This Friday night, December 20th, Ring of Honor returns to the Hammerstein Ballroom for Final Battle. Before her match against Athena, we had the opportunity to talk to Billie Starakz — a fellow minion — about her big match on Friday, her friendship with Sumie Sakai, the pressures of accomplishing a lot at a young age, and more!
What was the biggest lesson you learned at MIT?
Billie Starkz: How to be violent.
Kimmy: We saw a little bit of that at Supercard of Honor, it helped you win the ROH Women’s Television Championship.
Billie Starkz: Yep, that’s how I got my first title at AEW.
We have seen the dissension between you and Athena, but there is another member of MIT Lexy Nair, where does your friendship stand with her?
Billie Starkz: Lexy has been gone on her vacation for weeks now and I am stuck with our tyrant. I feel like I would not have blown up in frustration if Lexy was just here to calm me down. She’s too busy being on vacation and being pretty in a white dress.
Kimmy: Unbelievable, the nerve right?
Billie Starkz: I was like I do not understand how you get a vacation, where’s mine?
Kimmy: I think you need to talk to somebody else in AEW about that one.
What would the 20-year-old Billie Starkz say to the 19-year-old kid who walked into Final Battle for the first time last year?
Billie Starkz: Hey, sorry you are going to lose this year but you are going to win next year.
Kimmy: It all pays off right? The wait and the climb.
Billie Starkz: It should haha
Will this finally be the show where you get your “Aliens Exist” (by Blink-182) entrance?
Billie Starkz: Hey, that is a Tony Khan question, not a me question I have been begging.
Kimmy: Well you know you have been vocal on Twitter about it the last couple of days, maybe now he will give in.
Billie Starkz: Let’s see. I will only know if I show up to work and I hear it blasting in the arena.
Yesterday on the Final Battle media call Tony had implied the reason why you didn’t defend your title as much on ROH TV was because Athena was controlling you and she didn’t want you to outshine her, do you agree with this assessment?
Billie Starkz: I was constantly told that it was her night and it was not my night and her show and it’s not my show. I will say that Tony’s assessment of that was right. I felt very outshined by the whole title reign that I had.
Sumie Sakai has recently announced her retirement taking place early next year. You have said that you were fighting this Friday for her since she is the inaugural ROH Women’s Champion. Talk about your friendship with Sakai.
Billie Starkz: Sumie has just always been a phenomenal women’s talent. She is constantly trying to help the future of women’s wrestling. I have had multiple times where Sumie has just checked in to see how I was doing. I had a pretty rough week leading up to Final Battle and Sumie pulled through for me. She is leaning toward her retirement so I wanted to pay homage to her, especially with her being one of the first women to put the ROH Women’s Division on the map.
Final Battle has taken place at Hammerstein Ballroom seven times with this Friday being the eighth. What is your favorite ROH memory from the Hammerstein Ballroom?
Billie Starkz: The ladder match, sorry I am trying to remember who was in it. They went crazy and I remember them doing the powerbomb into the ladder tower. I want to say it was Kevin Owens, Silas Young, and two other people. It was a four-way match.
Kimmy: You know one thing that I always say a Ladder War is the perfect way to celebrate a Final Battle at Hammerstein.
Billie Starkz: Just beat people up with ladders, it’s perfect.
Kimmy: Isn’t it just the perfect Christmas tradition?
Billie Starkz: Yep!
As someone who has experienced a lot of success at a young age and knows the pressures that brings, what advice would you give to those similar in your situation?
Billie Starkz: Just live in the moment. I feel like too many people are trying to worry about everything that is thrown at them. I have a million things I need to get done in a week but I can only live day by day. So just live in the moment and don’t stress yourself out too much, it isn’t worth it
