August 1, 2024 • 38 mins
Eyes Up Here FLASHBACK Thursday features a hidden gem featuring Kara Drew FKA WWE's Cherry. Cherry was the Manager of the tag team Deuce and Domino during the team's big push during the mid 2000s and the journey to get to WWE is an amazing story.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
And our guests. Oh wonderful.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
So this is a woman that I knew god in
the nineties I guess, or early two thousands, it had
to be, and she found fame in w w E.
This is the former Deefen known as Cherry. I'm like
sitting here talking and you're just like staring at me.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I'm trying to figure at the microphone.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Okay, I was just I was saying like, I don't
remember what year you and I met, but you were
Kara Slice.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yes, yes, I was, So that had.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
To be good. Lord. Was that during ECW or right
after ECW or you're.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
In ECW And I think we did a show as
in Connecticut. It was like an outside show. It was
the first show we were on. But I think I
met you before that. But yeah, you were a ECW
and I still do in the Independence.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, And I don't know why I was allowed to
do an indie show when I was under contract. That
that happened a couple times.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
We've seen a few.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
We've watched a couple random New Jack City Wrestling shows
that you bought me.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I don't know why I was there, but I remember
watching you at You were so young and I said
to myself, this girl is going to do something in
this business. And you did, you did, but I lost
touch and I haven't seen you in forever. So when
you popped up on Twitter and I noticed you were
following me, so I followed you right back, and I
(01:55):
was like, I want to get her on the show
because I want to know what's going on. Where have
you been? Have you been hiding somewhere? Like what is
what is going on in your world right now?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Oh my gosh. So I am fully out of wrestling, obviously,
and it's been for a couple of years. But I'm
in Florida. Oh I just kind of started over, you know,
and I sell insurance now for USAA. I don't know
if I can say that, but I love it, you know.
I love that job. I still get to meet a
lot of people, and that's the fun part of it.
I talk to people, you know, in all fifty states,
(02:26):
and that's the fun part is meeting people and learning
about them and stuff. So, yeah, I just bought my
first house in October.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
So yay, I love that. Okay, and you're you're in Florida.
This is why I'm working because I am trying to
get to Florida.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Oh what part of Florida are you coming to?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well, I don't nowhere yet, but I'm looking like if
you go to my zillow, it's kissing me Orlando's celebration
because I am like a big theme park girl. Okay,
So I would love to be in the fisy of
all the parks and maybe try to become a blogger
of all things Disney and universection and that kind of thing.
(03:09):
But you know, that's a dream. I mean, I'm fifty
years old. What the hell did I think I'm doing
blogging with my life?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
I don't know. But do what you want to do
with your life, you know.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
No, that's that's good advice, because I have to. My
kids love it. My kids. I mean we were just
there two weeks ago. I think I told you we
were there for Speen days and it went by like that.
And my kids were so happy the whole trip, you know.
I mean, they're good kids in general. But I'm thinking
to myself, God, if we live down here, like, yeah,
(03:41):
be happy all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yeah yeah. I mean there's some diehard Disney fans down here.
I'm not one of them. I mean, I live more
Wesley Chapel. Okay, but yeah, my sister just visited from
California this past week and her kids are not theme
park kids, so we didn't even do that stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
So now when you say Wesley Tchuble, is that near water.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
There's a water grass out here. It's getting built up,
So I'm kind of Zephyr Hill's Wesley Chapel area. So
I'm way inland. Okay, Okay, yeah there, oh yeah. The
heats of the only thing I don't like. The heat
could be bearable.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I mean, you're from the Northeast, so you're you're either
gonna get really cold or really hot, right, I would
prefer really hot over really cold, I know.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And the beaches are so nice down here, a lot
nicer than you know.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah, oh well, I am super jealous of you. Let's
go back a little bit. Okay, how did you get involved?
Because I see you in the indies? Who who was
the one that trained you? Initially?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
The boys kind of really Yeah, So I met a
promoter a J. Sparks through so Carmine Savia and I
had been working in the cellular industry selling cell phones
and stuff like that. So I had met a friend
whose uncle, Carmin Savia. She's like, you know a lot
(05:10):
about wrestling. So we talked and then it was all
about networking. I mean, we all know networking gets you
ahead in life, right, So he got me in contact
with AJ Sparks and Kevin Knight. I met them, went
to a show, and just went to a show like
I wasn't like, I didn't know that's how you get
involved in wrestling. I was just a wrestling fan, you know.
