FoCC Con Report: WOW – Women of Wrestling Interview w/ Jeanie Buss, Genesis & Kandi Krush
By Jason Delgado
I have been a long-time fan and admirer of Jeanie Buss due to the strength, intelligence, and thoughtfulness she has displayed as one of the most powerful women in sports while running the wildly popular and prestigious Lakers basketball organization. She has brought those same traits over as co-owner of WOW – Women of Wrestling, which features compelling backstories and exceptional athleticism performed by female Superheroes.
Jeanie and two of said Superheroes, Kandi Krush and Genesis, were kind enough to take some time out for an interview with me at San Diego Comic Con (SDCC). Buss has been attending SDCC since back in the 1970s, when DC comics’ Wonder Woman and Supergirl were the heroes whom she loved. Jeanie’s mission now is to give the phenomenal athletes of WOW a platform so that they can take center stage, as opposed to the side stage to which other organizations may relegate female athletes.
Kandi Krush and Genesis have the kind of fascinating origin stories that are deserving of the spotlight. Kandi Krush is a former boxer-turned-wrestler hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, who in her younger years endured abusive and grueling training in her quest to become an Olympic synchronized swimmer (a pervasive problem that was detailed recently on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO). That struggle with abuse led to depression, which led her to the incredibly difficult decision to leave the sport of swimming that she loved because she knew that she deserved a better life. Krush found her strength again when she discovered boxing, working hard to climb in the standings of a sport that is male-dominated. Krush has since made her way to WOW, where along with the power of the inspiration of her grandmother, she wants to fight for every girl going through similar struggles to show that anyone can be a superhero.
Genesis is a symbol for every outcast, something to which many Comic Con fans can relate. She grew up taking care of herself in a remote outback town in Australia, where she often felt alone, with only the dusty red dirt and strong winds to keep her company. Being shipped off to boarding school only made the isolation worse. To pass the time, she played with dangerous weapons such as the sword and nunchaku, eventually turning her body into a weapon with kung fu and karate. With a deep sense of loneliness and determination embedded inside her, she started wrestling, hoping to find a home. Genesis was exiled though in her own sport (she was kicked out as part of her storyline), leading to a mission of self-discovery. She returns to WOW this fall stronger than ever, with the singular purpose of becoming the WOW World Champion.
Kandi Krush enjoys wrestling because of the challenge of it (she says that it is one of the hardest things you can do), and the sisterhood, so it is all encompassing for her. Strength comes in all different shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, and WOW has such a diverse roster that anyone who is watching on TV is able to see an example of themselves. Genesis echoes that by saying that WOW is women really pushing themselves to the limit of their athletic abilities, doing the same things that the men do. She loves that they don’t always have to get along with each other, but they have such a respect for each other in the locker room, and that’s what sets WOW apart.
If Krush was able to have one superpower, she would choose superhuman strength, enough strength to flip the entire ring up in the air. Genesis would choose the power of flight, because she is part of a tag team called Exile. If she could fly out and be on her own, that would be quite useful to her. Kandi Krush’s favorite wrestling move to perform is her finisher called the “KO Krusher,” which is a superwoman punch through the air, but she has been cooking up a lot of new moves for season two. Genesis also can’t wait to try out her new moves so that her opponents can see that she is the real deal. She loves a good leg drop, because it is so satisfying to her.
Kandi Krush wants her legacy to be to show that you can do anything to which you put your mind and work behind. She is a big proponent of hard work, and she wants to show others that you don’t have to be naturally gifted, you just have to believe in yourself and keep putting in the work. The biggest thing for Genesis is overcoming situations and circumstances. No matter where you are from, what you look like, what you have done, what your goals are, you can achieve anything and be the best at what you do. Jeanie wants WOW to become a huge success that continues long after she is gone, so that female athletes can get a chance to shine on center stage.
Krush would like to give a message of gratitude to her fans, saying that they are so loyal, and that WOW continues making new fans every day, and hopefully more new ones from Comic Con, while empowering the world. Genesis gives a huge thank you for the support of WOW fans; they make the bumps, bruises, and pain worth it all by seeing their happy faces in the crowd.
You can watch the full interview on YouTube here.
Come watch these amazing superheroes and more at WOW Unleashed Live or stay tuned on weekends on Pluto TV and on VICE TV. For additional information, please visit wowe.com or on IG, Twitter, TikTok and FB @wowsuperheroes.
