part in one of the greatest matches in FWA history...but the sting of that loss will always be there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHnGWX0kYgc&feature=player_embedded

Renee: Well you had certainly turned a few heads... but one in particular, just a couple of weeks later you were put in a match with another newcomer who was quickly earning a reputation for himself.... Ewan Edwards… We've already mentioned him briefly and I'm sure he'll crop up again... but what were your initial impressions of your fellow Brit. He's openly stated he considers that match to be one of the defining moments of his early career... your thoughts?

(Jillian blushes at the mention of Ewan. She smiles as she speaks…)

Jillian: Ewan...Ewan...Ewan...Honestly, it was the first time in a long time...maybe even ever...that I stepped into the ring with a man...who shared the same...penchant for mat wrestling that I did. I remember watching him in his match previous and just being able to call out what maneuver or reversal he would pull. It was like we were of one wrestling mind...and going into that match, I knew it. He gave a wonderful promo that week and I was with Jenny watching it in the tape room and I was stunned to silence..a very rare occasion for me. He just...blew me away with his wit and his insight. I just had to wrestle him to see if he was for real...and he was. I will never know if the match really would have ended the way it did...because, surprise, surprise...LeBlanc cost me. It was just a refreshing feeling to wrestle a true professional…and that’s kinda how we hit it off.

Renee: Speaking of hitting it off.... we're now moving into a period which was very confusing for you. Because this was around the time when you first met Anthony Jackson....

(Jillian’s eyes look downward for a moment. She takes a little while before…a lengthy exhale…)

Jillian: I guess we’ve come to it, haven’t we? Well, I was a pretty hot commodity back then. Gerard...most of you know him as Hardware, had come to a couple of us backstage and wanted to form the Royal Family. Ewan and I were good friends already and jumped at the chance to work with each other...but yes...I happened to walk into the All American Mall just to do some shopping and saw Anthony...I can't call him AJ anymore... looking for a male clothier. I remembered a store my dad would always buy his suits from...so I suggested it to him...and that is how this whole convoluted story starts.

Renee: so.... as we all know you and Anthony started dating. Two co-workers dating isn't in its own right an entire rare thing. But in your case, as if often does...things got complicated.

(Another long exhale from Jillian…)

Jillian: Yes…it did. Well, Anthony went over to Japan to film the movie adaptation of the anime Baki the Grappler. I stayed here...to try to further my career. But...as is the case in long distance relationships...I started to miss the contact. If you’ve ever read the book, “The Five Love Languages”, I’m a big quality time and gentle touch kinda girl. Sure, he would call and send letters...but there's something about skin on skin....the sensation is a soothing thing for me. Well...then the pictures and news reports arose... Seeing him going to nightclubs and staff parties...and all other manner of rabblerousing with very attractive...and loose women...I was devastated. I was thinking..."Why not me...why not us?” It affected me so badly...my career started to suffer...greatly...because of it. I became unprofessional. I started to introvert…miss shows, not really care about anything…because I was of the mindset…”If I’m not good enough for him…what am I good enough for?” I don’t believe to this day, Anthony had any real idea of how deeply he cut me…and believe you me…I was wounded.

Renee: Indeed it did wound you…in fact you completely disappeared off the face of the wrestling map for several months. As is always the case the internet was abuzz with rumors about your physical and mental health during that time. Can you try and describe exactly what you were going through at that time?