I didn't know there was a school and all that stuff.
(05:32):
So anyway, I just networked, and then I met Bobcat
and then I met Danny Inferno, and Danny Inferno was
the one so I did. I met Julio Denaria, I
traveled a lot with so I valeted for him a lot,
and I know you know him very well. So I
just met people and went to different shows. And my
boyfriend at the time, Judas Young, had already been in wrestling,
(05:52):
so I did shows with him. I found my own
network and just kind of saturated the area when I could,
you know, because Weekend Warriors, right sure?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
And how old are you when you when you.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Start twenty late twenties?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
I remember late no.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I started in ninety nine. I started turning in ninety nine.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Late twenties. Yeah here, I'm thinking you're like nineteen years old.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
No, smoke up your ass.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I'm like, she, she's like nineteen twenty years old.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I don't feel though, how old I am now either.
So yeah, so that was just a lot of networking,
did a lot of independence, try to saturate as much
as I could, and that's kind of how it started.
I mean, I was just like, I'll just do this
until I don't like it anymore, and just kept going.
So you're having fun.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
And I could be wrong, but that name is ringing
a bell? Is that Carmine cb a guy, the one
that never left his house? Yes? Yes, Okay, I got
interaction with him, and I do remember that name.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Okay, Jars and Strike Championship Wrestling, which never really kind
of got out there, but yeah, whatever he was able to,
he was able to do something. So yeah, he was
my real first connection to the indies. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Interesting, Okay, so you come to these shows, you start
doing manager work. I'm assuming because you're not gonna jump
in the ring yet, right, will fledge match?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Right? Right?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
You all in love with it right away? Or are
you saying to yourself, What the hell am I doing here?
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I fall in love with it right away, Yeah, because
I was a fan and Bobcat was so nice to me,
and she was just the other female rival. We always
had that, right, and we.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Would go to shows together talk to her to this day.
She was in my wedding. I mean, oh yeah, really
good friend of mine.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah. I love Cindy. Yeah, she's great, best, she's the best. Yeah.
So yeah, I remember seeing all you guys on shows
that I was on. You know, I met Nova and
his brother first off, which kind of got me. I
knew about you had been watching ECW, so Stevie Richards
and all them would come to the shows, and they
were smaller shows back then, you know, they weren't hugely
(07:56):
packed or anything. I mean ECW was definitely drawing the crowds.
So yeah, but uh I did. I fell in love
with it and was like, I'll do the managing thing.
And then I kind of got bored, so I went
to I forget who told me, But I started to
become friends with Tommy Fierro, Jus, Young Inferno Kid, Dannie Jimundo,
(08:18):
and they told me about ecp W, which was Gino
Caruso's School in Carsipia, Jersey. So then I went there,
and from when I went, I never really saw Gino
running classes. I know it was a school, but I
ended up learning from the boys like Judas would work
out with me, and Johnny Thunder would work out with me.
So a lot of the like regular guys that would
(08:38):
just go for a workout would teach me some stuff.
So I kind of started from there and then started
learning as I you know, So I'd go to the
school like twice a week and I'd do the weekend
warrior stuff and I'd learn more stuff there. So over
time it got better. So I yeah, I was. I
was starting to get bored at the vallet. There's only
so much you could do, right, right, So yeah, then
(08:59):
I started to learning.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
An interject for a second, it's like the Hall of
Fame of New Jersey indies. All these names, this is
who I saw on the posters growing up, or every
single person that you're mentioning.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
So I love that.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
That's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
I love the Jersey indies. Oh, I'll drop some other
names if I remember.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Fine, I dropped New jack City Wrestling, and that's why
I saw your reaction so this is h.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Well, so you okay, so you did the manager thing,
obviously you liked being a wrestler more.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
But I think, well, I was really nervous at first
because I just didn't think I was very athletic. So
I took it a little bit at a time. I
didn't take on big matches or anything like that, just
and a lot of the girls around me they weren't.
