FROM topless dancing to body slams and from Playboy magazine to the 'squared circle', nothing about All Star Wrestling's April Hunter has ever been conventional. She talks to Paul Lucas ahead of her visit to Chester's Northgate Arena for a wrestling spectacular next weekend. FORMER Playboy Playmate April Hunter swapped the pampering and luscious life style of glamour modelling for the hard knocks and rough and tumble of professional wrestling. As she prepares to perform at Chester's Northgate Arena, alongside tag team partner Slyk Wagner Brown, she reflected on an astonishing transition.
 'I was more or less done with fitness modelling. Most girls only have two good years in it until they're replaced and I was never one to kiss ass to elongate that time, so decided to move on.' Her big break came in 1999 when she was approached by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The ill-fated company was vying in a ratings war with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and April was immediately thrown into one of its successful storylines - the new World order (nWo). 'I loved it and now realise how lucky I was at the time,' she commented. 'It was a valuable experience, but I wish I could have done more. 'The travel was very hard too. You'd think being able to travel across the country like that is amazing, but the truth is, you'll be in the air or at the airports all day, in town for just a few hours and never see anything but the hotel and arena.' However her time with WCW came to an abrupt end when they were six weeks late with her pay. She said: 'They were behind on cheques! Really behind! I left because I wasn't being used, yet was turning down offers to do fitness videos and photo layouts. I didn't realise I should 'pay my dues' and wait. 'I had a model's mentality - you're only as good as your last published shoot - and figured I should be getting 'out there' some other way. So, I left.' Despite her abrupt departure she had 'caught the wrestling bug'. She invested in training at Walter 'Killer' Kowalski's wrestling school and began to work for a number of independent wrestling promotions. 'It's like the minor leagues compared to the majors,' she said. 'On the independent shows, which generally only happen on the weekends, we pay our own travel most of the time, the pay scale is much lower or non-existent and it's more of a learning field to see if you can make it to the next level. 'On the upside of things, we get to sleep in our own beds most of the time. With WWE, you're on the road four days a week, minimum. There is also an inbetween alternative, which is touring out of the country. UK, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Puerto Rico, Europe - all offer more consistent work.' Though the thought of a woman wrestling may strike the casual viewer as odd, April is determined to break down prejudices. 'There's only one women's match per show, and less opportunities to tour and work. Plus our bookings are more looks-based rather than talent-based at times. I'm very happy to have the opportunity to come back to the UK and work for All Star, which is a great show and has quite a few top quality female wrestlers. 'In the USA, women who wrestle are not taken seriously. You have to be 'hot' and oh, if you can wrestle too, that's cool. 'We can go out and kill ourselves, but at the end of the night, maybe it doesn't matter.' | 
