- 6 hours ago
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00:00Obviously, just first off, just what does it mean for you to to get to return home here in New
00:05York to, you know, be in House of Glory, a promotion that's very close to your family in New York
00:10to to get to come back here and wrestle at home again?
00:15It feels great, especially because I've just been seeing so many, whether it's tweets or just messages in general, like
00:21on Instagram and everyone's super excited.
00:23And, you know, it's always nice having a good like home feeling. And now to be able to do it
00:29again for House of Glory, it's just it's really cool because it's just I get to bring my family there.
00:33I get to have my brother there and my niece. So I'm super excited. And, you know, to work also
00:38alongside my husband, it's like it makes it even better.
00:41Just I feel like it keeps stacking up to become like a really amazing show in general, but also like
00:46a really great match for us.
00:47Why was this the right time and probably the right opponent to have you and Tommy work together again?
00:56So I always thought that we never really got the chance to really spread our wings and explore the pairing
01:05that, you know, could have been when it came to him and I, especially like a cool story leading up
01:11to the pairing.
01:12So I was like, you know what, this feels like the right time to just, you know, do it the
01:17way we want to do it.
01:18And Shotzi and Leo obviously have a great pairing as well.
01:22And I think it's something that the fans, they without even realizing it, they were just like, we really want
01:27to see this.
01:28And eventually we're like, I think we really want to do this, too.
01:31So it was really just the fans who, I guess, manifested it because they just kept saying how much they
01:36wanted to see it.
01:37And I'm like, I think this could be a really cool thing.
01:39So, and it's like the timing was right.
01:42The opponents were right.
01:43The, you know, the location being home in Queens, you know, I was like, this is, this is perfect.
01:48You guys did get the team together once in WWE against Rhea and Damian.
01:54How did that come about?
01:56And did you guys ever pitch over there to say, hey, what about putting us together at some point?
02:01Um, it's complicated because we, we did have some, um, really cool ideas of how we wanted to get the
02:09pairing started, but timing of when they wanted to do the Rhea and Damian match.
02:15Um, it wouldn't have, we wouldn't have had time to tell the story in the way that it really deserved.
02:20Um, you know, because initially I was still with LWO and I wanted to do this whole thing with, um,
02:27you know, turning heel, but like on Ray.
02:29And it's just like, everyone loves Ray.
02:32So it's hard to, anyone who's up against him automatically, we hate.
02:35So it's like, this was the perfect kind of scenario where it's like going from, you know, I remember in
02:41Puerto Rico, Dom would, he was on the mic and he said to Ray, like, you're more of a father
02:46to Selena than you ever have been to me.
02:48And I'm like, sir, you know, like I was very taken aback.
02:52Um, but it's like, we built up such a, you know, um, family relationship between Ray and, and myself.
03:00And, and also, I mean, I guess technically Dom as well.
03:04Like we had a, a funny, like at odds brother and sister vibe too.
03:08So it, it was setting up so perfectly that I was like, this would be the perfect way for me
03:13to segue into becoming, um, like taken over, you know?
03:18And just becoming this like embodiment of what, um, my husband was, but in a, in a female form.
03:24And I wanted him to be the one to kind of puppet master that.
03:28And it just, we had so many cool ideas of how we wanted to tell that story and, and really
03:33show, um, the, the struggle that Selena would have, um, being Ray's like mentee, but also, uh, I, you know,
03:42have a father figure in him, but also my husband.
03:46So it was like a cool, we, that's why I had the split hair to begin with.
03:50It's like, I had the one side being Alistair black.
03:52It was like the black was starting to take over, you know?
03:55And we wanted to kind of just like show.
03:56Yeah.
03:57So it was like, we had a really cool, like way that we wanted to tell that story, but unfortunately
04:01it didn't, you know, sometimes it doesn't work out the way you want it to.
04:03Um, but I mean, I've always loved working with Rhea and, you know, it was a really cool, like pairing,
04:12I guess, because they're, you know, they're known to be the terror twins.
04:14So it was like, it still worked out.
04:16Um, I just wish that we could have, um, gotten more out of it, I guess is, is where she's
04:22a Lena Vega would have liked at least.
04:24How did you process your WWE release at the moment?
