Natalie Hernandez
Hello and welcome to another edition of Late Night with Natalie, I first of all want to thank Josh Diaz for filling in for me over the past few weeks but tonight I’m joined by the Japanese sensation taking Divas Unleashed by storm, Yuku Shiro, how are you doing on this evening?

Yuku Shiro
Fine Natalie, thank you so much for having me, it's a pleasure to be here!

Natalie Hernandez
It’s a pleasure to have you. Now I’m going to go out on a limb here and ask your opinion on the recent perceptions of you being an ego maniac, is that a false accusation?

Yuku Shiro
A lot of it is false Natalie, you do have to have some type of ego to be in this business, and I don't think there's a girl out there that doesn't like having championship gold. But people have to understand two things about me...one I come from a family of 5 brothers, and a father...all champion class wrestlers, so it's a lot of pressure on me being the youngest and a girl, and two, I have a little girl to raise, and this it how I make my living to support her, so I have to be the best for her.

Natalie Hernandez
Does being on the road a lot effect your relationship with her? Considering the fact you’re not there to see her grow up or does she actually travel with you, even so if she does is that the healthiest way to bring up a child?

Yuku Shiro
It's hurts a lot being on the road, not because I know she missed me, but I miss her so much. She has a nanny, my aunt Matsumoto -san takes care of her, and she also sees her father, when I get the chance I do take her on the road with me, and try to make as much time for her as possible. Eventually I plan on giving all this up to be a full time mother to her, because I don't want to miss all of her days when she grows up..

Natalie Hernandez
Do you think that we’ll have a Yuku Shiro Jr., as we’ve heard about your illustrious line of championships and success you even had a match over it, do you want that for you daughter or would you be happy with her becoming a salesperson or something?

Yuku Shiro
Before I made this business my life I wanted to be a corporate lawyer, I did this to basically pay for college, but when I met Sakura's father, and got pregnant, after he left me my life changed. I want her to have the opportunities and options I didn't have, to have options outside of stepping into the ring. If she does decide to choose this life I will support her nonetheless, but I want her to know there's other ways of making a life than this, because we know that in this sport, all it takes is one serious injury to end it all.

Natalie Hernandez
Yes, getting back to the wrestling side and away from your personal life. When you arrive you managed to push the buttons of Taylor, another successful diva, but you had very different styles but how did it feel being against an already established Taylor with a huge fan base as oppose to a relative newcomer who the fans to Divas Unleashed?

Yuku Shiro
You may not understand this, but when you been battling male heavyweight champions standing 6 foot 4 inches and up, and weighing well over the 260 lb mark, knocking heads with Taylor is NOTHING. Don't miss understand this because I do respect Taylor, she is a very accomplished athlete, and highly decorated former champion like myself, so I take her very serious, deadly serious to say the least, but years of ring experience has proven one thing, when you step into that ring, it doesn't matter how many championships a person has held, they're still human. One day you may catch them, then next day maybe your ticket that gets punched. I maybe be a little cocky outside the ring, but when I'm in that circle I'm all business, and that's probably the difference between Taylor and I...I take her seriously so I don't hold back...she doesn't take mere seriously...so she's going to continuously leave herself to getting levelled every time she steps into the ring against me. A tip for all the Diva rookies out there (winks)..

Natalie hernandez Hernandez
With Crystal and Taylor now behind you, can you give us more details on your upcoming Shiro Cup Tournament and what is next for Yuku Shiro?

Yuku Shiro
The Shiro Cup Tournament gives anyone who wants a shot to prove they're the top Diva next to the Unleashed Champion herself, I hope in time it's changed to the Divas Unleashed Cup, because I don't want to be portrayed as an egomaniac. I have a Stripped Championship match with Vicksen, and I hope I'm successful with that, but my main goal is become the next Unleashed Champion...and if Mya's still the champ, then I'll be on a serious collision course with her to knock her off..

Natalie Hernandez
It’s obvious you like gold, but if you win the Stripped Championship against Vicksen that would then win you would have defend in gimmick matches, are you then prepared to go with them given your oriental background where wrestling is wrestling, no other?

Yuku Shiro
I am be Japanese, but I'm also part Irish from my dearly departed mother's side (laughs). As for doing gimmick matches, I'm down for it as long as it's not TOO degrading...the reason I decided to become a part of Diva's Unleashed is because here I have a chance to let down a lot of my guards and be who I am...when you compete against men, you have to be harder then them, or they think you're weak, or a slut or something. Here I can be a strong positive female professional wrestler, and a very sensual, and sexual woman who's confident in herself without being judged. Goodness I'm only 22 years old, and with a body like this I should be more than proud to show it off before it gets old. So if I do win the Stripped Championship, like any title I'll be happy to wear it and defend it in any matches, and against any opponent!

