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From the early week of WWE Tough Enough, Giorgia “Gigi” Piscina looked to be a favorite to win. But even after a streak of dominating performances in the challenges, the WWE Universe ultimately decided that her time was up in Week 8. We caught up with the Aussie to find out what’s next after coming so close to the dream.
With Spandex: What have you been doing since last night’s elimination?
Giorgia Piscina: So, I quickly got the chance to say goodbye to everyone — the competitors, Lita, Chris Jericho, The Miz, Paige, Daniel Bryan. I got to say a quick goodbye, I rushed out the door to my hotel room. Last night, I contacted my parents, I FaceTimed them. They were a bit worried about me, being all emotional on the show. Really, I’m just sad to say goodbye to everyone. I don’t want to leave, but my parents are so excited to see me. They were like, “Quick, get on that plane!” I fly out to Australia tonight.
Speaking of that, you took a big risk flying out from Brisbane to try out for Tough Enough. Did you ever doubt your ability to make it?
GP: It’s a long way from home, isn’t it? No, I never doubted my abilities. I know what I’m capable of. I was worried about the other contestants, because I knew they were going to be great too. I knew they were picked to come back to that mini-camp for a reason. So when I met everyone and saw how great they were, I was like, “Oh God, Giorgia… you’re not the only great person here.” But you know, I stuck to my guns, I did everything to the best of my ability, and it was enough.
What was the deciding factor when you elected to try out? Was WWE a big part of your life growing up?
GP: Yes, definitely. I watched WWE back when it was WWF. My favorite wrestler was Rey Mysterio. I lost touch with WWE for a few years, but I came back around to it. Lita was a huge role model for me, but I’ve been watching Total Divas for the last couple of years like crazy. That kind of drew me back into it, seeing what these girls are doing in their personal lives.
There are currently three Australian women on NXT. Is it important for you to join their ranks and represent your country?
GP: Hell yeah! I want to do this for Australia… all my supporters out there, Team Gigi, I don’t want to let them down, you know? I definitely want to carry this on. I feel like I deserve a spot at NXT. I’ve shown what I’m capable of… I need to keep this going, you know? I love it too much.
I think my favorite scene from last night was you and Amanda going through your Twitter mentions. That kind of attention is something WWE personnel deal with all the time. Were you prepared for it?
GP: Definitely prepared for that. I’ve gone through some bullying before, in high school. I learned to deal with nasty comments pretty well, so I knew that this was part of the business. You’re loved and you’re hated in life, in general… you’re just put in the spotlight for the moment, being on Tough Enough. So, I got nasty comments on Twitter, but I got a lot of great comments as well. It doesn’t bother me, to be honest.
Viewers noticed a shift in your attitude during Week 5 when you started teaming up with Amanda. Can you describe what was happening during that time?
GP: Amanda and I got close during this competition because we were roomies. Me, ZZ, and Amanda were in a room together, so we got to know each other. We’re really good friends, and I think we will be for life now. We are very different people, although we have similar interests. I don’t think we teamed up at all, we were just friends… we knew at the end of the day, it was a competition, and only one girl would win.
Did you have any animosity towards anyone in the cast, or does the heat of competition just make it hard to prioritize things like relationships?
GP: I was so focused on the competition… It’s always going to be hard in a house with 12 other people. We were all very different. Big characters, big personalities, everyone had something to say. So, there are going to be clashes, there’s going to be drama… but I thought I handled it pretty well. I’ve never been in that situation before, so I had to bite my tongue a few times. But other than that, I loved everyone that I met. I’m glad the cast was the way it was. Everyone brought something to the table, and I’m going to have some lifelong friends out of this.
Seeing the success of agreeable personalities like ZZ and Sara, would you change up your strategy if you had to do it all again, or would you stick to your guns?
GP: I don’t think I could have changed my strategy, there’s nothing I could have done to compete with that. ZZ and Sara are extremely likable people, very relatable. ZZ has an amazing personality, and Sara is just very relatable. She’s the girl next door. They were always going to get the votes. I don’t think there’s anything I could have done differently to change that. I went in there and gave it everything, it just wasn’t enough for this particular competition.
We’re coming down to the wire now, who do you think will win?
GP: Who I’d love to win would be Josh and Amanda. Who I think will win are ZZ and Sara. I don’t see it going any other way, because it’s based on public votes.
Finally, what’s next for you?
GP: Well, I’m going back to Oz. I’m going to find a wrestling school in Brisbane, get back in the ring, and carry on from where I left off. I don’t want to go back to my job, that’s for sure! I worked in the family business as a graphic designer. I was speaking to my mum last night and she was like, “So, are you coming back to work? Because we kind of need you.” And I’m like, “Nope!” I’ve got stuff to do, I’ve got dreams to work on… Rest assured, I’ll be back.
