The Kimberly Pages (from Rampage Magazine - September 2000)
by Missy Lynn Winter

   Kimberly Page is the epitome of what women in wrestling should be all
about. Smart, savvy, and sexy, Kimberly has helped her husband, Diamond
Dallas Page, achive his dreams of becoming a wrestler - and three-time WCW
World Heavyweight Champion. Standing by his side as a staunch supporter and
ally, the lovely Kimberly has been the perfect foil for the bold, brash DDP.

   But now, in the wide world of WCW, there is nothing as important to
Kimberly except... KIMBERLY!!! Finally the worm has turned (no offense, DDP),
and Kimberly showed she had cunningas well as characterwhen she played a tune
all her own and whacked the Diamond Cutter with Jeff Jarett's guitar. Saying
what many women would like to say - "This time it's about me!!!" - Kimberly
joined forces with Evil Eric Bischoff, and had the audacity to take advantage
of an unconscious DDP, using his own hand to sign D-I-V-O-R-C-E papers as he
lay helpless in the ring. After this bit of nasty business, only one question
remains: What will she do next?

   While TV's Kimberly Page finds her place in the limelight, the real-life
Kimberly Falkinburg knows exactly who she is and where she is going. Proving
once again that beauty and brains are not mutually exclusive, Kimberly earned
a master of Science in Advertising from Northwestren University as one of the
youngest stundents ever to graduate from that prestigious program. She was on
the fast track to a career in business when she was derailed by a certain
young man named Page Falkinburg, who was making tracks of his own toword a
career in wrestling. Since then they've been on the ride of their lives.

   After meeting Kimberly Falkinburg, I knew the readers of Rampage would
want to know her, too.

   As a wife, model, business partner, wrestling manager, creator and
former leader of the Nitro Girls, and co-founder of the Bang-It-Out-For
Books Foundation, Kimberly is a woman of extraordinary achievement. She has
graciously offered Rampage a look into the realities of life inside the
squared circle... and behind the curtain.

MLW: Kimberly, you obviously weren't planning on a life in wrestling...

KP: No, not really. I watched it when I was in high school; it was really
popular. It was part of MTV, so it was part of the popular culture in high
school. I knew the stars, like Hulk Hogan and Randy "Macho Man" Savage, and
Miss Elizabeth, never thinking for an instant that I would ever wind up
working with these people someday.

MLW: So you were basically a normal kid in high school?

KP: Well, yes, your basic overachiever. I was involved in a lot of
extracurricular activities. My parents always emphasized academics, but I
was pretty athletic as a kid. I did gymnastics and then horseback riding,
cheerleading. In college I got into aerobics and started teaching aerobics
classes to make extra cash. It was an aerobics instructor, actually, who
introduced me to Page.
   He took me to a night spot in my home town called Norma Jean's. We were
out on the dance floor, and this really tall guy with long blond hair came
over, he had all this jewelry, and he whispered something to Deke, who
introduced me to "Page J." I said, "What does the J stand for?" And Page
said, "Just marvelous." He kissed my hand, and I thought, "This is rich, this
guy is over the top."
   A few nights later I was back there with a date, and we were dancing; the
place was packed, a sea of people, I had a 1 o'clock curfew, and as I was on
my way out the door, Page scooped me off to the side. We got into this
conversation that lasted for over an hour, and I blew off my date and had to
get a ride home and I was late for my curfew. But I was really intrigued by
this tattooed, jeweled man.

MLW: He sounds very different! I know you were raised in a very conventional
home; your dad was a doctor. I assume Page was different from other men you
had dated.

KP: Well, I always brought home unconventional people. My personality is such
that I like to try new things, and do things that are different Even though
I'm a conventional person I've always surrounded myself with unconventional
people, because I believe it enriches my own experience. I can peek over
the ledge but I don't have to jump, like same people have to. That's what
interested me in Page - his experiences and life were so different from my
own. I thought: "Here's a guy who would be interesting, a guy I could learn
a few things from."

MLW: And you did, din't you!

KP: We've been married for nine years now. We've come so far. It's been an
incredible journey, something I never would have expected. But I wouldn't
trade it, no way.

MLW: Although you've had a lot of successes, I'm sure it must have been
difficult at times as well.

KP: It's a balance, really. For all the good things, you've got to pay the
price. Starting out we had a lot of time to spend together. We may have been
in a tiny apartment trying to scrap together a few extra bucks to go to
Sizzler for dinner, but there was a lot of love and a lot of passion. And as
the years have gone by, we've been able to work together, which very few
couples get to share. So I've been intricately involved in his business and
he in mine. As we've become successful we've been able to share it, and it's
been really fun.

MLW: You seem, to me, a very upbeat person. How would you describe yourself?
Are you an optimist, a pessimist, introvert, extrovert?

KP: I'm definitely introverted, and I think I'm an optimist, insofar as my
life is concerned; but sometimes I may be skeptical of other people, of what
they're doing . I'm reserved about others. It's just my personality.

