Trinity on preparing for Jordynne Grace, winning Impact Knockouts title

Trinity made her Impact Wrestling debut this past April, eventually following up by winning the Knockouts title after defeating Deonna Purrazzo at Slammiversary.

Since then, the former Naomi in WWE has successfully defended her title against Purrazzo in a rematch, Mickie James, Alisha Edwards, and Emerson Jayne. 

However, this January at TNA Hard To Kill in Las Vegas, she has perhaps her toughest challenge yet as she defends against former two-time Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace. 

In a recent conversation you can watch in full above, Trinity spoke about becoming champion, leading the Impact women's division, her favorite career moments this year, and more.

Winning The Knockouts Championship 

She explained that her goal coming into Impact was to win the Knockouts title, but she had no idea how long that journey could take.

"I was willing and ready to do whatever I had to do to accomplish this goal, and it's just been an incredible journey, all of it, the whole the whole experience with Impact."

Fatu said winning the championship felt "very, very surreal" and described feeling nervous in preparation for the big moment.

"I was so nervous and there was so much to prepare for -- so much unexpected things that I stress about because I want every performance to be perfect and be my best. But you just have no control over that when you're wrestling in front of a live crowd. You never know what's going to happen. So I really didn't have time to think or process the getting good in the wind. I was just so...just in it. And then when it was finally over, it was such a lot of surreal and relief and happiness and just an overwhelming flow of joy and tears and everything."

She went on to credit Purrazzo for elevating her and being one of her favorite people to wrestle because she has learned so much from her.

"She's one of the best, one of my favorite people to fight because she just elevates anybody she's in there with. She's such a phenomenal wrestler and I feel that I've grown and learned so much having to go against her more than once."

Leading the "fierce" Knockouts division 

As Knockouts Champion, Trinity is at the mountaintop of the women's division. She explained that she does feel an "incredible amount of pressure" because the locker room is filled with so many women that are capable of being in her spot and leading the division. 

"It's an incredible amount of pressure because I feel that we have such an incredible roster, locker room, strong talent, and every woman is capable of leading and holding it down. So it definitely makes me want to just continue to be my best, because the second I'm not there, there's going to be someone there to to fill that role."

She went on to add that having that kind of division pushes her to be better in every way.

"They really push me to be better in every aspect of the division and wrestling. I want to represent our ladies the best way I possibly can. And, we're fierce. The whole locker room is fierce."

Challenges she has faced since joining Impact

Joining a new promotion can be challenging as you find your way and work with new people. Trinity described what the biggest challenges have been for her so far while working with Impact including wrestling longer, main event matches. 

"I definitely think the the type of matches that I have been in that I have never experienced before. Also, getting more time, main eventing shows, it's not easy. But I also feel that that's what I needed to grow and also to believe in myself. And, to be put in those positions to prove to myself and everyone that I'm capable. I'm very thankful for Impact for giving me that space and opportunity to just show who I am without limitations."

The best version of her

When Trinity had just signed with Impact, we had spoken about the big career change in her life, going from WWE to her new home. She had mentioned in our last interview that she didn't know if she was going to actually return to pro wrestling. 

I asked her about how she felt going from that period in her life to where she is now, both holding gold and main eventing.

Fatu agreed that this is the best version of herself so far, but that she is still "growing and evolving" and that she feels this isn't the "last evolution" of her that fans will see.

"I think that the time away and that time off (between WWE and Impact) really helped me to navigate, to figure out what I really wanted and what I needed to do for myself and just as a performer and the impact I wanted to have on women's wrestling. I was able to really think about all those things and process it all and really miss it."

Fatu added that she had gotten to a point where she was just very "burned out mentally, physically and emotionally" and thought she might be done.

"But having that time away really helped me through to just see clearly that I wasn't done. And there's more of me to give in the wrestling business, and to my fans and to just come back and finish in a way that I feel is really respectable and good for me."

She further explained that it didn't feel right to her to just stop and end her career.

"It didn't feel right to me, you know, stopping where I was. It just wasn't sitting right in my spirit, and so it motivated me to come back and I'm here and I'm so happy that I did. But I also I'm happy for that experience."

Hard To Kill 

On January 13th, Trinity kicks off the year with one of her toughest challenges to date against Jordynne Grace at Hard to Kill.

Grace won the Call Your Shot gauntlet at Bound for Glory which earned her a championship opportunity of her choosing. Grace chose to come after Trinity and the Knockouts title. 

She has never faced Grace before, but said she's going to practice very hard so that's she confident when she gets into the ring with her.

"Jordynne is definitely someone that I have never faced and never faced anyone like her. And I'm going to be training and practicing very hard so that I'm confident in myself when I step in that ring with her. I think she may be one of my toughest challengers so far, and I just want to make sure that I'm prepared. When I step in the ring with her in Vegas in January. I got a couple of months to get some new stuff down that I think I'm going to need for her because baby girl is strong and baby girl is one of the best."