Kiera Hogan has been making a huge splash around the independent wrestling scene. She’s one of the latest signings to Impact Wrestling, and she hasn’t even had her 25th birthday. The current WSU Spirit Champion joined us this week on a “Rising Stars” special edition of Impact’s media teleconference. The promotions she works for may be getting bigger and bigger, but some things never change. What has she been doing lately? “Trying to set the world on fire, as usual.”
The First Lady of Atlanta, appropriately enough, got her start at WWA4, down in Atlanta. “I Googled wrestling schools, and WWA4 was the first wrestling school to come up. I’m trained by Mr. Hughes, I was there for two and a half years roughly, on and off. The school is now taken over by AR Fox. I just Googled wrestling schools, I read a lot of reviews, a lot of good things, a lot of good people have also come out of that school. Mr. Hughes actually approached me when he saw me come in and I was there every Thursday for the Thursday night show, and I would come to training and sit around and watch. He eventually asked me if I wanted to get in the ring, and I told him that ‘this was actually the reason why I came.’ Because I started as an interviewer and announcer there, and then I worked for PWX in North Carolina for about a year. Then eventually I started training, because he said ‘why don’t you go get your shoes and get in the ring?’ I was like ‘oh my god, really? Oh my god, finally!’ I was so excited.”
One of the most commonly asked questions Kiera Hogan gets is about her last name. When people think Hogan in wrestling, they obviously first think of Horace Hogan. More dedicated fans may have heard of a talent by the name of Hulk Hogan. Was taking the Hogan last name a conscious decision on Kiera’s part? “My real name is Kiera Hogan. It’s on my license, it’s on my birth certificate, I’m a real Hogan. When I first started, I was a backstage interviewer and ring announcer, and I just used my real name. So once I finally started training and getting into wrestling, I didn’t really want to separate myself from being the announcer/interviewer, because I wanted to show the evolution of Kiera from announcer/interviewer to in-ring performer. So I just decided to keep it. A lot of people are like ‘why did you keep your name, why did you choose that name?’ When I told them it was my real name, they were like ‘oh, well, okay!’ I always get asked this question, even when I was in high school and middle school. Everyone is always like ‘are you related to him, are you his daughter, are you his granddaughter?’ I was just like ‘there’s no way in the world,’ it’s just my real name.”
At Redemption, the Girl on Fire had her first pay per view match, against Taya Valkyrie. For those that missed it, the match was interrupted by Tessa Blanchard. “I had my first live pay per view match. That whole day for me was so overwhelming, I almost had a panic attack. I literally had to step outside, take a couple deep breathes, and really just focus my mind. I was really just so overwhelmed with so many emotions. Nerves, excitement, I was just so overwhelmed. Then all of a sudden, third generation, Tessa Blanchard comes walking in. Tessa has done so much in her short career span, she’s accomplished so much, she’s definitely an over-achiever. She’s definitely made a name for herself, and she’s definitely solidified her spot as one of the best female wrestlers in the world. And it did overshadow what I was doing, which, she’s accomplished way more than I have, I can definitely give it to her there, but it was my moment. I felt like, you know, this was my moment, why did she have to come in and overshadow me, and take away from what I was doing? So I have a few choice words for miss Tessa Blanchard.”
What’s next for the Girl On Fire? We know Kiera Hogan will be taking on Taya Valkyrie in a Redemption rematch this week. Will she be calling out Tessa Blanchard as well? Find out Thursday, on Impact on Pop!