MLW: I know you've done some work with Playboy; how did that come about?

KP: I've been working for Playboy for several years now, since '93 or '94.
They were advertising in Atlanta for a 40th-anniverary issue and they were
looking for women for that issue. I heard about it and a friend of mine said,
"You should go for it." I talked to Page and he said, "Yeah, go and do it."
So I met Jeff Cohen, the editor of the Playboy newstand specials. He took a
couple of Polaroids and said, "You have a career."
   He was one of the people who was intrumental in my modelling career. So I
started shooting with Playboy and it's gone on ever since.

MLW: Was it hard to do? Ypu said you are an introvert and kind of shy. Can
you separate yourself from that?

KP: I'm shy, but I'm not modest - and Playboy is so professional. It's
all so technical you might as well be fully dressed as nude, because the
photographers and technicians are so professional and make you feel
comfortable about it. They're looking at lighting and framing and
composition and it's all very technical. And I enjoy that a great deal. I
learned a lot about shot composition and the styling of the shoot - about
image, about creating a picture in somebody's mind, and that helped me when
I was creating the Nitro Girls.

MLW: You founded the Nitro Girls in 1997. How did that whole idea come
about?

KP: Actually my boss, Eric Bischoff, I brought me the idea. He was looking
for a way for women to participate in wrestling without becoming part of the
physical action, and he asked me to put together a group, like cheerleaders
or dancers. We brainstormed a bit. I suggested we use the NBA format, but
wrestling-style: a little flashier, a little sexier. I said, "I'II put
together a group of six girls that have their own image, cross-cultural,
cutting-edge, hip - and put it to music. Let's make a music video out of it."
Eric said, "That's great! Have it on TV in three weeks." That was it. Those
were his exact words, and I said, "OK."

MLW: Had you ever done anything like that before? Had you ever choreographed
anything before?

KP: No, I had never choreographed anything, and I had very little formal
dance training. But you can bet your boots I went out and got some. I
handpicked the girls. And it turned into a very successful project... but it
was a lot of work, it took a toll on my personal life, because it took so
much time. I really wanted a role where I could see more of Page. So I passed
the torch, so to speak.

MLW: Even without the Nitro Girls, are you able to have a normal life?

KP: You mean like having friends and going out? Absolutely not. I wish we
did; that's one of the things I miss. But we have a short window of
opportunity so we have to put our friends on the low-maintenance plan.
   Right now, it's hard. Our families have come to understand this, too.

MLW: What is the hardest thing right now about your life?

KP: Not being able to be with my family and friends. My dad had some health
problems a couple of years ago. I'm lucky - I was able to drop everything and
go to be with him, but in a few days, they were tapping their feet, saying,
"You know, we have a show to do." As soon as my dad was out of the woods, I
had to leave, because I didn't have any extra time to spend with him. And I
really wish I had been able to stay.
   Now we have a different set of challenges. We have a lack of privacy;
we're pulled in a lot of directions. Sometimes we have to schedule time to
be together. Just make appointments to be together, by ourselves, and that
can be challenging. The rigors of work even when we're involved in a story
line like we are now, this whole divorce thing, that's a whole new set of
challenges. Because we have a vested interest in seeing the story line go
on, we have to make a separation there.

MLW: You mean the separation between the story line and what is real?

KP: Exactly. It's been weird - a lot of people believe what they are seeing
on TV. The calls, the questions, the concern that comes flowing in. Even
from friends and relatives.

MLW: I asked Page: "How much of your character is you?" I suppose a lot of
your character is you, and people see you on television and think that is
you.

KP: As a matter of fact, that is one of the things that attracts people to
wrestling. We borrow heavily from our own real-life experiences and our own
real-life personalities to develop our characters. It's not like we're
playing a totally different person. TV Kimberly is not exactly opposite or
unfamiliar with real-life Kimberly. I borrow heavily on what's really
happening.
   For instance, when we started this story line, I said, "Hey, from day one,
it's been your career first." Now in real life, that's true. But it was that
way out of necessity, and I'm cool with that in real life. I was absolutely
100 percent behind that in real life, but for television, I said, "OK, let's
take that and add another layer that plays to the fatal flaw of my character
- vanity. Let's take that green-eyed monster and infuse that into our past
experience and see what would have happened if we had done this in real
life."
   It's been really interesting, and cathartic. When I finally ended up
hitting him on the head with the guitar, I'm thinking, "I've got to be
careful, I've got to hit him in the right place so he doesn't really get
hurt." Afterward, when we got backstage, after he was stretchered back from
the ring, it's a big hug and I'm saying, "Honey, are you all right?" Then
it's a big sigh of relief and the love starts to flow. It's like, it's OK...
it's all right now.

MLW: My husband has been very successful in his career, and I've been
supportive just as you have been; but sometimes when you're in the
background, you feel that your life is wrapped up around someone else and
you wonder, "Where am I in all of this?"