04:27And how have you kind of maybe process it with some hindsight now, you know, kind of looking, being able
04:32to look back on it at a different, you know, framework maybe.
04:36Well, I mean, I guess for me, it's, I mean, I was let go in 2020 also, you know, and
04:41then I came back.
04:42It's, I never liked to, um, burn bridges and I never want to, I can't hate a place that etched
04:51me in their history books of something that I've loved since I was a child.
04:54Like I can never hate a place that, that did that.
04:57Um, and I think, you know, for, at least for WWE, it's, it's very much a revolving door of like,
05:04you know, you come in, you go, you come in, you go.
05:07And ultimately you're still a part of the history books that is WWE.
05:12I mean, I'm still, you know, the first ever queen of the ring.
05:14Like I, I was still tag champion, U S champion.
05:16Like there's things that no matter what you can't, I was the first female member of LWO, like raised first
05:22and only female, um, partner.
05:25So it's like, you can't erase me from history.
05:28And I think that's ultimately, it's like where I'm grateful.
05:30It's like, I got to, you know, of course with the hurt, it's, it's, you also have a bunch of
05:35amazing memories.
05:36And I think that's how I've been able to kind of offset the hurt is making sure like I look
05:40around and I'm like, I have all these amazing memories to look back on.
05:44And not that they're ending.
05:47Cause Zelina is in like Zelina Vega is in the box of WWE and she kind of stays there.
05:53Do we open that box again ever?
05:55I don't know.
05:56Um, but now I get to tell a new story and, and create new memories.
06:00And I think that's really where it's like, you get excited about what you could do now.
06:04Where are you going to go?
06:05House of glory.
06:06Like it was my first time going to progress, you know?
06:08So it's, it's offsetting it with, um, new opportunities and excitement about new things.
06:15Is it, is it less scary than it might've been 10, five or 10 years ago?
06:20We just, because just of how healthy the wrestling space is now, because you can say, I'm going to go
06:25here.
06:25Like those opportunities are there where they weren't there maybe a decade, you know, five to 10 years ago.
06:31Yeah, no, you're, you're absolutely right.
06:32It's, um, I love that the wrestling business has grown, um, to the state that it is now because, you
06:38know, I went to stardom in 2016, you know?
06:41So it's like, I still want to go to Japan and be able to rekindle that and, and see where
06:46I've grown since then.
06:47And, and, you know, it's, it's one thing to say, like, I went to Mexico in 2011, I did, you
06:52know, uh, Japan in 2016.
06:55And I, such a big part of my life was with WWE, but now I feel like with how much,
07:02whether it's independents have grown just everywhere, it's like you, you get excited now because you're like, wow, I get
07:06to have all these new opponents.
07:07I get to still make a living off of this, even though it's not on TV.
07:11Like it's, it's a very much, a much more comforting feeling and, you know, the fans, they don't give up
07:16on you.
07:17You know, sometimes you think that if you're not with WWE anymore, they automatically just like cash you out and
07:22you're just, you're forgotten about.
07:24But some of them, quite the opposite.
07:26They, they will fight for you to like the end and make sure that like they're there for every single
07:31thing that you do.
07:32So I'm very lucky in that way.
07:33What do you feel like your best stretch in WWE was?
07:37Because there were a couple of just really fun, good ones there.
07:40And do you think there was a missed, I always felt there was a missed underdog story of really telling
07:45it like with you.
07:47Do you ever felt, do you ever feel that way?
07:49I guess there, I guess best stretch.
07:51And was there like a missed, you know, real underdog story for you?
07:55So with Queen Zelina, honestly, like there was so much with her that we didn't get to do.
08:01And I, I pitched so many different things.
08:05Like we pitched so many different things when it came to her, but, um, you know, it's cool.
08:10Cause there is different installments of Zelina and realistically, I don't really know any other of the females that, that
08:17had different, like actual different personalities.
08:20And she had, um, but yeah, I feel like Queen Zelina was someone that we could have done so much
08:26more with.
08:26Uh, I, I remember thinking like, I was like, I want to be able to like begrudgingly have to queen,
08:33you know, crown the new queen and like having a story there.
08:35Or like, you know, I had pitched at one point, I was like, Oh, it'd be cool.