Jillian: Renee, I have to be honest… Mentally, I was a wreck. I couldn't have a decent phone call with Anthony without it breaking down into a horrible argument. I was exhausted from wrestling at such a high level...everything suffered. I couldn't find pleasure in any of my normal pursuits. Fencing, Archery, Drifting...nothing helped. As it was, I slowly slipped more and more into depression. I wouldn't answer phone calls, emails, text messages...nothing. It got so bad that Moira ended up calling Ewan and Ashley and all three flew out to Chicago and forcibly got me out of bed. They all tell me that I was like a ghost….I was there but I wasn’t, you know? They would try all manner of things to help…and for that short time they would…but I knew that eventually, I had nothing to go back home to. They couldn’t stay forever…they had lives and careers of their own. Heh...I fell in love with my silk sheets and my queen size memory foam bed. It was like my best friend...and biggest crutch at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0hvOdYVTG0&feature=player_embedded

Renee: Now, you mentioned Ewan's presence during that time. Anthony Jackson has made some very public accusations about your relationship at that point, bearing in mind that you were technically still engaged at the time. When asked, Ewan will always vehemently deny doing anything ungentlemanly. What comment do you have on the accusations?

Jillian: Ewan did nothing to sway me away from Anthony. Anthony lost me when he didn't show the love and support of a fiancée. I would cry on Ashley, Moira and Ewan's shoulder...about Anthony...but where was he when I needed him? You know, for the last couple of months, I've kept hearing that what I did was wrong. It's a blatant lie. Following your heart is never wrong. When Anthony dropped it on the ground, Ewan picked it up. That is all there ever was to it. The man would work the independent wrestling circuit six day a week…and on the seventh…without fail…he would show up at my condo door with a bunch of roses. Let me say that again…EWAN showed up at my door….not Anthony. A real man would have flown back to see me any chance he got...a real man would have treated the woman he said he loved like a queen. Ewan did, Anthony didn't. Case closed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gQzwbcK-l8

Renee: Well, regardless of how it happened, you were gradually getting your life back in order. You went back to your roots at the Icebox, this time as a trainer, and presumably getting yourself back into shape. At the same time the FWA was undergoing a rebirth of its own, and you were approached to make your return to wrestling. What brought you back?

Jillian: Well...honestly....it was to be my last go round. I figured that I left so many fans...little girls like Amanda especially...so disappointed because it looked like a woman couldn't handle it. No matter how...egotistical...it may sound, that thought really ashamed me. I thought that with my failure...at holding my emotions in check...I was neglecting my responsibility to be an example to girls everywhere that we can do whatever we want if we have the drive. So, when I got the call from Matt Robinson to come back, one more time for the Mile High Massacre, I couldn't say no. But...when my music hit...and those fans...male and female alike...blew the roof off the arena with welcome back and Queen of Wrestling chants...I almost teared up. I was the last eliminated...and as soon as I walked backstage, I was handed a contract then and there.

Renee: Well you certainly seemed to pick up right where you left off as a real threat to the World Heavyweight Champion. Even picking up a clean victory over the reigning champ...

Jillian: Heh....life's little ironies. I remember it well...I was surprised it was voted "Promo of the Year" for 2007 by my peers. I had always respected the history of any federation I walked in to...but what bothered me to no end...was a champion who hid behind his political power. Ryan Hall...the man who slew giants...became a fat cat off of his own success. Renee, I feared this man in the ring, back in the old days…but then, and now….I couldn't believe what he had...devolved into. This is a man who stood toe to toe with Shawn Kelleher...and now all he does...is nothing. I wouldn't stand for it. So when they signed the match, I remember Ewan and Ashley telling me..."This is the match you've waited your whole life for."...And they were right. Even though it wasn't a title match, Ryan Hall was the last of the FWA Attitude 'Giants' that remained...and no one until that point...could touch him....I remember standing back behind the curtain, almost ready to tuck tail and run...but right before I did, I got a text from Moira, just before I shut my phone off. 'Good luck, champ' it said. That was all the motivation I needed.

Renee: Naturally your victory over Ryan Hall, put you right back in contention for the World Title. And you were all set to take on Hall yet again in the single most dangerous match in professional wrestling, Trial By Fire. Unfortunately Hall was stripped of the title and put on the shelf before the match could take place. Was that a disappointment to you?