The most experienced was Mickey James that really I would
do shows with. All the other girls were not really
(09:51):
that season. So it took a little bit for me
to to get the hang of it. So and then
I started to do better because then I was able
to do managing half wrestling full wrestling matches. So at
first it was the little because your body has a
use to that, you know, you know it feels so
(10:12):
also unfortunately, and the nerve wrack of wrestling in front
of a crowd and remembering you know what you're you're
planning on doing, and God forbid something happen you have
to go off of that That was I Still I
was always struggled with knowing how much time, like, oh,
you have a minute left? Like I always struggled at.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
The time yeah, and you're doing indies, so you have
a minute left, like, no, I can have five ten minutes,
Like this isn't television like that. I never understood. I mean,
I know they have to get out of there at
a certain time and stuff, but yeah, pressure on everybody,
and it's like, come on, it's an indie show.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Let them be exactly. I don't get it.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Okay, So so you work really really hard. How does
ww F or was it.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
At the time.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah, I don't even know. How do how do you
get on their radar?
Speaker 1 (11:04):
So Danny and Jamundo was already in Kentucky when OVW
was the developmental and I had managed him a lot too.
So they had a tryout training camp for OVW and
he told me about it. He's like, you're perfect for this.
And he told me and my boyfriend at the time,
you're perfect for this. And so I was like, eh,
(11:25):
I'm gonna set in my application and I was like,
they're not going to accept me, and they did. And
then I was like, I'll go for the weekend and
do weekend stuff all the time, right because it was
only a Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So I was like, oh,
So I went and it was just like that. I mean,
you did. I didn't think anything of it. I was like, oh,
they're never going to take me. I'm just you know,
good experience, like because we had done like my boyfriend
(11:47):
and I went down to Memphis and did Terry Golden's
developmental when it was back then, so we were used
to kind of doing that. So I went and I
was one of two girls in the class and for
you at that time, right right, and for some on
the second day, she like hit in the bathroom, so
she was super intimidated. It was. I never saw her again,
(12:08):
but so that he looked good, right, And then I
had I had been networking, so I knew a lot
of the kids that were already there. I knew Pat
Buck was there, and Damian Adams was there, and Damien
and I would would train every week together, so we
already knew each other. So long story short, we did that.
(12:28):
And then I called Danny Davis like that week when
I got home and thanked him for the opportunity, and
he said, you know, we see a lot in you
and we would love for you to come and train
at OVW. And he was very clear, this is OBW. Yes,
it's the developmental for WW at the time. But you're
coming for OVW. There's no promise, you, no guarantee you.
So like something in my gut just said do it.
(12:51):
So I left a job that I loved and I
was making really good money and I just took a chance,
so get down there in August of five and they
did their TVs on Wednesday. So the girl that used
to be the ring girl for whatever reason wouldn't make
(13:13):
it or whatever. I was like, I'll do it. Like
I just was like, whatever I can do, right, So
I'd been doing classes. You show up to the TV
and help out, you show up to the weekend house shows,
you help out. I mean, it was just constant. So
I got on as the ring girl. So, long story short,
Deuce was down there already, and I'd known Deuce for
a long time because he started in ECPW in the
(13:37):
same year that I did. However, he would come with
his dad on times where nobody else was there and
they would train. So I had met him a few
times and did indie shows with him and stuff like that.
So you know, again I had already met worked. I
knew a lot of people already there. Besides inferno. So
long story short, after one of the TVs, he approached
me and said that, you know, him and Cliff were
(13:57):
working on this gimmick and they did, and really they
wanted a girl on old school roller skates. And he
wanted to, you know, give me the opportunity to put
it together with them, because Deuce was sign a, Cliff
wasn't either, Dumbina wasn't either. So they showed me the
promos that they had been working on because for some reason,
Cliff was in the he had gotten into the advanced class,
(14:20):
so he had been there for a while. So they'd
been working on promo class this greaser gimmick, and they
wanted a girl on old school roller skates. They didn't
know what she looked like, they didn't know her name.