08:38Like obviously cause Charlotte wants to be queen.
08:40So it's like, if there was something between me and Charlotte and then, you know, there was so many ideas
08:45that were tossed around.
08:46But, uh, when I had gotten injured and came back, I was like, okay, well, when I come back, maybe
08:50that's when evil queen gets like, cause Queensland was a little bit more comical, but then I wanted to come
08:56back with a lot more of a like serious kind of like role.
08:59But we, they're like, we need you for, um, uh, legado at that time.
09:05We need you for, for Santos and that crew first.
09:07And then we're going to go into LWO and be involved with Ray.
09:10And I was like, okay, I can say goodbye to this character for now.
09:14Cause I could see so much growth here with, with this.
09:17So we went that direction, but I think, I don't think that going to SmackDown when I did was the
09:25best, um, for Zelina.
09:28Because I do agree.
09:30I do think that there, that should have been when the underdog story was told.
09:33I think right after Backlash, that should have been it.
09:37Like, and everyone says that everyone says that.
09:40So it's like, I know that it's not like, oh, I should have been the freaking queen of the world
09:44at that point.
09:45But, you know, everyone says like, man, if there was any time to do it, it would have been that,
09:49you know?
09:50And I remember even Rhea and I were like, why doesn't she just take the title just for tonight, just
09:55for tonight.
09:56And then have her demolish me on Raw and take it right back.
10:00And like, you know, when she takes it back, it gives me sympathy.
10:03It gives me something to chase as a baby face and allow the crowd to get behind me, but also
10:09make her this, like, dominating force of heel that they really wanted from her at the time.
10:14So, again, hindsight is 20-20 and like, there's, you can't really always get what you want or what you
10:21and your partners want.
10:23But I think as far as missed opportunities go, like, after Backlash was it, especially because I'll be honest, they
10:30were not expecting that.
10:32They weren't expecting the crowd to get behind me like they did.
10:34They weren't expecting the moment that happened.
10:36And they weren't, I mean, sometimes when you underestimate the power of the fans, they show up for you a
10:41million times harder than you ever thought.
10:43And I wasn't even expecting it that night.
10:46I think that night, ultimately, that was my WrestleMania.
10:50Like, out of anything and anything I've ever done, that was my WrestleMania where I felt like I mattered like
10:57the rock at that day.
10:58Like, I remember thinking, I was like, yo, this is actually crazy.
11:01Like, I can't believe that they, they're fighting for me this much, you know.
11:05We, you know, obviously passed the 25-year anniversary of 9-11.
11:08You know, obviously, that's a day of importance for you.
11:15Do those milestone years at all hit any differently?
11:18Or is it, you know, not all of us know what that's like to live with that.
11:24But when it's 25 or 10, do those make you stop and think even more about him?
11:32Absolutely.
11:33I mean, I think it's weird because I always say, like, no loss is greater or less than anyone else's
11:41loss.
11:41And if somebody loses a father, but maybe it's to a heart attack or to something else, it's not any
11:47less important than how I lost my dad.
11:50But the only difference is that I have to be reminded of it and watch it every single, like, I
11:56have to watch, literally, physically watch my father die every single year.
12:00And I think that's, that's been the thing.
12:03Or sometimes, you know, you'll be watching a movie and then randomly they'll show a clip of it.
12:07Or, like, you'll be watching the news and all of a sudden they'll show a clip of it.
12:09Or somewhere on Instagram or Twitter or whatever, somebody will be, like, trolling about it.
12:13And I'm like, this is, it's insane that this is where we're at with this.
12:20But, you know, when it comes to, like, the 10-year or the 25, it's like, I still can't believe
12:26it's been that long.
12:27In a weird way, I'm like, I can't even believe that it's been that long.
12:31But it does make me think more about him.
12:35But I think this time it was different because, you know, so much of my WWE dream was tied to
12:41him.
12:42And I don't want to say that it was necessarily just WWE because wrestling in general was our dream.
12:47You know, like, that was something that him and I shared.
12:48Because we still went to WCW, we went to ECW.
12:51Like, we went to other events besides WWF back in the day.
12:53So I don't want to tie it to just that.
12:55I mean, my God, I watched, you know, the WCW, like, Halloween Havoc, Ray vs. Eddie.
