by S. Mata
Baron Von Raschke, perhaps the greatest practitioner of the clawhold the sport has ever known, had a stock
answer for reporters who would ask him about his life, his career and his plans; he would hold up his hand, bend his
fingers into claw-readiness, and rasp, "That is all the people need to know!"
A woman down in Florida is being heralded as the best practitioner of the clawhold since Von Raschke...
and with good reason! Trained by one of the all-time greats of the sport, Claudia Reiff (dubbed, of course, "The Claw" by
fans and foes alike) has made the hold as devastating as the one once applied by the good Baron. But unlike him, this
wrestler feels the people deserve to know a lot more about her, and we heartily agree!
It's our pleasure to introduce Claudia to LadySports Online fans...
THE STATS:
Ring Name: "THE CLAW"
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Hair: Dark Brown/Black
Hometown: Ocala, Florida
LADYSPORTS: When did you first get into the sport?
CLAUDIA REIFF: In January 2001 I started working for Dory and Marti Funk as Office Manager/Personal Assistant to Marti Funk.
In June of that year, the referees for one of our cards did not show up, so they asked me if I would like to give it a try, since I
refereed the practice matches during training. I loved it so much, I enrolled in the Referee Program. I have always watched wrestling
since I was a little kid, going to the matches with my parents in New York City at Madison Square Garden.
LS: Who trained you?
CR: Dory Funk, Jr.
LS: What was your biggest influence to become a wrestler?
CR: After being a referee for a couple years, Dory and Marti Funk asked if I would like to give wrestling a try.
As a referee, I did have to learn the basic bumps, but not wrestling. Well, I gave it a try, and the rest is history! I always
admired Lita and Mickie James, who Dory trained in Ocala, so I said, why not me?
LS: What other sports do you have an interest in?
CR: In college I played on the varsity softball team, and managed the women's varsity volleyball and basketball
teams... all this was done at The University of Miami in Miami, Florida. I also love to bowl and work out.
LS: How would you describe yourself in terms of attitude, personality, likes, dislikes, and strengths?
CR: I have a very positive attitude, an outgoing personality, I dislike two-faced people.
My strengths? Well, I would guess willing to try anything and help out any of the new, younger students training with Dory.
LS: What is your most marked characteristic as a wrestler?
CR: My entrance dance/skip, and my role as a very over face! Both as a referee and a wrestler. I still referee to this day.
LS: As a referee, do you consider it your job to be objective, calling the match straight down the middle, or subjective, and enforcing the rules perhaps more stridently against so-called 'rulebreakers'?
CR: I am both objective and subjective, I call the matches straight down the line and enforce the rules the best I can against the "so-called" rulebreakers... I do not put up with any B.S. in the ring!
LS: Describe a typical day of training for you. What is most important in your workout?
CR: I workout in the gym 4-5 days a week at 5 in the morning... I do 1 hour of cardio followed by 1 hour of strength training, then do a few hours in the office. Then three nights a week, train in the ring for 2-3 hours, and 2-3 hours in the ring on Saturday mornings.
The most important part of my training is the cardio workout in the gym; being that I wrestle and referee on the same show, I have to be in tip-top cardio shape! I will wrestle the first match on the show, then referee the remaining 4, 5, 6 matches the rest of the night.
Another important part of my training is learning the basics by one of the best in the business, Dory Funk, Jr.
LS: How would you best describe your ring style?
CR: I am strictly an Old School style wrestler. I usually stay grounded, I am not a high flyer, but I can put on a wrestling clinic in a match.
LS: What moves are you best known for?
CR: Japanese Arm Bar into the Oklahoma Roll and the &frac;34 Nelson.
LS: Have you ever been injured in the ring?
CR: Yes, but it did not keep me out of the ring at all. About three years ago I tore the ligaments in my right pinky in a wrestling match against Lexie Fyfe. When the match was over, all I did was tape it up, change clothes and was the referee the rest of the evening. I did not get surgery, all I do is tape it up for practice and matches.
LS: Who have been your toughest opponents?
CR: Without a doubt, Gail Kim and Lexie Fyfe, they are two of the toughest Girls around... but lately I have been having problems with a tag team known as The PopTarts, Vicki Von & Kim Dakota. I have also wrestled Missy Hyatt, and she can be tough as nails, don't let her looks fool you!
LS: Who are your allies?
CR: Well, loaded question... I will leave it up to my fans to guess this one.
LS: What has been your most memorable win?
CR: Pinning Gail Kim back in May 2007.
LS: What was your worst loss?
CR: February 2007, Gail Kim was my tag team partner against the PopTarts for the Funking Conservatory Women's Tag Team Title...
Gail turned on me at the end of the match, helping the PopTarts pin me!
LS: Who is the one wrestler you would most like to face in the ring, but haven't yet?
CR: It is a 3-way tie, sorry, between LITA, TRISH STRATUS and MICKIE JAMES.
LS: What type of match do you enjoy the most?
CR: Old school style, chain wrestling, what most people would call pure mat wrestling.
LS: What sort of reactions do you get from people when they learn you are a wrestler?
CR: They are so surprised, as most people see wrestlers as muscle monsters, bigger then myself.
LS: What is so special about this sport to you?
CR: I have met so many people that I can call friends to this day, and who I stay in contact with. My closest friends in the business besides Dory and Marti Funk are: Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, A.J. Styles.
LS: What are your fans like?
CR: They love me! I get stopped in stores... at shows I see signs that say: "The Claw is The Law," which is a saying given to me as a referee!
LS: Where have you wrestled, and what titles, if any, have you held?
CR: I have mostly wrestled for Dory Funk's promotion in Ocala, Florida but have done a couple Indy Shows in Valdosta, Georgia and Daytona Beach, Florida. However, as a referee, I have traveled to Calgary Alberta, Canada to referee for Stampede Wrestling, Valdosta, Georgia to referee for AWA/NWA Spinebuster, Cornelia, Georgia to referee for NWA Wildside, San Juan, Puerto Rico to referee for Carlos Colon's WWC Promotion, and have done several TNA Shows in Orlando. I currently hold The Funking Conservatory Women's Title, previously held The Funking Conservatory's United States Belt and The Funking Conservatory's Men's World Championship, won in a 3-Way Barroom Brawl!
LS: What are your thoughts on women participating in the sport?
CR: Love it, we should be treated as equals... would like to see more Women's Matches on some cards...
LS: What was your most unforgettable moment in the sport?
CR: I have many, but I can only narrow it down to two standout moments, they are: Wrestling Gail Kim for the first time in November 2006 (have wrestled her a total of 3 times so far), and being the referee in a NWA World Title Match between Dory Funk, Jr. vs. the World Champion at the time, Jeff Jarrett.
LS: Any regrets?
CR: NONE! Only wish I could have started sooner...
LS: What would you do if you couldn't be in wrestling?
CR: Real Estate Agent, teacher...
LS: What is your personal motto?
CR: "If you can Dream It, you can do it!" I really got that motto from Dory Funk, Jr., and it kind of says it all!
LS: What would make you most happy in life?
CR: Doing what I am doing now, Being a wrestler and referee, hopefully one day in WWE or TNA on a full-time basis, but I am happy what I am doing now...
LS: Anything else you'd like to add?
CR: Just thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this interview... ..
Follow Claudia's ring work at www.dory-funk.com
pics courtesy of Ms Reiff