Natalie Hernandez
We’ve covered the past of you and the possible future but let’s fast forward to the present. Would you say you where jealous of any of the other divas?

Yuku Shiro
(Smiles) I've overcome a lot of adverseties in my life, accomplished a lot of goals in my career that I said I would set, and have the most beautiful daughter in the world...I have no reason to have a jealous bone in my body...what I do have is a competitive nature of a tigress, my main goal is to become a legend in this industry, not to be looked on as Yuku Shiro "One of the Greatest Female wrestlers ever", but Yuku Shiro "One of the Greatest Wrestlers" period. I also know that I may be a vet, but here I'm the new girl, that's the way it is, so if I want to be the top dog here, I'm going to have to push my way to the top like I've done in any other fed I've been in. Jealous? How can I be? Each girl here has paid their dues to make it to the top. I just have to do the same, I just plan to push my self ten times harder than anyone else. When someone's bring 100 and 10 percent to the ring, you can bet I'm bring 500 percent or more.

Natalie Hernandez
Fair enough. If you had the choice of choosing a diva to step into the ring with, which would it be and why?

Yuku Shiro
(Smiles) Besides Mya herself, I would say Bianca...she looks like she could give me a run for my money in the ring, personally I think I'm tougher (5 older brothers, and a task master of a father will do that to you). She claims she's the baddest bitch...I just want to see how bad she really is. .

Natalie Hernandez
We’ve well documented your background of the Shiro clan but how do you feel about Kaci Russell whose family is mainly acting, or Kristin Wallace’s rich upbringing? Do they belong in wrestling?

Yuku Shiro
(Shrugs her shoulders.) If you got the guts to step into the ring, and can hit a well placed DDT, who the heck am I to judge? Where you come from, and what you do outside of the ring is none of my business, just don't bring it TO the ring...THAT pisses me off. In that ring you are a wrestler, and your job is to beat your opponent and get the win, and hopefully one day bring home a championship...anything else is just a waste of my time from what I see, and could possible get a chick killed in the ring. Figuratively not literally...although I've see close.

Natalie Hernandez
You had a lot of expectation and mystified fans with a vignette at Arachnophobia, comparing that reaction of someone unknown to getting a win over Crystal, how do they compare?

Yuku Shiro
Pretty nicely I imagine, regardless of my past like I said I'm the rookie here, and this is Crystal's stomping grounds (laughs) will it's Mya's now because she's the champ. To get a win over a major competitor like Crystal only proves that I'm to be taken seriously, and not looked upon lightly, and will hopefully give me the push I need earn the respect of a Diva around here.

Natalie hernandez Hernandez
You seem pretty concerned on Mya’s championship, is that your next goal to work towards or will you hope to become the Stripped Champion, would it matter which you held?

Yuku Shiro
Like I stated I would love to be the Stripped Champion, that title would definitely propel my career here and I would defend it to the very end, but let's be honest, we go through the abuse in that ring night in and night out for one thing, and that's the most conveted prize in this business; here it's the Unleashed Championship. ANYONE who says they're not here to win that title, and become the top Diva here is either lying to you, or an idiot. That 15 pounds of gold signifies that you are the undisputed BEST, and since I consider myself to be the BEST, my goal is to get that championship around my waist. In the words an infamous wrestler, "If you're not here for the Championship, then you're just wasting time." I don't like to waste time...

Natalie Hernandez
Wouldn't we all. Before we go, who do you name as your number one influence on your career, if any, and why?

Yuku Shiro
(Smiles.) My second eldest brother Ken Shiro...he was the first to start in this business, and I watched him go through a LOT of a abuse both physically and verbally...a lot of people felt he didn't have what it took to be the best, but through it all I watched him fight his way to the top, now he's the current heavyweight champion, and the third man to ever held a title in every single divsion of his federation. He's taught me that no matter what people may say, you have the power to make your life what you want it to be. It's a code I live by to this day, and what do you know...it works.

Natalie Hernandez
Well Yuku, it’s been a great pleasure to talk to you in what has been a wonderful interview. Do you have any last words?

Yuku Shiro
Too the rookie Divas some advice...if you want it that badly...push forward with all you have, and never surrender...in the end you will get there, and to the veterans of this business...Mya, Bianca, Crystal, and Taylor...look out...because you have some STIFF competition coming your way.

Natalie Hernandez
Thank you for coming on the show. Next week we'll be interviewing starlet and Bod Squad creator Kristin Wallace so tune in for what she has to say. Good night!

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