They just wanted her on old school roller skates for
the gimmick. So I was like wow, Like so, so
Jimmy knew me and knew kind of my what he
said was my work ethics, so he's like, let's ask her,
you know. So it kind of came together all in
(14:41):
one week and it almost didn't happen. So that so
Wednesday was TV. Jimmy approached me that coming Tuesday, Johnny
East and everybody was coming down to evaluate who was
down there, so we didn't tell anybody that we were
putting this together. So I had to go out and
find the skates. I had to find the outfit and
all this. So we kind of like scrambled, and on
(15:03):
Sunday we got together at the school, came up with
my name. It was either going to be Cherry from
Outsiders or Sandy from Greece, and wrestling wise, Cherry is
me sure. So so then Tuesday, well, Monday night comes
around and Jimmy calls me and he's like, hey, Danny's
not going. Danny said you can't come because it's only
for contracted talent, and I was like, oh my god,
(15:27):
like and I was just like bummed. But what could
I do? Yeah, So my boyfriend at the time, Judas Young,
was actually coming in to visit, so I was like,
all right, I'll just get you know, clean the house
and like have everything ready's coming, you know. He's like,
just be ready. He's going to go down and really
fight for me. So, long story short, he fights for me.
The day of he calls me, He's like get down here.
(15:48):
So I grab all of my stuff. I run into
Davis Arena and the first person I sees Rip Rogers,
Now I'm in this class. I didn't tell him what
was going on, and he looks at me was like,
are you getting me? You're late, and I'm like I
wanted to be like rep. I didn't mean to be.
You don't understand. So I run into the girl's locker
room and change really quick, and again nobody knows that
(16:11):
this is going on. So I come out in my
skates and I hadn't roller skated since I was like little.
Oh well, so of course, do some domino across Davis Arena.
So I roll and I said do something like catch me.
It couldn't stop. It was like a pin drop. It
was the best feeling ever. So I roll out and
(16:32):
everybody stopped talking. They were like watching me roll across.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
That is so great. Your name should have been Cherry Pop.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
That's funny because we'll get the cherry that's so great
as sure that I had in WWE that I that
I was using. I wanted to use Cherry Pop, but
Vince nixed it out. So Mick Foley's like, what's your
what's your finisher? And I was like cherry pop and
they ended up calling it the do Wop Drop because
Vince didn't like it. And then and Mick was like,
I tried, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah, So you you come out with the skates. Do
you have the big you know, the big skirt, the
big poodle skirt and the hole the hair up And.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
I didn't have the poodle skirt. I had this like
blowout skirt. It was just kind of what I can make.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Shift, you know, prepare because you had five minutes to
prepare for this big Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Of course.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
So we go through the day. They do matches, you know,
they do drills, they do all of that stuff, and
Johnny ash just kept having He's like he's like, Jimmy,
bring your team, Jimmy, bring your team. So we got
up to the point where we were doing promos and
we all get online for promos and Johnny goes to Cliff,
he goes, I want you guys up next, because they
(17:51):
would go into Danny's office and watch us on the
TV on the cameras. So we made us skip the line.
So we go and do our thing, and we had
been working on promo so that worked. So long story short,
like they ended up cutting it because we had a
ton of people there, and Arne was there, Tedy Biassi
was there, there were so many, uh, doctor Tom Rip,
(18:14):
Danny Davis. So they greet the room, They're like, thank
you so much, blah blah blah blah. They give us
words of wisdom and all that stuff, and then Johnny goes, Jimmy,
bring your team into the office. I was like, what, yeah,
so they just so. So Johnny brings us in and
basically says, we loved it, this is great, this is awesome.
(18:36):
You know, I'm thinking I almost didn't even make this right.
So he says, we want to sign you, and that's
all I heard. Oh I did hear? He goes, oh,
and I didn't know you could wrestle. Like they knew
nothing about me. They didn't knew that. They didn't know
that I was in the classes I had been on
the indies. They were like, oh, we want to be
your bonus. So I was like, I was there for
(18:57):
four months, Grant Scene, four months, unheard of incredible. And
the funny thing is they wanted to debut us that
next Monday. Outer all, so we got booked to go
to the house show that weekend and We're like, oh
my god, we're like a week old.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
So you're training down there for four months, you get
thrown into this position you know this, Yeah, right place,
right time kind of sort of because you made it
to the right place at the right time, and then
the next week we want you on row. What is
your mind? Are you blown away at this point?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Completely blown away? Yeah, completely blown away.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
It sounds like to me, you're you're having a positive
experience in ov W, Yes, the best. Do you feel
like you were ready for all?