Jillian: No...I thought it was justice. Of course...I would want to beat Ryan Hall when all the chips were all the line....but I felt better about knowing that the competition would be hungry and willing to do anything for a shot at immortality. I knew that people would give me their best shot...seeing as how I hadn't lost a fall since my return...but I was getting back into my groove...the matches were fun again...and I was smiling...for the first time in a long time.

Renee: Well, regardless of Hall's absence Trial By Fire went ahead and one of the challengers was your old friend Ashley O'Ryan. How did it feel knowing that you may be forced to set one of your oldest friends on fire to achieve your lifelong dream?

Jillian: Well, Moira was worried…but she would never admit it back then…Honestly, we wouldn't have it any other way. Ashley and I have been back to back in some of the wildest bar brawls in the history of Europe. A little second degree burn between friends wasn't a big deal.

(Jillian giggles…)

Jillian: But...kidding aside, for the first time since that original Mile High match...I could taste the World Championship...I felt like it was right there...in my hands. I just...didn't grasp it.

Renee: Well, unfortunately you did end up on the wrong end of a lit match at Trial By Fire. But many feel that Juveniles victory was pure fluke. Did you personally feel as if you were cheated out of the title?

(Jillian takes a moment to consider her words…)

Jillian: I'll say this. I have never once doubted the heart, drive or determination of Tony Juvenile....however...I will say that the FWA management was a little wary of putting the title around the waist of a woman...they always have been. Did I feel I was screwed? No...Did I feel that I dominated that match up...yes. Did I feel like I should have won? Yes....but screwed...no. The FWA knows better than to screw with the Queen...

Renee: Well...I certainly wouldn't attempt it. But speaking of Tony Juvenile one of the more shocking moments in recent FWA memory occurred when Tony Juvenile, a man who set you on fire and damn near ended Ewan's career united with the two of you to form The Gold Standard. How exactly did this alliance come to exist?

Jillian: Well...the Gold Standard started...because, Juvy, Ewan and I were the biggest stars the FWA had at the time...and all of us thought along the same lines. The management had been asking us to carry matches and wrestlers that really had no business being in the ring with us. We were the best of the best...and we had just reached the 'upper echelon' even though we had honestly been there for years. We got tired of it...and with the management not wanting to give me...or Ewan any title shot...any time soon, it seemed like....We devised a plan. It really was about bringing together the cream of the crop and showing the new blood of the FWA how things get done. The shock of the boys backstage was priceless. Most of them were wondering amongst themselves, "Who's going to stop them?" Heh...who indeed...and the best part...the kicker for me? For the first time in my career, I was a champion in the FWA.

Renee: The championship you were referring to obviously was the North American Championship. Which is obviously a prestigious belt... but did you ever feel as if you had settled for the booby prize?

Jillian: No...not really. See, I needed to get over the hump. Too often, especially in the FWA, wrestlers will claim that the will be the World Champion without any credibility built up. I devised that being the North American champion would prove to management that I could carry the responsibility of being a champion. Look what happened when I did...the NA division was elevated to new heights, not seen since the days of Nate Richardson. It was there that I learned how to feel...comfortable with gold. See, even though I held gold in the EWF...it had nowhere near the exposure of the FWA. It's a pressure cooker being a champion in this federation...so it also was a personal test for me as well. I knew taking that belt would make my walk to the World Championship that much more stressful...but I needed to prove to myself that I was all the way back from my depression. If I was going to go for the World Championship...I was going to do it as me...and I needed my time as North American Champion...to find...me.

Renee: However, your reign as North American Champion would prove to be short lived. Not due to failure, but due to some unexpected success. Juvenile had been receiving criticism for his title reign and as such he was seemingly punished by being forced to defend his championship against six of the best in FWA in a triple cage match.... But the match seemed to be just as stressful for you as it was for the champ considering the highly personal nature of your relationships with your opponents.

