She’s Got a Lock on Roles in and Out of Ring

Sable heated up cable when she was wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation on the USA Network. (She has been sidelined since last month when she pinned a $110-million lawsuit on Titan Sports Inc., which operates the WWF.)

The popular wrestler started out with the WWF in 1996 as a valet--a ring girl--before she stepped inside the ring in March 1998.

Sable (real name: Rena Mero) and her husband, wrestler “Marvelous” Marc Mero, live in her home state of Florida with their young daughter. She managed her husband’s career from 1996 to 1998.

Since June, Sable has taken a ringside seat while lawyers rassle over her lawsuit, which raises questions about her working conditions.

In the meantime, the former model is learning the ropes in Hollywood. TV Guide ran her on its cover twice and her second Playboy cover is due in September.

Question: What is there about your work that people don’t realize?

Answer: I think there are several things that people don’t get about wrestling, and one of the things is that we are entertainment. People say we should have responsibility as to what we are doing and for the role models we are being for the children who watch our shows. And I totally disagree with that. We are not sports. We are sports entertainment, a television show that’s put on to entertain the people. It’s your responsibility as a parent to monitor what your children watch. And if you feel that our show is inappropriate for them to watch, then by all means, don’t let them watch it. But it’s not our responsibility to put on a show that is right for your children.

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Q: Is that the way it is in your home with your child, including watching TV?

A: I monitor everything she watches, every place she goes, everything she reads. I think, as a parent, that’s my responsibility. And that’s the most important job that I have in the world.

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Q: Were you a scrapper when you were a kid?

A: Unfortunately, yes. I was a very feisty teenager and I got into a few altercations, and, you know, you mature and realize that’s not the proper way to handle things. So, yes, there was a time.

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Q: How did you go from outside to inside the ring?

A: One evening, another female wrestler and I got into an altercation, and then the office and the manager of the company saw the response that it received from the fans, so they decided to have us have a wrestling match.

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Q: So your wrestling career began as an argument, which started outside but finished inside the ring?

A: Yes. You have to understand that everything’s scripted out, and we do what we’re asked to do. And this was part of a story. It wasn’t anything that truly happened. You know, we’re sports entertainment, so we have to develop characters and story lines and keep the people interested in what they’re seeing.

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Q: You were athletic in school, but had you done any wrestling?

A: Absolutely none at all and I had no interest in doing it. But it was a new challenge for me and I felt like I could pull it off.

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Q: Describe your signature move--the Sablebomb.

A: Well, Sablebomb is a very devastating move that puts all my opponents out. It starts by placing my opponent’s head between my legs, and a lot of people don’t like to move from that position when they’re there, but . . . then, I wrap my arms around their midsection and pick them up, flip them through the air, and then I slam them on their back.

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Q: Do you design or just buy your costumes for the ring?

A: I do both. I have a seamstress and we work together on designing my outfits, and some of them I just buy.

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Q: You described your fighting style as “New Age women of the ‘90s street brawl.” Is that right?

A: Yeah. Maybe not a street brawler but, you know, a street fighter incorporating kick boxing. It’s not the body-slamming, headlock takedown. It’s not the old style of wrestling.

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Q: You’ve said that it probably surprises your fans when you describe yourself as “domesticated.”

A: Yes. I am very domesticated. Some of my favorite things in life are being a mother and a wife. That’s where I get the most enjoyment from. I love to cook. I love to read and decorate--most things that people would not picture Sable doing.

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Q: What’s one of your favorite meals?

A: I love to cook pastas and sauces. Around the holidays I have a huge dinner party for about 40 people. I cook everything. I do all the baking. I truly enjoy that.

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