The Stunner was live and loud at the legendary Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, this past Saturday, November 15th. The energy at Fight Factory Wrestling‘s big event, No Thanks Given, was off the charts, mixing that gritty New Jersey wrestling spirit with the rock and roll history of the venue.

We didn’t just watch the action; we got in the thick of it. Graham Hartmann and Josh Bernstein were backstage getting the pulse of the locker room, talking heavy metal, pop punk, dream matches, and championship aspirations.

We’ve compiled the absolute best moments from our exclusive chats with Shawn Donovan, “Vicious” Vicky Venudo, “The Stunner” Emily Jay, and “Full Force” Steve Gibki.

Here is what went down backstage at Starland.

Shawn Donovan on Danny Maff, Joey Janela & 80s Metal

Graham caught up with the “Messiah of Old School” Shawn Donovan, who was in the building to support his longtime tag team partner, the Fight Factory Wrestling Champion, Danny Maff. Donovan gave us insight into the main event mindset and bonded with us over some serious heavy metal appreciation.

• On Danny Maff vs. Joey Janela: “I will never say it’s light work for anybody because, you know, what gets done in that ring is a lot of effort. Joey Janela is one of the top wrestlers… he’s one of the craziest [SOBs] I’ve ever seen in my life. Hopefully no roof bumps tonight.”
• On His “Eclectic” Playlist: “I grew up in the 80s, so I grew up listening to 70s, 80s, 90s… When it comes to gym playlists, it’s got to be hard. It’s got to beat you down. For me, it is a lot of 80s metal… Ozzy all day long. But, you know, if I’m relaxing at home… I’m smoking a cigar, I’m having a glass of bourbon and I’m just listening to like smooth 80s… nothing like a little bit of Christopher Cross.”
• On AC/DC and Chris Candido: “I love AC/DC ‘Back in Black’ because of Chris Candido, who was one of my early trainers in wrestling. So, anytime that music comes on my playlist when I’m working out, the three fingers have to pop up.”

“Vicious” Vicky Venudo Targets Lady Frost

Josh Bernstein found “Vicious” Vicky Venudo backstage, who appeared unannounced and looking for a fight. The self-proclaimed “Jersey Girl” set the record straight on the correct order of GTL and made her championship intentions crystal clear.

• On Her Motives at No Thanks Given: “I feel like the last show at War on the Shore, I felt a little robbed… I do have a motive tonight… I’m kind of ready to take matters into my own hands in this company.”
• On the Fight Factory Women’s Championship: “I know that Lady Frost is absolutely phenomenal in every single way… But you have a New Jersey company and a Jersey native such as myself should be representing this company. And I feel like my number one goal in 2026 is to get that championship from Lady Frost.”
• On The “Gym, Tan, Laundry” Debate: “You have to ask me that. Is it stereotypical? Probably, but it’s fine… You go to the gym, you work out, you get tanning, you go home, you wash your dirty clothes, and do the laundry. That’s the order.”
• On Her Favorite Theme Song: “I’m an Attitude Era chick… My Time, Triple H. That theme song, as soon as I hear that, like those first four seconds, I don’t know where I’m going or where I’m raising hell, but I’m doing it. So that is 100% my go-to favorite theme.”

“The Stunner” Emily Jay on Nickelback & Her Nickname

It was Stunner vs. Stunner when Josh interviewed Emily Jay fresh off her war with Lena. Despite missing a nose ring and an extension, Emily Jay was in high spirits, defending her love for Nickelback and explaining exactly how she got her nickname from two wrestling veterans.

• On The Origin of “The Stunner”: “I’m not even the one who came up with my gimmick… My amazing trainers Tyler Breeze and Shawn Spears… I was so lost when I went to Flatbacks. I didn’t know what I wanted to be… They’re like, ‘Oh, you already have a following on Instagram. Let’s just go through your comments.’ And we kept seeing ‘stunning’ at almost every post… And they’re like, ‘You know what? Let’s just make you The Stunner. Be so pretty it literally annoys people to where they want to beat the crap out of you.’”
• On Being a Nickelback Defender: “Nickelback‘s Animals is literally one of my favorite songs ever… during when I was growing up, I didn’t listen to kids’ music. My parents listened to rock and roll… I knew all the words to Get Low before I was 10 years old.”
• On Her Dream Opponents: “Liv Morgan has always been one of my dream matches. I’m actually very good friends with Liv… Another Jersey native here. Everyone thinks I’m from Jersey. I’m not from Jersey, guys. I’m from good old Virginia… Trish Stratus is another one… And if I could, AJ Lee.”

“Full Force” Steve Gibki on Pop Punk & Ruthless Aggression

“Full Force” Steve Gibki looked ready to tear the house down, but he took a moment to geek out with Josh about the musical history of the Starland Ballroom. From constructing a controversial Pop Punk Mount Rushmore to his “Jersey Speed Round” answers, Gibki proved he is the pulse of the local scene.

• On The Starland Ballroom Vibe: “I have been here once for a concert for my favorite band, Yellowcard and New Found Glory… back in 2013… Yellowcard has that just specific vibe to them… when you hear Ocean Avenue, you literally feel like you’re back in 2002, like down the shore, good vibes.”
• On His Pop Punk Mount Rushmore: “Yellowcard, New Found Glory… I gotta throw Blink [182] up just because of like, no one would argue with you… I feel like people might get angry at this one, but Sum 41. I actually prefer Sum 41 over Blink. I know that’s going to cause a lot of chaos, but I love causing chaos.”
• The Jersey Speed Round:
  Springsteen or Bon Jovi? “Bon Jovi.”
  Turnpike or Parkway? “Parkway.”
  Sloppy Joe or Pork Roll? “Pork Roll.”
  Misfits or Bouncing Souls? “Misfits.”
  DeVito or Nicholson? “DeVito. It’s in my blood.”
• On Brock Lesnar’s Theme: “I gotta say Lesnar… That whole beginning… it’s Ruthless Aggression to a T. And that is the era that molded me… So every time I go out there, I envision myself still in that era, performing in that era.”

Whether it was discussing the legacy of Chris Candido, the proper order of GTL, or the origins of “The Stunner” nickname, these conversations proved that the passion backstage matches the intensity in the ring.

You don’t just have to take our word for it—check out the full video interviews embedded throughout this post to see the chaos, the comedy, and the charisma for yourself.

The Stunner is the pulse of professional wrestling. We’ll see you at the next show.