Jillian: Oh...it was very stressful. It felt that I was just given another bone by the FWA management to keep me happy. Yet another title shot. It felt like, because I had come up short so often, the management was not as worried about putting me in there....and of course with Ewan on one side and Anthony on the other...my stress level was though the roof. I had to get away from people...including Ewan. I felt like if I was around him...I would cry on his shoulder...and that would take me right out of this opportunity. I just needed some time to hide away...collect my thoughts and focus. When I was in the bowels of the Allstate Arena...something just...clicked for me. It all made sense. I just had to go out there...and perform...and let me tell you...there is nothing...in this wide world that is better than hearing your name announced as the new World Heavyweight Champion.To be recognized as the best in the world at what you do...to have management gasp in shock when I actually won...and to have all those fans...who have traveled with me on this road give me...without a doubt the loudest ovation in FWA history...I was overcome. My mind was blank...the belt was in my hands...and all I could hear was my Uncle Alex and Amanda. "Good job, Jilly...you did it."

(Jillian, at the mention of her Uncle Alex and Amanda…starts to tear up just a little…)

Renee: But even that wasn't enough. A lot of Champions would take an easy fight for their first defense. But you chose to defend against one of the greatest legends in the history of this business. A 2 time FWA Champion, the man who choked your fiancée out cold just a couple of months earlier, and the man who first laughed at you when you stepped into an FWA ring. G-Rich.

Jillian: Its come full circle, hasn’t it? G-Rich is a great in ring general...but behind the scenes...he is one of the most...

(Jillian shakes her head…a subdued grin on her face…)

...After so long...being able to stand in the same ring with him...as the FWA champion and knowing the he has to beat me...on a pay per view...when he never thought I would be here...It makes me proud. Because I know that I've reached the top of the mountain....I feel as if the last two years of my life...hell the last ten...have all been worth it, because I am here. No matter what anyone does...I will walk out of those curtains as the pinnacle of this industry...the World Champion...a distinction that I was always told...I would NEVER be...never amount to. I was always a workhorse under G-Rich's regime as commissioner...but never really given a shot. He now answers for it all...on Sunday.

Renee: It's been a long road for you Jillian and you've encountered many interesting characters along the way. I'm just going to throw some names at you and I'd like you to sum them up in a few words. Jenny Ignito…

Jillian: A baby sister to me...one of the best friends a girl could have...a hell of a beautiful mind...even if she is a little...off kilter…most of the time.

Renee: Thomas Princeton…

Jillian: A heel legend in the making…I just wish he knew when to turn the “arrogant prick” button down a few notches…especially off camera.

Renee: I'm sure there are a lot of people who will agree with you. Dean Malenko…

Jillian: My second father...a great man, a person who will forever have my utmost respect and gratitude. A Hall of Famer in my book.

Renee: Sean Kelleher…

Jillian: The only mountain I have left to climb in my career….which won’t be easy, considering that mountain is as tall as Everest….but I won’t back down from him. I want another shot at the “Angel of Hopelessness”.

Renee: Moira Crawford…

Jillian: My other baby sister. Though, she will never accept that because she would be related to Nathalie. They hate each other. Honestly, I love Moira to death...we grew up together...and she will always be family to me.

Renee: Anthony Jackson…

(Jillian takes a long moment and finally says…)

Jillian: No comment.

Renee: understandable....and finally.... Ewan Edwards…

Jillian: My kindred spirit. I just can't see my life without him now. Um...the love of my life.

Renee: Jillian... Thank you so much for spending time with us today. Before we leave you there's one more thing the world wants to know.... Personally, and professionally you seem to be on an all time high.... but that begs the question... what's next for Jillian De Silva?

Jillian: What every girl wants....Marriage, children...grandchildren….to go down as the greatest of all time at what she does...Honestly...all I can really say is that...no matter what it is...I know that I'm a stronger person for what I've been through..and that strength will carry me onward...with friends and family.

Renee: Jillian, thank you again for you time…your candidness and your honesty.

Jillian: It’s been a pleasure, Renee.

(The camera fades to a montage of Jillian’s greatest moments in the FWA, all placed to this song…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsO6ZnUZI0g