Women of Wrestling (WOW) star Kandi Krush, formerly known as one of the most fearsome competitors on the roster, has detailed her journey from an Olympic hopeful in synchronized swimming to her current career in professional wrestling.
Krush, along with Coach Campanelli and Gloria Glitter, were once the WOW World Trios Champions under the group name Top Tier. However, the alliance dissolved when Krush and Campanelli turned on Glitter. Krush's ascent in professional wrestling was not without significant challenges.
Her initial dream was to compete in synchronized swimming at the Olympics. However, injuries and what she described to Fox News Digital as a "toxic environment" ended her pursuit of a gold medal. "My dreams were essentially kind of stripped from me," Krush stated. "But at the same time, I took control over my own future and decided to just pivot."
This pivot led her to boxing, where she utilized her work ethic to achieve an undefeated professional record. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented another obstacle, halting gym operations and prompting further reflection. "I worked my way up in boxing, turned pro, undefeated as a pro and then COVID hit and like it hit all of us like a like a punch from Mike Tyson," she recalled. "It shut down all the boxing gyms and so it gave me a lot of time to reflect and like what do I want to do?"
Inspired by a film featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Krush identified professional wrestling as a potential new path, despite having no prior experience watching the sport. She committed herself fully to the endeavor, even if it meant facing potential rejection. "Even if they call me to tell me that I'm cut, like not to show up the next day, I'm going to show up. Like, you can't tell me no. Tell me I can't, I'll show you I can," she said about attending a WOW tryout. "And so, I was the first one there. I was there before (WOW co-founder) David McLane even showed up at tryouts. I was the first one in, last one out. And that's my mentality."
Krush attributes her rapid rise in WOW to this persistent attitude, combined with dedicated study of wrestling history. "I went back and did my due diligence and studied wrestling from the past and I had to kind of download the whole encyclopedia into my brain and body, but I never looked back. I love it."
Her resilience is rooted in a never-say-die spirit and a desire to prove doubters wrong, values instilled by her mother. "Failure is part of the journey, but in general, I don't like to lose by quitting," Krush explained. "I will never do that. You fail, you learn. No losses, only lessons. That's what we say in boxing. And I hold that true in everything I do. So, I learn, I get better, I move on, and I move up."
Krush aims to inspire others through her performances. She recounted a moment early in her career during a title match where, despite an injury, she saw a young girl in the crowd urging her to continue. "I had that shot and I remember laying on the canvas with my arm essentially broken... And I remember laying on the canvas looking out into the crowd and there was a little girl that said, ‘Get up, Kandi Krush. You can do it. You can win,’" she said. "It makes me emotional thinking about it right now, honestly. And I was like, you know what? I can do it. And this is why I do it. She believes in me. I gave her a reason to believe."
Women of Wrestling is co-owned by Los Angeles Lakers minority owner Jeanie Buss. Episodes stream on Tubi and Vice TV. Following previous seasons filmed in Las Vegas, Season 5 is set to take place at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, with Buss taking on a more prominent role. "This season delivers on everything we’ve been building toward," Buss told Variety, emphasizing WOW's mission to provide a platform for women in sports.