Watch an interview with Beth "The Glamazon" Phoenix

Live wrestling and the wrestling you see on television aren't quite the same thing, WWE RAW diva Beth Phoenix said.

"It's a completely different animal," she promised. "You get the drama, like you see on TV, but it's very interactive. Anything can happen."

Phoenix, also known as "The Glamazon," was in Charleston on Friday to promote World Wrestling Entertainment RAW's Summer Slam, tonight at the Charleston Civic Center. A legion of WWE wrestlers will battle it out in the ring. Phoenix takes on Mickie James in an effort to regain her championship title.

At 5-foot-7, with undeniably powerful-looking shoulders and arms, it's hard to imagine the championship isn't hers for the taking. Of course, that's all part of the show.

"The only way to really experience it," she said, "is to buy a ticket and come out to the Civic Center."

Phoenix grew up watching wrestling on television with her family in Buffalo, N.Y. Back then she wasn't "The Glamazon" or even Beth Phoenix, but a little girl named Elizabeth Carolan. When she was 11 years old, she entered a coloring contest through the local paper and won tickets to a World Wrestling Federation show.

"My parents didn't really have any money," she said. "It was probably the only way we could have gone."

The event was being taped for television, which translated into a massive four-hour wrestling extravaganza.

"I was in heaven," she said. "And it really changed what I wanted to do with my life."

Unlike some of the other female professional wrestlers, Phoenix started out a wrestler, and not a dancer or a model. She was the first female varsity wrestler in her high school's history and was a member of USA Wrestling, an amateur Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling association. USA Wrestling is the official wrestling representative to the U.S. Olympic team. Phoenix has been one of the very few women to climb up the amateur ranks to turn professional.

"I just fell in love with it."

The life of a diva isn't easy. A lot of professional wrestling is image. She has to look the part, which requires the right clothes, the right make-up and a lot of attention to detail. It's not easy to look good every night and for every crowd. The travel is constant.

WWE runs two tours simultaneously, Phoenix says. The organization does around 300 shows a year. Between matches and appearances, she thinks she gets back to her home in Tampa, Fla., probably two days a week.

Professional wrestling requires a fierce devotion to exercise and fitness. Phoenix spends a lot of time in the gym doing cardio exercises for endurance and lifting weights to build up her muscles and bones. It's not all about strength and being able to pick up another human being. The drops, slams, kicks and punches take their toll, and just because a match is scripted doesn't mean wrestling isn't dangerous.

Three years ago, Phoenix took a bad hit to the face. She broke her jaw and was sidelined for almost a year with surgery and recovery.

She pointed at her chin and smiled.

"I got a titanium plate and nine screws."

It all comes with the territory and is part of the price to be a WWE champion.

Reach Bill Lynch at ly...@wvgazette.com or 348-5195.

Want to go?WWE RAW presents the Summer Slam Tour

WHEN: Today at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Charleston Civic Center Coliseum

EVENT: Features popular RAW wrestling superstars including: John Cena, JBL, Shawn Michaels, Lance Cade, Batista, Kane, Cryme Tyme, Ted DiBiase, CM Punk, Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, Chuck Palumbo, Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, Paul London and Snitsky (talent subject to change).

TICKETS: Ticket prices $21 to $61 depending on seating selection.

Tickets available through Ticketmaster.