Final part: Amanda Tapping interviewMichelle Joy Phelps: hey guys, normally I'm on set for these interviews but today I am honoured to say that I have a chance to speak to Team Canada's manager in their stable gym, so thank you Amanda Tapping for this interview in your ring.
Amanda: it is my pleasure, I just hope I make a good impression.
Michelle: I am sure you'll do amazing, so let's start with the stable itself, you went through a few changes near the end of last year, can you explain what prompt that to happen?
Amanda: well Michelle, simply put we were falling behind, our group was being ignored for stables I personally believe haven't the talents we do.
But it was more then that, we had stagnated as a stable, we were formed in 2011 and made barely any changes in that time, our treasurer Deborah was getting worried that she was wasting money on a stable that barely fought, so I went to the drawing board.
Michelle: well you certainly made changes, 4 new signings made, 2 of the older girls were moved up and you guys came back with a bang with your Team Canada versus the Rest of the World card.
On the new girls; what made you sign them?
Amanda: I decided the stable needs to go back to it's roots, there are plenty of girls who we could have signed that are ready made or looked around the world.
Instead though I stuck with Canadian fighters because that is what build this stable, this is the stable that showed the world that this beautiful country producers some of the deadliest fighters in the world.
Erica Cerra and Alaina Huffman are our two gym leaders because they showed what being a winner looks like and the new girls have fit perfectly in to that mantle.
Michelle: it's still early doors but people I have spoke too agree that most of the signings have been flawless.
Ellen Page is the only one in fact with a loss of the new girls, though they haven't many fights to go off, I have to ask, was she signed purely off name value?
Amanda: Ellen is one of the sweetest girls you'll mean, put her in that ring and her demeanor changes, so if you think I'm worried if she can fight, the answer is no; I'm not worried one bit.
The fact she has so many fans is a plus, how can it not be when we want people coming to see our girls, she is truly an amazing young woman and I'm glad she joined us.
Michelle: but do you feel any of the girls has shown to be a better prospect to the others?
Amanda: no, I feel all of them can be champions, each has the technical skills, it's about us managing them correctly with the girls who were already here.
You have to remember that we had a champion in Erica, we can produce more champions if given time to do so.
Michelle: the other question on the reshuffle of course is girls like Nicole De Boer and Kari Matchett, they were moved up to assistant trainers, what was the thinking with that move?
Amanda: both know the stable inside and out as much as I do, so it was a no brained that I should ask them to stay in a more senior role, the thing was of course asking them to retire.
Boy did I think that was going to be hard, I'll let you into a smart secret on that, when I asked them; I sat with them on the office couch and we sat with a glass of brandy, I told them straight that I didn't think they would be able to be boxers as part of the stable going forward.
So the options were clear, either leave and continue their career without our help or stay and help us rebuild, I am so glad they stayed as they are the heartbeat of our staff, they do such a great job that maybe someday one of them could be the manager.
Michelle: but not for a while?
Amanda: not while I can still bark orders.
Michelle: so final question, hopefully a light hearted one but are you officially retired from fighting? You never really announced it.
Amanda: haha, well I never did, I'm 52 hun, I still do some sparring with Karen Clinche since she's our stable welterweight but I won't be in an official fight anytime soon.
It is something I regret, especially when I see girls doing tours or having that final grudge fight to settle things with a rival before settling into the sunset, I never did that but it's too late, best I can do is get into a fight outside the ring with fellow managers as we relive our youth.
Michelle: thank you so much for this interview, hopefully it give a few insights into the mind of a successful manager.
Amanda: glad I could be that mind.
Michelle: so thank you to everyone who watched this interview and this episode.