Whether she was doing the Samba on “Dancing With the Stars,” winning a Bra & Panties match in the WWE or gracing the pages of magazines such as Maxim and Stuff, chances are strong that you’ve seen Stacy Keibler.

A 5-foot-11 stunner, she’s rather tough to miss.

Stacy achieved her fame in the wrestling business, where fans were fond of her 41-inch legs and striking physique. But lately she’s moved on to bigger and better things in Hollywood – most of which still involve Stacy being in front of a camera.

Can’t ask for much more than that.

Stacy was gracious enough to take part in a 20-minute chat Tuesday evening. She couldn’t have been any more friendly or upbeat.

KOTR: I read that you were born and raised in Baltimore. Were you involved in any type of sports growing up?

STACY: Early on in high school I ran track and played soccer. I went to an all-girls Catholic high school. My very first track meet as a freshman was this really big meet with all the schools in the area, including the boys’ schools. I was running the hurdles and I fell. I caught my toe on one of them and fell flat on my face right in front of the stands where everyone was sitting. That was it for me and the hurdles.

KOTR: How did you become a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader?

STACY: The Ravens had just built a brand new stadium, so they were looking for mascots and cheerleaders. They were re-organizing a lot of things. They were having this big casting call with open tryouts. My dad said it’d be really cool if I was a Ravens cheerleader, but I was like, ‘I don’t want to do that.’ Eventually, I decided to go to the audition, and there were hundreds of girls there. I was like, ‘Wow, if I was able to make this, it’d be really cool.’ There were cameras and reporters there. It was my first taste of being around the media. I thought it was a pretty cool feeling. So when I made it I was like, ‘Of course I’m going to do this.’ If my dad hadn’t told me about it I never would’ve done it.

KOTR: What was the best part about it?

STACY: I did it for two years. My favorite part was being out there in front of 60,000 or 70,000 people and seeing how excited they all were. I liked singing the anthem and watching the jet planes flying over the stadium before kickoff. It was such a rush. That’s the highest level you can get as a cheerleader. To be able to stand there and perform in front of that many people is awesome.

KOTR: Are you still a Ravens fan?

STACY: Yes, I have season tickets. And when I go to the games I realize that no one is watching the cheerleaders (laughing). But when you’re out there you feel like everyone is watching you.

 
KOTR: I know you got your start in the wrestling business as a Nitro Girl (dancer) in WCW. How did that come about?

STACY: I had become a fan. My friends were all going to the events and holding up signs. My grandmother was watching wrestling and my parents were watching. That was when wrestling was at its highest point. When I was in college, everyone was walking around wearing Stone Cold t-shirts and Rock t-shirts. There was a contest for the Nitro Girls. Fans could get on the internet and vote. They had auditions in eight cities throughout the country and the prize was $10,000. I was still in college, so that sounded great. I decided to go and do a little cheerleading routine. I drove to Philadelphia, I tried out, the fans voted for me and I won. They said, ‘You start next week.’ That’s how I fell into the wrestling business for eight years. It completely changed my life.

 KOTR: Eventually you went from being a dancer to a valet to a manager to an actual wrestler. Were you surprised at how rough things were in the ring?

STACY: Wrestling isn’t something you should do to the human body. The training was very hard. It’s like a constant whiplash. It wasn’t something I wanted to do. I never signed up to be a wrestler. I loved performing in front of the crowd, but I never had much passion for the physical part of it. I always winced a little bit when I got to the arena and they told me I had a match.

KOTR: What was one of the toughest bumps you ever took?

STACY: The worst was when I was thrown through a table. Somehow the table was a little bit misplaced. Bubba Dudley was supposed to help me break the fall, but I basically ended up breaking the fall by myself – partly with my neck. That was one of the scariest ones.

KOTR: What did you like the most about the WWE and the wrestling business in general?

STACY: The best thing was the fans. There are so many diehard, loyal fans that are passionate about us. I will never have another experience where I’ll get to walk out four times a week in arenas full of 20,000 people chanting your name. The rush that you get is the best part of the business.

KOTR: Who are a few former opponents that you respect for their in-ring talent?

STACY: I was there when Trish Stratus and Lita were big stars. They were definitely great to work with. Molly Holly was one of my teachers. I loved working with her. She’s probably at the top of the list.

KOTR: Why did you quit wrestling?

STACY: The lifestyle is the reason why I left the business. It’s a very, very hard lifestyle. It’s kind of like a traveling circus. Let’s say you fly into a city on a Friday. You have to pay for your own hotel and your own rental car. You have to get yourself from town to town. If you’re lucky enough to ride with other people, great. If not you’re on your own. We were trying to save money because we weren’t making much. We were staying at Super 8 and Red Roof Inn and Motel 6. We’d just drive until we were tired and then pull over on the side of the road.

KOTR: Sounds pretty taxing.

STACY: It is. You’re away from your friends and family. You’re getting out of shows at 11 p.m. and there’s no food to eat. You’re trying to make it to the next town and you’re tired. It’s just a circle. You get sick of it. Then you get home on Tuesday and you’re exhausted. You try to get some stuff done and suddenly it’s time to do it all over again. I did that eight years without taking one week of vacation.

KOTR: No vacation?

STACY: They don’t give you any vacation. They make you think that if you take a vacation, you’re going to get fired. Everyone is on pins and needles about stuff like that.

KOTR: Do you still have friends in the business?

STACY: Torrie Wilson is one of my good friends along with Gail Kim – who works for TNA now – and Maven. Those people are still a big part of my life. I still talk to them a lot.

KOTR: You mentioned Torrie. She and some other wrestlers have posed nude for Playboy. Were you ever approached about doing a photo shoot for that magazine?

STACY: Ive been offered three times and I said no. Right now I have a deal with ABC, which is Disney. I don’t think Disney would approve (laughing).

KOTR: Obviously wrestling helped open up some doors for you. Did your experiences with the WWE help contribute to your third place finish on Dancing With the Stars?

STACY: Yes, because when you’re used to performing in front of television cameras and in front of 20,000-30,000 fans at sold out arenas, anything after that is going to be a breeze. I had an advantage because of that. The live audience … I fed off its energy. I feel like I’m at home in those situations.

KOTR: What kind of projects are you involved in these days?

STACY: I was just on October Road on Monday on ABC. People can probably watch that right now on ABC.com. I have a deal with ABC. Hopefully I’ll be on a new show sometime soon. I’m also doing a campaign for Axe Body Spray. They have a new line of shower gels and body scrubs for men called Skin Contact. I just shot a commercial for Reebok with some NFL football stars. I’ve been in acting class four days a week at three different studios, trying to get better at my craft.

KOTR: What do you do to stay in shape?

STACY: I have a trainer. I do circuit training, weight training, cardio, Pilates. I take an aerobics class. I’m working out four or five times a week.

KOTR: Any guilty pleasures?

STACY: I love Cold Stone Creamery. It’s my favorite. I actually have a photo shoot on Thursday, so I’ve been watching what I eat. I can’t wait to leave that photo shoot and go to Cold Stone Creamery. I love ice cream.

KOTR: Last question: Who are you going to be rooting for in the NCAA tournament?

STACY: My boyfriend (actor Geoff Stults) is a huge sports fan. He’s pulling for Michigan State, so I will be, too.