Gia Miller Finds Inspiration In Old-School Wrestling For Her Own In-Ring Work
Gia Miller is creating a larger-than-life persona with her in-ring work that calls back to the ‘old-school’ days of professional wrestling.
Gia Miller recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard ahead of IMPACT Wrestling’s Slammiversary pay-per-view on July 17. Miller is not only a backstage interviewer and co-host of ‘Behind The IMPACT’ alongside Josh Mathews and Jon Burton, but she’s an aspiring independent wrestler as well.
Miller spoke about who inspired her as an in-ring worker, noting that she’s taken cues from old-school wrestlers that include George South, who had a hand in training her and many other current wrestlers in the Carolinas.
“I really love a lot of old-school guys like George South, who was my first trainer. And that old-school, ‘cowboy’ attitude, I just love that. I’m not a high-flier, I’m not inspired by Lucha or anything because it’s just out of my wheelhouse and my realm of capability,” she explained, “but this old-school kind of ’80s American style of wrestling is really what I’m inspired by. And this larger-than-life persona—being big and being loud is something I’ve been criticized for my whole life, being too big and being too loud but now I found a place where I can be like that and succeed.”
✨ h o w d y ✨@SanctuaryPAtv #SanctuaryStuntStudio pic.twitter.com/oJQ1hh6TbQ
— Mean Gia // G L A M✨ (@MeanGiaMiller) June 26, 2021
Miller’s ‘GLAM’ persona is not just seen in mannerisms or attitude, but she’s also responsible for making her own gear as well. A noted theatre student, Miller said she took the DIY approach when she first broke into wrestling and still does it today.
“I did costuming in college. I helped out in the costume department in addition to seam work and everything and I took a couple costuming classes including design and construction. So, when I first started wrestling I was like ‘I guess I need some gear but it’s really expensive and I don’t wanna pour money into something that I don’t really like.’ So, I would just buy pretty plain pieces and then I would add things to it, and that’s where it started. Then over time,” she explained, “I’d just add a little piece of fabric here and there and now I pretty much make all of it. The only thing I wear that I didn’t make for a scratch is my jacket and my hat because I can’t make a leather jacket or a hat but I did embellish them, so everything that’s on it, I did do and then my gear is made absolutely from scratch.”
Miller described her “Gia Lee Ann Miller” persona as someone that carries herself like a star. She explained that she’s not trying to be the focal point on IMPACT Wrestling or BTI, she definitely carries herself as the star when she’s competing.
Check out her comments about how she separates her wrestling work from broadcasting at this link.