In an exclusive interview on WrestlingNews.co’s “The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val,” Lisa Marie Varon (former WWE star Victoria) shared the wild and bizarre story of having to use a live tarantula, named “Poison,” as part of her “Tara” character in TNA Wrestling. She detailed her initial shock, her fear of being bitten, and the painful physical reaction she had from handling the spider. Scroll down to watch the interview.
A Box of Tarantulas
Varon explained that the gimmick was presented to her on her first day with the company. “They’re like, they had four shoe boxes with holes in it. They’re like, ‘these are for you.’ And I go, ‘what are they?’ ‘Tarantulas.’ And I go, ‘what?!'” she recalled. “I couldn’t… I was like, ‘holy sh*t.'” She said she had just signed a one-year deal to prove she was easy to work with, so she had to go along with it.
A Handler from Gatorland
Due to regulations at Universal Studios where TNA was filmed, the tarantula had to have a dedicated animal handler on site, who came from a famous Florida landmark. “They had a guy from Gatorland,” she said. “Universal Studios wouldn’t allow any animals without a handler.” The handler’s role, however, seemed to offer little protection. “I go, ‘Well, what if I get bit?’ And he goes, ‘Well, are you allergic to bees?’ I go, ‘I never been stung.'”
A Painful Allergic Reaction
Handling the tarantula, a Rose Hair named Poison, led to a painful and itchy physical reaction for Varon, which she later discovered was a defense mechanism of the spider. “I remember itching, and I go, ‘I’m itching every time I touch this spider,'” she said. “When birds fly to hunt tarantulas… for self defense, they shoot fibers from their body to blind the corneas. And so fibers were getting in my body… my skin, which was causing itch, like fiberglass.”
Fear in the Ring
Varon admitted she was terrified of the spider, especially in the chaotic environment of a live wrestling show. “I go, ‘which one doesn’t respond to pyro and people yelling and me breathing on it?'” she asked the handler. “I would tell the ref, ‘it’s gonna bite me, it’s gonna bite me.’ And he goes, ‘what are you gonna do?’ I go, ‘I can’t drop it, because Google said they explode like a light bulb, and I don’t want PETA after me.’ And I was like, ‘oh my god, I just have to deal with it.'”
The tarantula gimmick became one of the most memorable parts of her successful run in TNA, where she was a multiple-time Knockouts Champion. The full exclusive interview with SoCal Val can be seen on the “Velvet Ropes” YouTube channel, an exclusive to WrestlingNews.co.
