Back in July, Major League Wrestling interviewer Alicia Atout appeared on the Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast. During her appearance, Atout was asked whether or not she would be interested in becoming a manager for the promotion. In response to the question, Alicia stated:
“For me, anything that’s thrown my way, if someone wants me to try it, I’ll try it. I literally started off just doing my YouTube interviews then a local promotion goes, ‘Hey, do you wanna be a backstage interviewer?’ ‘Sure.’ Then, ‘Hey do you wanna try ring announcing?’ ‘Why not?’ Then, ‘Hey you wanna host this panel?’ ‘Hey, I’m your girl!’ So, if you don’t take any chances and try new things then you’re never gonna know what other opportunities are there and what those other opportunities can lead to.”
Current managers in Major League Wrestling include Salina de la Renta, Dan Lambert, Konnan, Colonel Robert Parker and Kevin Von Erich. Compared to the other managers, Alicia Atout may lack experience with being ringside and supporting specific superstars. However, based on her openness to different opportunities, I believe now would be a perfect time for Alicia to try and become a manager for MLW. She has a unique set of experiences and talents that could be utilized in a special way to benefit both her those around her.
Atout began her career working on her website A Music Blog, Yea? in 2013. As she continued to work on that project, Alicia began interviewing professional wrestlers such as Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, Mia Yim and so on. Alicia’s countless interviews with different wrestlers helped her land a gig with Impact Wrestling in 2018 as a backstage interviewer. In addition to the work she did with Impact, Atout also appeared at the September 2018 event All In and AEW’s inaugural Double or Nothing PPV in May of 2019.
Alicia’s extensive experience with interviewing gives her an advantage for transitioning into the role of a manager due to her comfort with talking. Because of the work that Atout has done with various promotions, Alicia has gotten ample experience when it comes to interacting with wrestlers and having a rapport with performers. At this point in time, Alicia has never given a promo. Nor has she had a verbal back and forth altercation with another performer. However, Atout has a great on-camera presence. This is especially true when she interacts with talents. Between trial and error and learning from other performers, Alicia could very easily learn how to adapt the skills she already has into being a successful manager for the promotion.
Although some may perceive Alicia’s experience as unorthodox, Atout nonetheless has an impressive resume which demonstrates her abilities to speak effectively. The gift of gab is not a trait that every wrestler possesses. Some wrestlers don’t enjoy talking and may not feel confident delivering a long monologue. Other times, wrestlers who work on the independent scene don’t always have the chance to practice their promo skills. There are other times where a performer is coming from another country, which creates issues relating to language barriers. Even though the wrestler in question may be an incredibly skilled in-ring athlete, different circumstances may prevent the individual from being an excellent talker. This is where having another manager such as Alicia can be a huge benefit. A worker who is struggling with speaking wouldn’t have to worry about their promo work because they would have an established talent like Alicia who could handle that part of their career. It’s a mutually beneficial partnership for the Alicia and the wrestler. Atout would gain practical career experience while the potential weaknesses of a great performer could be temporarily camouflaged.
A successful partnership between Alicia and a wrestler or group of wrestlers would not just be beneficial for the performers. Major League Wrestling as a company can also benefit by allowing Alicia to explore a new career opportunity. Alicia has already served as a backstage interviewer and correspondent for different promotions like Impact and AEW. Through her previous work, Atout has proven that she can excel in that type of role. Rather than rehashing things that we have seen from other promotions, MLW could potentially set itself apart in a small and unique way by promoting Alicia as a manager versus a backstage correspondent. The promotion would have bragging rights for capitalizing on Alicia’s skills in a way that literally no one else has.
Regardless of the role that Alicia has in MLW, she will undoubtedly be an asset to the company going forward. As she has proven in other promotions, Atout will no doubt be a great backstage interviewer. However, based on her interest in trying something new, Alicia could have the opportunity to flourish in a new and exciting role. She has valuable on-camera experience and verbal communication skills. And there is the possibility for Alicia to use her skills in a way that can benefit herself, other talents, and MLW as a whole should she pursue becoming a manager.
Credit for the quote and transcript goes to both The Wrestling Inc. Daily and WrestlingHeadlines.com.
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