13:00Like, that's when I decided, like, alongside my dad, like, that's when I wanted to become a wrestler.
13:03So, you know, I think ultimately it was just a feeling of a lot of loss this year.
13:10But I still have always had him as, like, this beacon of hope in my life.
13:14So although I was surrounded by so much loss and, like, the carnage of that loss when it came to
13:20WWE and everything else,
13:22I still just saw him as this, like, beacon of hope and, like, seeing that there was more for me.
13:28And maybe this is just, like, a chapter that's closed, but there's now other ones to explore.
13:32And I think that's where the excitement started to build more because I was like, my God, it's not just
13:39WWE.
13:40They're not the end-all, be-all.
13:41You know, it's like there's also TNA.
13:43There's AEW.
13:44Like, they're thriving right now.
13:45Like, there's so many opportunities.
13:47Like, Stardom, like, CML.
13:48Like, there's so many different places to go.
13:51And the landscape has just changed so much that it leaves a lot of hope, not just for people like
13:56me, who, you know, was with WWE for 10 years and got released,
13:59but also for whether it's new people coming up or, like, just for everyone across the board.
14:04And I think that's a really beautiful thing.
14:07We got, you know, snippets of it, I think, in WWE, your story.
14:10Is that something you'd want to tell in the right wrestling angle to bolster to something that you maybe don't
14:17want to, you know, bring in something that's so personal?
14:21Maybe you don't want it to be tied to wrestling success.
14:24Like, oh, this is, you know, why something's happening.
14:27I think so much a part of my life is that, and unfortunately, I was labeled, like, the 9-11
14:32kid when I was young, you know, but I think I would tell the story in the right way.
14:40Like, we had tried to do it in WWE, but I was also, like, a heel at the time.
14:46And then even after, like, when it came to Backlash or when it came to the U.S. title win
14:51specifically, I wanted to tell the story.
14:57But not everyone looks at that as...
15:02It's a tough thing to do.
15:04It's just to sell to your audience sometimes.
15:06Like, you know, am I thinking the wrong way?
15:09Go ahead.
15:09Sorry.
15:09No, not necessarily.
15:11Because everyone can relate to loss.
15:13The whole reason that WrestleMania was as good as it was when it came to Cody finished the story is
15:18because we all felt that.
15:20We all have a father.
15:21We all have someone that you're fighting for.
15:23You have a story to fulfill, something to finish.
15:25Like, you have a drive.
15:27Everyone knows what that feels like.
15:28So there wasn't a level of, like, not being able to understand because, as I said before, my loss of
15:35my dad is no different than anyone else losing their dad.
15:38So you can relate no matter what.
15:41But just because you didn't lose him in the wrestling sense doesn't mean that people can't relate to that.
15:46And I think that's where I was, like, not everybody looks at 9-11 or, like, my loss of 9
15:54-11, like, what happened for me specifically as something that they would like to tell in Storyline or, you know,
16:00I can't book the show based on what's happened in people's personal lives.
16:03And it's like, you know, you can understand to an extent, but I think that because my story is so
16:10different, I thought maybe there'd be something there to explore.
16:15But at the same time, I was fine with keeping it to just me and to the fans that wanted
16:20to know also, you know, because there is a separation between church and state.
16:25You know, there's a separation between Zelina, the character, and Thea, the person.
16:30So whether that was woven together at some point, great.
16:35But if not, I was fine with it, too.
16:37I do think that in the future, I'd like to maybe explore, but it would have to be the right
16:43person, the right story.
16:45And honestly, the right person in charge to tell that story, you know, and do it with care.
16:53And with, because what we do with wrestling, like, we tell stories, you know, like, we tell stories.
17:00But we also open up our hearts to the audience.
17:02And sometimes we're so raw and so vulnerable, you know.
17:08And if you're going to do that, I want to make sure that the person in charge is the right
17:12person and the right timing.
17:16How well did you know Pac?
17:18I know you guys only crossed over a little bit.
17:20I know Tommy knew him very well.
17:22Yeah.
17:25Just what's your either best memory of him or how you want, how you remember him as a person?
17:33I remember being super intimidated by him initially because I remember watching him and thinking, like, oh, my God, this
17:41guy is so amazing.