Speaker 1 (19:52):
We we definitely didn't think we were ready. We were
we were a week old. I mean, the boys had
been working. We didn't get that chemistry really yet. So
they he ended us flying us in the house show
Loop and we were supposed to do something with superstar
Billy Graham that Monday, I think like his book was
coming out or something. You were going to interrupt it
or something. Yeah, and then we ended up going but
(20:13):
they didn't use us a scrapped it, which was a
godsend because we ended up staying down in OVW for
a year. So we ended up debuting a year to
the day that Cliff and I got signed January nineteenth,
Oh wow, which gave us that time to marinate. So
it was a blessing, Yeah, blessing.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
And it's got to work on the characters chemistry together.
And when you finally go up to you know, the
main roster, how long were you there for and what
was your opinion? Because I know back then I worked
there in two thousand and six and it was very
negative for me. And it's either anybody who says anything,
(20:56):
it's either the most wonderful thing that ever happened to
them or they wanted to kill themselves because it was
the worst experience of their life. I didn't want to
kill myself over it, but I would have to not
be there. What he experience? Positive? Uh? Negative?
Speaker 1 (21:14):
It was. I wasn't really sure of anything, so I
just kind of kept to myself and was quiet and
and you know, just said my hellos and stayed in
the corner. And you know, it wasn't I just kind
of like followed my lead and then met up with
the boys and what do we need to do? And
you know, I had known some people from OVW or
what have you, but I didn't in the beginning. It
wasn't bad. I just didn't know what to do, and
(21:37):
I didn't want to do the wrong thing, so I
just kind of like stayed the straight and narrow and
I go back to my hotel room at night and be.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Like, oh breathing.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Nobody was ever mean to me or anything like that,
right and right. It was just navigating this new environment
and this new, bigger environment. It's like I'm here, like wait,
I'm here, you know. So I never had any bad
experien speriences. I know. I'm not made for that industry,
I feel, or that television environment. Like I'm just a
(22:08):
normal girl that love was wrestling and was able to
live my dream. So a lot of the like politiicy
stuff I didn't really understand. But I feel like I
got along with everybody. I feel like I had a
decent time. I started to struggle with myself towards the end,
which was not delightful. So it wasn't because of somebody
(22:32):
being mean to me or budding heads with anybody or
I mean, we all get struggles with the creative team
and how the story's going, and that was you know, natural,
I feel, But I had a bad time in sense
because of myself. I got super insecure and I felt
so out of place and even though they were doing
(22:52):
stuff with me and it was going really well for me,
I just got super insecure and self conscious, you know.
So yeah, I think we all. I I crumbled within myself,
but it wasn't because of somebody else. Like all the
girls to me were very nice to me, and you
were very nice to me and Shelley, and you know,
it was chaotic when everybody was there.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Come let me take you back, turn back the hands
of time.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
That's when I discovered.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
That's when I made it mine. My pants couldn't be
too I think the difference between you and I, like
I always say, it was a great opportunity. You know,
I'm I took the opportunity, but it wasn't my cup
of teape. That's what I say. The difference is me
going in there, there was no plan so to speak.
(24:14):
I was told one thing, and then as soon as
I got there, that was like that conversation never happened,
and they no one was on board with that because
nobody knew what I was told to sign the contract, right,
So you know, I was told something and then I
go in there and I have to do something completely different.
(24:35):
Like you, I would say, you're kind of homegrown in
a sense that you were never signed anywhere and they
molded you. You trained with them, so I had thirteen
years experience, but it wasn't experience with them. So I
go in there and I'm pretty much scared to death.
(24:55):
I have my tail between my legs, humble as hell,
you know, trying. I'm getting people stuffed from catering that
have been in the business for six months, like I'm
serving people like I'm just trying to fit in. I
don't want to cause any waves. And then I'm told
I don't politic enough an office. You're not politic enough.
(25:17):
You're not out there, You're not You're not trying to
get a spot. You're like watching paint dry. So when
I hear you say, you know you kept to yourself,
I did the same thing, but I got heat for it.
I got try Oh yeah, yeah, it was a toe.
It was like you and I are kind of like
the same person. We have the same mind frame about
(25:38):
that place, but if we did things kind of equally,
but it was a different reaction.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
And I think that's the problem. It's I've always said
I never felt like everybody was on the same team, Like, hey,
you want me to go do this, and I come
back and I do something you don't want me to do.
They don't tell you like, hey, we would have rather
you have done this, like they it's such a guessing game.
