All The Right Moves (WCW Magazine #66)
by Amy Bell

Having established herself in the fitness world and in Latin films, Midajah
O'Hearn now is making waves in WCW

   When Big Poppa Pump emerges from backstage, the collective audience eye
doesn't stray far from the tremendous man-machine's abnormally large biceps
and bulgeing chest. He captivates fans with a fierce, threatening movements
to the point that they seem spellbound be his freakish massiveness. When the
crowd crowd does take their eyes off of Scott Steiner, they turn to the
exotic Midajah O'Hearn and her gracegfully petite, chiseled form. What the
audience doesn't know about this beautiful vixen is that she in a luminary
in the fitness world and once was a Mexican movie star.

   The raven-haired seductress who serves as Steiner's valet was born in
Seattle and moved back and forth between Seattle and Mexico several times
during her youth. As evidenced by her complexion, O'Hearn has a Latin flavor
to her. "I'm a blend of Spanish and Norwegian," she says.

   O'Hearn discovered her love for being in front of the camera as a child.
Between the ages of 3 and 7, she lived in Mexico with her family, and she was
a frequent visitor on a children's game show for two years. When she moved
back to Seattle to attend middle school, O'Hearn joined a samll modelling
school and began modeling for catalogues.

   O'Hearn moved on to high school and further developed her out-going
attitude toward everyone. "I always was getting in trouble for talking too
much in class," she says with a laugh "I was a social butterfly, and I was
friends with everyone-preps, jocks, everybody."

   At her mother's urging, O'Hearn moved back to Mexico for her final two
years of high school. She lived with her cousins in Mexrico City and became
fluent in Spanish. "Before I lived in Mexrico as a teenager, I didn't really
understand my mom. I thought she was just old-fashioned," O'Hearn says. "But
once I understood the culture she grew up in, I felt like I understood her."

   O'Hearn was doing much more in Mexico than learning her mother's culture.
While still in high school, O'Hearn landed major roles in two Latin films.
She co-starred in a feature called "Thirst for Revenge," and a horror movie
called "A Cult Dimension," or "Los Galindos." Although she wasn"t famiiiar
with them at the time, O'Hearn shared the screen with many distinguished
Latin celebrities. "I was a star in Mexico, but that means nothing to
Americans because they have never seen these movies," she says.

   After O'Hearn graduated from high school, she moved back to Seattle. She
attended Shoreline Community Cclllege and then transferred to the Univesity
of Washington. After studying business administratisn, O'Hearn realized she
would be happier as an English-Spanish translator. She  moved to Los Angeles,
received her translator certification and got a job working as a translator
at workman's compensation office. She also began modeling again and worked
as a makeup artist on the side.

   When she moved to Los Angeles, O'Hearn captured the attention of people
in the fitness industry. "They were interested in using me in fitness
magazines because I was different and ethnic," O'Hearn says.

   Fascinated with the fitness world, O'Hearn earned certification in
personal training and nutrition in 1994. "I kept getting more and more jobs
in fitness modeling, so I had to really be fit," she says. "I eventually had
to quit my translating job because I was so overwhelmed." She signed a
contract with a bodybuilding supplement company, and began participating in
trade shows and making appearances. O'Hearn is currently working with Welder
Publications.

   In December 1999, a representative from WCW flew to Los Angeles to
audition women in the fitness industry, including O'Hearn, for roles as nWo
girls. After O'Hearn was hired, she was introduced to Steiner, who
immediately knew he had to make her one of his "freaks."

   O'Hearn enjoys working with Big Poppa Pump, and as his valet she has
gotten closer to Steiner than most people dare. "Scott is one of my best
friends," O'Hearn says. "He's very intimidating and strong-minded, so nobody
stands in his way. If he's mad, you better stay away from him."

   Although Steiner terrifies most people, O'Hearn has become his trusted
confidant "He's extremely intelligent. He's alvays thinking a thousand things
at once before his matches, and he takes his job very seriously," she says.
"Not a lot of people have the opportunity to get too close to him because he
doesn't allow them to. He's a very private person and everyone respects that.
He does talk to me, though. Actually if anyone needs anything from him, they
ask me to talk to him. I think he knows I'm very calm, cool and collected,
and if he's upset I speak to him very delicately with a lot of respect."

  Although O'Hearn is the valet for one of WCW's most renowned wrestlers, she
isn't sure how the audience perceives her. "I haven't really gotten to do a
lot in the ring besides prance around Scott and cheer him on, I don't know if
the fans see me as very sexy or what," she says. According to O'Hearn, a
valet's primary job is not to be concerned with how she looks or how the
audience receives her, but to focus on the wrestler. "I work off of Scott and
his emotions in the ring," she says. "I know how to react to him. It's really
important that a valet pay close attention to the wrestler because that
creates chemistry."

   Recently, O'Hearn has done more than simply act as cheerleader for
Steiner; she has leaped into the action a few times. I love being directly
involved in the matches," she says. "I've jumped off the turnbuckle, slapped
Booker T. and landed on Vampiro. Anything I can do to help out, whether it's
jumping off ropes or doing somersaults, is a lot of fun for me." O'Hearn also
delights in microphone work and she hopes WCW eventually will take advantage
of her Spanish-speaking skills. Although she relishes being involved in
matches, O'Hearn cannot imagine herself as a full-time wrestler. "I love what
I'm doing right now," she says. "I don't really see myself as a wrestler,
though.

   "I never thought someone like me would be involved in wrestling. I did
some small appearances for 'Days of Our Lives' in December, and I was on the
'Love Boat' once. I was trying to get into soaps, and here I am in wrestling.
But it's a job about being fit and I love being fit. Plus, I'm getting a lot
of exposure, and I can't thank WCW enough for giving me this opportunity."

   O'Hearn's family is proud of her recent surge into stardom. "I have two
younger brothers and one younger sister, and they think ifs the coolest thing
in the world that I work for WCW," she says. Because her parents live in
Mexico where WCW events are not available on TV, O'Heam sends them tapes of
her performances. "They think I'm crazy, but they're proud of what I do. They
are always saying things like, 'Who's the guy with the big muscles?' and,
'Can't you put more clothes on?'"

   O'Hearn may wear minimal amounts of clothing as Steiner's "freak," but she
disagrees with critics that accuse wrestling valets of perpetuating sexist
stereotypes of women. "I believe you should always be proud of who you are
and what you have," she says, "You have to enjoy life, and you can't take
yourself so seriously."