Impact’s Kiera Hogan Talks Returning the Knockouts Tag Team Championships to Glory

Impact’s Hard to Kill is right around the corner and features a loaded card, though it will also herald the return of the Knockouts Tag Team Championships, which haven’t been seen since 2013. Facing off for the chance to take those titles home will be Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz vs Havoc and Nevaeh, and ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Hogan ahead of her big matchup. During our conversation we talked about Hard to Kill of course, but also what goes into forming a formidable and successful tag team, what Impact brings to Tag Team wrestling that no other promotion does, and even a little Ariana Grande talk before all was said and done.

First up though is Hard to Kill, which gives Hogan and Steelz the chance to be the first Knockouts Tag Team Champions in years, and it would mean a lot to Hogan to be the one to help bring them back to prominence.

“I mean, one, it would make us a pivotal part of the Knockouts Division. I mean, we obviously already are, but it will stamp us in history as, not only the girls that have revamped the titles, but we are the girls that brought back the titles,” Hogan said. “And we’re going to make them that much more important because I feel the Knockouts Tag Titles before… I remember watching Impact back in the day and watching the Knockout Tag Titles and the changes and I just felt they never got a real chance. Yes, they were tag teams and yes, the girls were amazing obviously, but I feel the Tag Titles, didn’t have a real chance.”

“And I feel because the pay-per-view is called Hard To Kill, the tag team division is obviously hard to kill and so are those Knockout Tag Titles,” Hogan said. “But I just feel it would be pivotal and it would finally stamp me personally in Knockouts history because I feel even in the four years that I’ve been there, I’ve done things, but I want to do more, and I feel this is finally my time to do exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. And it’s just going to push me even harder to go for that main Title.”

Despite not having the Knockouts Tag Team Championships around, the Impact Tag Division has continually delivered due to the Division itself lifting each other up and Division’s diverse and talented roster.

“We want people to see us for who we are and what we bring to the table, regardless of the platform,” Hogan said.. We want people to see our talent and see the work that we put forth. They (Impact) try their hardest to try and give everybody a chance as much as they can, and we’re very diverse. There are so many different characters and personalities amongst the whole roster, and I feel we connect to just about every demographic, if you really think about it, that’s what makes us unique.”

In addition to being part of her Tag Team with Steelz in Impact, Hogan is also part of the Tag Team Champions Adrenaline and Fire in Women of Wrestling (with Diamante), so with two successful Tag Teams to her name, she is the perfect person to ask what the most rewarding and perhaps underappreciated aspects are to being in a Tag Team and making it work.

“First and foremost it is creating a bond with somebody,” Hogan said. “When you’re a singles competitor, yes you’re there for yourself, you’re single, but to share that same kind of energy with another person, it creates a special connection that I feel a lot of people don’t understand. There’s a lot of bonding that goes into being attached, and you have to literally blend all of your stuff together”

“The formula you have to put together to have that mesh, and that easy flow is always a challenge because you have two separate personalities, and most of the time, two alpha personalities that you have to again, compromise and become one, become two working parts flowing together,” Hogan said. “So, I just feel the work that goes into making the Tag Team and becoming a team and then becoming a successful team is all hard work, and people should really appreciate the greatest Tag Teams and how great partnerships in Tag Team wrestling, how great they actually are.”

With an occasion as big as Hard to Kill, we had to bring up the possibility of new gear to celebrate it, and there just might be some debuting at the big event. “I mean, maybe me and Tasha got some stuff in store or maybe we got some surprises,” Hogan said. “I finally got a new set of gear, the white and blue gear that I just got made. It’s been a long time since I got new gear and that is absolutely beautiful, but it’s a special occasion, it’s a new year, so you might see something new and popping.”

When Hogan isn’t throwing down in the ring, she just might be zoning out to the sounds of Ariana Grande, who she is a huge fan of. It’s something we share in common, which is why I wanted to know what her favorite Ariana album is and what she loves about her.

“I love her. Okay, yes. First and foremost, I adore her,” Hogan said. “I love her style, I love just who she is. I’ve been watching her since she was on Nickelodeon. So I follow her whole career, so I’m absolutely obsessed with her.”

“Oh man. Honestly, honestly, I think it’s this one… I thought the 7 Rings (Thank U, Next) album was my favorite, but when this one came out, literally every single song I can listen to over and over again and I have. Her whole album is so good,” Hogan said. “Like I said, I thought 7 Rings was my favorite album because of just the story it had and the songs and how they all went together, I was going through some stuff at the time so it hit a heartstring, but this album, I think this one the best. I think this one is my favorite.”

Now, Hogan already has an entrance theme she loves, but if she could have anyone record a new track for her to hit the ring to, would she want Ariana to create it?

“I don’t know if Ari creating music for me, I like her vibe, but I would have somebody that has a certain vibe, like a Cardi B or Snow Tha Product,” Hogan said. “I like rapping, I love rappers. I love trap beats, I love hard beats to come out to. My entrance music that I have now, I got to pick it out myself and it’s everything that I wanted. But I have to have somebody with a certain vibe and I think there has to be some kind of bump to it. I love Ariana and I love her pop vibe but it will have to be like a Cardi or Snow Tha Product or even like Doja Cat, I love Doja Cat so, one of them.”

Speaking of Cardi B, Hogan couldn’t believe she was a wrestling fan. “I just found out she’s a wrestling fan today. Oh my gosh. Cardi is the best,” Hogan said.

If Hogan and Steelz can win the Knockouts Tag Team Championships, it will set a pretty high bar for 2021, and the only thing that would make it better would be winning the Knockouts Championship.

“Well, I won these Tag Titles, obviously that’s how you start off the year winning some Titles,” Hogan said. “I mean, like you said, I started off the year with a banger. But you know what would be a real kick is if I held that title and the Knockouts Title at the same time. So my main goal this year is to finally get a chair at these Knockouts Titles that I haven’t had a chance to go at in the four years that I’ve been with the company.”

You can watch Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz in action at Impact’s Hard to Kill, which airs on Saturday, January 16th on FITE TV at 8 PM EST. You can also catch live coverage of the event right here on ComicBook.com and if you want to talk all things wrestling you can find me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!