So it's you know, nothing's ever the same. Like when
(26:07):
I did my match with Natty it was her debut
match and Fit and us we put it together and
it went over really well. We come back, I mean
standing ovation in Gorilla, right, so I'm like, yay. So
they loved it. It went well and Fit was happy.
So the next week I did another match. It was
exactly the way they wanted it or how I knew. It.
(26:28):
Came back and nobody would look at me, nobody would
tell me anything, nobody would say anything. I'm like, did
I make a mistake? Did I do what you wanted
me to do?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Like your agents won't even tell you what's going on.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Not after that second one, So I was like, what
this is weird? So I get what you're saying, because
things you could, they could want one thing from you,
and then I can be doing that same thing and
it's and it's like you're not doing it right, but
I'm doing it. I totally totally get what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
And it doesn't make any sense, and like do you
get heat for it that you don't know about? Because
you know, I can't even tell you how many times
I sat in front of Johnny East and cried and
asked for my release and was like, this isn't a
good fit for me, because like you're presenting ideas and
no one's listening to you.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, it's like it's super frustrating to me and for
somebody I'm not lackadaisyl, lackadaisical when it comes to working, Like,
my work ethic is really high because at one point,
like and you were the same way, we love this
business and you wanted to work and you wanted to grow,
and you know, I kept saying to them, I want
to work, I want to work. It was like going
(27:37):
in one ear and out job. No one cared that
I was even there, and I'm thinking, why am I hired?
You know, in your instance, you were there, you trained,
they saw something in you, and they're salivating to get
you on TV right away, and you know, you take
a year, you get your craft. You you know, go
(27:58):
with these two guys and you become a threesome that
they love, and yet you're doing things that they're not
approving and no one's telling you what you're doing wrong.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Well, I don't know if they approved or approved or not.
Nobody told me either way, so you know if but
looking back on it now, obviously not in the moment,
you don't understand, but just talking to Natty and talking
to TJ and talking, you know, I ran into de
Malenko in the airports and you know, being able to
talk to people every time. It's not just us talent
(28:30):
where things kind of go. They're just you don't know
what's going on. It's the producers too, So I think, yes,
I may have felt like what is going on? And
somebody tell me like should I have done this? Should
I do that? Was that perfect? Was that not? Was?
They're getting that too. So I think everybody's in this
like dire circle of like what's going on?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
What are the agents there for? They're there to critique
your work, telling you no, that's what they do. You
have an agent, you know, everybody has their agents back there.
Stephen Kern was one of my agents all the time,
and he made me feedback all the time, like I
didn't work much for them, like we did I worked
(29:13):
every house show, loop and stuff for six months, but
I didn't get a lot of TV time because, honestly,
I you know, I was paired up with balls and
then he took a urine test and he had drugs
in his system and got kicked off the road. And
then it was like, go get a bathing suit you're
gonna do and I'm just like, I don't want to do.
I don't do these bikinis. I never did bikini stuff.
(29:37):
And I'm in my third mid thirties now, you know
what I mean. And it's like if you go to
the office and you say I can do this, this
and this, and Vince McMahon tells me, I know nothing
about you. Well, it's your company, dude, why am I
even here?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Like when you say there's no feedback, I kind of
get that. And at some point I just said to myself,
they're just telling me things that I want to hear
at this point, and I can't do anything to change
it because they're not willing to change anything.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
I'm not sure some people knew. I remember one time
we were in the car about to drive out for
our entrance. Our music was playing and we were wrestling
Bran Lendon Kendrick and our agent came over and was like,
they just changed it again and they jumped out. Yeah. So,
(30:35):
looking back on it now, I think everybody feels that way,
you know what I mean. I feel like the producers
feel that way, and the wrestlers feel that way, and
we feel that way, and so it's yeah, that's why
I say, like, I'm just a normal girl who's not
used to that kind of life. Sign Yeah, well it's uh,
(30:56):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
It was apples and oranges. ECW was so laid back,
and then you get to this place and it's like
a zoo. Really is like a zoo. Yeah, how long
how long did you last there on the main rock?
You were there in O VW for a year, then you.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Move off, yes, and then I was Oh, so I
got released August of eight with the Crash of Everybody.