KP: I think this happens to women a lot. I think women's nurturing nature
makes us put own needs second, and our goals second. I'm not saying that's
bad. You shouldn't invalidate all the good things that come from giving your
support and your love. There is that old adage, "Behind every great man
is a great woman," and I believe it's true. I've gotten a great deal of
satisfaction from all that I've done. I'm so proud of Page. When he does
something - whether it's the Larry King Show or the match of his life - I
feel that is my success as well.

MLW: As far as your character is concerned, I bet it's a lot more fun being
a bad girl than a good girl.

KP: Oh, definitely a lot more fun.

MLW: Do you mind when the audience responds, when they're shocked and booing
you?

KP: It's been hard, because the fans' natural affinity is to like me. They've
liked me for years; I've been a babyfaced girl for years. So I've got to be a
little meaner. It must be working, because they're booing me pretty hard.
   Last week Page had a match, and I got involved, I did something that cost
him the win, so we got in the middle of the ring and started to have an
argument. He grabbed me like he was ready to put me in the Diamond Cutter...
and do you know what the people did? They cheered. And when he let me go,
they booed, That audience wanted to see me get drilled.

MLW: Are you happy with the female presence in wrestling? Have you ever
wanted to wrestle?

KP: No, that's never been one of my goals. Eric [Bischoff] and Vince [Russo]
have said, "From now on we want the women to be more physically involved."
It's early in the game for me to say how I feel about that. My concern is
that I'm not a wrestler - I don't even play one on TV. It's extremely
dangerous stuntwork.
   I'm no shrinking violet. I can do a stunt here or there, but my own
preference is to have the time and training I need so I don't get hurt. Women
are getting an opportunity to do something we haven't gotten a chance to do
before, and that's something you know I love. It means I'm an actor who does
her own stunts. As long as it's safe, I'm willing to participate. But you
also have to consider; What type of message is it sending out? If a guy hits
a girl over the head, what is that saying?
   We are very concerned about what our message is about violence against
women. It's been a heated issue, and I believe it's a valid one, I do not
want young boys growing up thinking that it's OK to hit girls.
   What I do want people to understand is that what we do is like a
live-action cartoon. There is a lot of training and prevention involved, so
when we take a hit, or when a girl gets powerbombed through a table, this is
not real life, this is like Wile E. Coyote. And those women have made a
conscious decision to participate in their own stuntwork - they're getting
paid to do it. They're not being coerced of forced. I've been asked to
participate in some situations where I have been repeatedly asked: "Are you
okay with this? Make a smart decision here. Are you prepared to do this? Are
you able to do this?" They have to think of their own liability, and they
also what to be sure that I feel completely comfortable making the conscious
choice to perform the stuntwork.
   Now that's completely different from really getting whacked. There's an
important psychological distinction to be made there. This is not a real
person getting hit here, viewers need to know that. Just like Demo Moore
didn't really go to be a Navy SEAL in GI Jane, she got to do the easy actress
version. That's a big difference.

WLM: I've been watching wrestling since I was a little kid, and I've never
thought of going out and doing anything to someone because I've seen it on
TV.

KP:That's true. But I also understand the argument that, by watching so much,
you become desensitized to violence and come to accept it as normal.

MLW: What do you think wrestling gives to the fans?

KP: I think it gives them a visceral thrill of seeing something they'd like
to do, some fantasies they've had, some unrealized dreams. You get to
piledrive that boss who was mean to you or the wife who's a money-grubbing
you-know-what. And it's not a morality play anymore. The good guys don't
always win and the bad guys don't always lose.

MLW: But real life is like that sometimes, isn't it? It's a lot grayer
sometimes; things aren't always black and white.

KP: And there are always bad things about good people - and good things about
bad people,too.

MLW: I know you don't have children yet, but you do have nieces and nephews.
Are you concerned about the way that violence in wrestling may affect
children?

KP: I think that parents are given a ton of responsibility these days. They
have to monitor what their kids take in. There's the Internet and their
peers, and television and radio. You have to be 24-7 on guard to make sure
that your children understand what they are taking in or seeing. Some
children are more mature, and they "get it" - some don't. It's an individual
parent's choice, knowing their child, to decide whether this is OK material
for them to watch.

MLW: What would you do if you could run the WCW?

KP: I would definitely keep Eric and Vince in charge of the creative. I
would expand the production department, because they are the most grossly
overworked and underpaid people in the industry. I think that would improve
the quality of our show. We have quite a few challenges for our productions.
We have grown so big so quickly. We need more camera crews, we need more
capital infused in that area. Even when a program is taped, it's live on
tape, so it all shows up on television. I'd expand the production side and
work real hard, as I think Eric and Vince are, to build the characters into
people that our fans really care about. And I don't mean just the big stars.
I mean some of the younger ones, the up-and-coming talent, too.