17:43Like, I remember at one point, especially, I was, like, obsessed with Dragon Gate.
17:46And I was like, oh, my God, like, you know, these guys are amazing.
17:49I would watch, like, SEMA.
17:50Like, I was obsessed with SEMA at one point.
17:52And I remember thinking, like, just there's certain guys that I remember watching when I was younger, when I first
17:56got into the business.
17:57And I was like, these people are so incredible.
17:59I can't even imagine, like, meeting them or, like, getting to know them on a personal level.
18:04But as much as I was intimidated by Pac, I was very much, like, curious because I was like, I
18:12feel like there's, like, a warm side to him, though.
18:13He just don't know.
18:14You know what I mean?
18:15Like, he just, I'm like, I know that it's in there.
18:17And then once we started doing stuff with Up, Up, Down, Down, and I got to see him, like, be
18:22him, I was like, oh, he's dope.
18:24Like, he's so nice.
18:25And he's so, like, he has this, like, welcoming, warm, like, smile to him that when you actually see it,
18:32you're like, oh, there it is.
18:33Like, you know, you're like, that's the side that I've been looking for.
18:35And he's just, he always had just, like, a warm, like, that's the word I described, like, the most with
18:41him because he just, he was so welcoming.
18:43He didn't make anybody feel less than he was, even though, like, he's incredible and I wish that I could
18:50be a quarter as talented as he was, he didn't make you feel like that.
18:55He just made you feel like, you know, you guys were just all equal and just having fun and just,
18:59he just had a really fun, loving soul.
19:01And I guess ultimately, when you look at somebody like him and the legacy that he's left with people, all
19:09you keep hearing is how great of a person that he was.
19:12You know, obviously, we all know how talented he was and how incredible and the legacy he leaves there.
19:17But I think the other side to that is everyone who I've seen talk about him, whether it's, you know,
19:23Roderick Strong telling him, like, thank you for being so kind to my son and talking to him for hours.
19:28I'm like, that's, that's the, that's the person that you remember.
19:31Like, that's, that's ultimately who's going to stick with us.
19:34And it's, it's cool that the fans get a little glimpse of that through the eyes and the voices of
19:38his friends and people that he's worked closely with.
19:42It's just an incredible person overall.
19:45Andy, also somebody who I'd like to speak on, because I also, obviously we were all heartbroken by the loss
19:53of Pac, but being so close to the loss of Andy, I don't want that to get, we don't forget
20:00about that as well.
20:01Because Andy was also such an incredible person.
20:04And I've, there's only sometimes when I've seen my husband, like, truly break down for the loss of someone.
20:09And Andy was one of those who, they were like, like, that was one of his best friends.
20:12And he was always so kind to me.
20:15I'm like, you're just like a gentle giant.
20:16Like, it's so cool when you see like these big guys and they're all tattooed and you're like, oh my
20:20God, he's such a like beast in the ring.
20:22But then when you get to know him, I'm like, oh my God, like, you're just like a sweet teddy
20:27bear.
20:27And like, what a like beautiful person.
20:31And I think too, like, I want to send so much love to their families, especially like their wives.
20:37You know, it's like you think about like the loss of the person, but the loss will continue to live
20:43with their families, their wives every single day.
20:46Um, so ultimately I like sending love so much to like their wives and their families because we, we, we
20:53had one part of them, but they're struggling with that every single day.
20:57So Andy's another one who I'm just, I was so honored to, to call a friend for sure.
21:01Yeah.
21:02I appreciate a couple of minutes.
21:03I know we're all looking forward to seeing what comes out of this run for you and where things go
21:08next.
21:08Obviously now that you and Tommy are together, I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun for all of us.
21:12And you guys too.
21:13I'm excited too.
21:14I was like, Shotzi, like, we haven't had much time in the ring together, but like, I think we're going
21:19to kill it.
21:19And I can't, I can't wait.
21:20Cause she's also another person that she's very unpredictable, unpredictable, crazy, ballsy, bad-ass, but I'm also like, okay.
21:33It's like your level of crazy, but there's also the level of crazy that's a Puerto Rican girl.
21:37So I can't wait for her to come together.
21:44So I can't wait for her to come together.
21:48You