Before she was a World Wrestling Entertainment Diva and champion, Eve Torres was a member of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dance Team from 2006-07, the same time Peorian Shaun Livingston was playing basketball for them.

She was in attendance the night Livingston, a Peoria High School basketball standout, suffered his gruesome knee injury that sidelined him for quite some time. The injury was so nasty that ESPN, when replaying it, warned viewers of its graphic nature.

"It was very scary," Torres, 26, a native of Denver, said during a recent telephone interview from Los Angeles. "Guys that big, when you see them fall, it's a scary thing. Shawn was a really nice guy."

Torres hopes her next connection to Peoria is much more positive. She will be the guest host for Friday's WWE RAW World Tour event at the Peoria Civic Center, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at Carver Arena. - John Sharp

An online biography says you graduated from USC with a grade point average of 3.5 and a degree in industrial and systems engineering. That doesn't sound like the typical start of a career as a WWE Diva. How did you get involved?

It's not the natural progression one might assume. I was an entertainer and performer my whole life. I was a gymnast and a dancer. There were other goals I had, and performing athletics was something I was passionate about. The WWE encompassed everything I loved to do in terms of performance and traveling. I entered the Diva search in 2007, and the rest is history.

When you first received a WWE contract, did you have to go before Vince McMahon for an interview and, if so, what was that like?

I actually didn't have to go in front of (WWE owner) Vince McMahon for an interview. I guess I did have to go in front of Vince on national television on Friday Night Smackdown. I guess that was Vince's first glimpse of the next Diva.

Is dealing with Vince McMahon intimidating?

Vince has always been so hands-on, and that's why WWE does so well. You hear it straight from the horse's mouth. He teaches us what it means to be a sports entertainer and how to captivate (an audience). He has given me personal feedback. Is it intimidating? Heck, yeah, it is. It's kind of hard to break the ice with him when you're first starting here. But eventually you feel a little more comfortable. It's a family feel, the WWE.

Many longtime WWE fans associate women's professional wrestling with names like Sensational Sherri, Fabulous Moolah, Wendi Ritcher and in recent years, Lita, Trish Stratus and Stacy Keibler. Who was the most trendsetting Diva/female sports entertainer?

One that probably made the biggest impact and still today does, is Trish Stratus. When I was a little younger and looking at the Divas as something I'd like to do, it was her image (I emulated). She is extremely athletic and great in the ring, beautiful and fit and athletic, and that's the trend that continues to be set.

What do you say to critics of the Diva division who sometimes claim that the competition isn't all that good, but at least the ladies are good looking?

We have to work basically in a man's world. I definitely, without sounding like I'm complaining, will state that we have it the hardest in the WWE. You don't see much of us (on TV programming).

When it comes to the live events, you get to see great Diva matches you don't see on Monday Night Raw. We have great fun and some awesome, kick-butt matches. There are a lot of liberties we take (during live matches) we can't take on TV. I'm proud of the Diva division. We're in a struggling place right now in terms of TV time, (but) I know what each of us are capable of.

Where do you hope to go from here?

I think we can take the Diva brand to the next level to show that we can be respectful women, educated women, portraying this image. ... We have a lot of young girls watching and a lot of young boys, as well. Within the Diva's division, I have a few more title runs to do. Through that, we'll be able to take the Diva division to the next level and kind of quiet the haters, if you will.

Your WWE biography says that "the key to Eve's heart is a night of salsa dancing mixed with good conversation." What about salsa dancing intrigues you?

You know what, I think that's from an interview from my Diva search days and my answer might be different now. I've always loved dance. Salsa is a sexy, fun dance where the man takes the lead.