Domino got released the week before me. Then I got
released in the second Talent releases, and then the last
two weeks of the month they let a ton of
people from Headquarters go.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
So so roughly about three years with the comping, yeah,
two two and a half. Yeah, okay, yeah, regret it
or learning experience. No, okay, I know.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
It's a blessing. Now I can see now that it
was a blessing. I just take it. You know. I
wish I could have done more, but it was I
take responsibility for it because I did not towards the end,
when I got super in my head and I got
super insecure, I didn't take I didn't invest in myself
like Natty invests in herself. And she lives ten minutes
from I moved closer up towards where she is, so
(32:01):
you know, she just invest in herself. She can do
pr she can do matches, she can carry people, she
can build people, she can do everything. And I didn't
do that. You know, I was so nervous. I was hiding.
I was nervous about, you know, being seen. I just
I got so insecure that I didn't take the advantage
of Fit and Regal and just these people that I
(32:22):
could have really picked their brains from, and I just
got so it was my fault. I mean, I don't
blame them for letting me go. I didn't. They wanted
to do stuff with me, and I should have taken
advantage of it. But I don't think I was in
my own mindset to be able to I don't know,
it's just it's it's it's it's upsetting to think of
(32:44):
it like that because I just know that they were
planning on doing things with me. But I honestly, I
take the responsibility. I dropped the ball.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Okay. So I also feel like, if you know, back
then we had social media and everything like they have now,
because we really didn't have all this, you know, Twitter
and Instagram and all this, bully right, we could have
reinvented ourselves and pushed ourselves more. But you know, back then,
(33:13):
I had a flip phone, and.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
You know, I think the only messaging I remember was like,
w W had a message board on the dot com
or something.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
And probably yeah, like and the stupid third cheeks, which
you know ninety percent of the time are wrong anyway,
So I mean, you know, I I felt like every
time that I watched you, you looked beautiful and I
could I could just think back to when I thought
you were a kid, but apparently you weren't. He looked
like a kid to me. I saw you grow as
(33:48):
not only a woman, but as a performer. Like I
I watched you from just this this little girl outside
the ring, and then I watched to do your matches,
you know, and and it was so nice, like I
kind of saw you blossom, you know. So when I
saw you on WWE, I was just like I was proud,
like I felt like because I love seeing my friends thrive.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yeah, you know, and I was so happy for you.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
And again I thought the gimmick was adorable, like really.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Really cute stuff. I loved it.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
I get the insecurity thing, because I think all females
go through being insecure, you know, with weight, with looks,
with this.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
That and the other thing.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
I'm not a Barbie doll. I didn't look like the
other girls. I felt like I had to work twenty
million times harder to prove myself that I deserved to
be in this industry. So I get what you're saying,
but to me, you looked perfect and you fit that
part well and you did a great job. I'm excited
that you're starting to do some signings. I know you
(34:52):
say you're completely out of the business, but do you
have anything coming up anytime soon that people should be
aware of of.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
No, no signings just yet, just more social media cameos
things like that.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
So you're cameo. What's your uh, what's your little Do
they just look you up under Cherry?
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Yeah, under Cherry, d d C Chick.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Okay, yeah, I just did some this morning, So cameos
a very good.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
If anybody wants to look her up on cameo, she'll uh,
she'll wish you a happy birthday or she'll heal the
sheet out of you, one or the other. That's right,
are the best? I love that, Yes, they're fine. And
then on social media where can people find you?
Speaker 1 (35:36):
So Twitter, I'm former Diva Cherry, so f m R
Diva Cherry, and then Instagram I'm also d DC chick.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Awesome. Well, honey, I loved speaking with you. It's been
way too long and way too long. Hopefully, uh, you'll
get booked on one of these conventions and we'll bump
into each.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Other, and yes, for sure, I would love that.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Yes, that would be wonderful. But until then, we'll keep
in touch and nothing but luck to you. Enjoy Florida,
enjoy your job, and you look beautiful, and I'm so
happy that you well, yeah, thank you. I'm so happy
that we got to share this little bit of time together.
So everybody got down.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
In Florida and then we could do like coffee or something.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
I would love that. I'm trying to believe me, this
is why I'm working to move my ass down there.
So hopefully I will speak later. And everybody, please, you know,
go follow Cherry because she's she's.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
An awesome chick. So absolutely, I'll talk to you, sou
love you guys later.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
She looks awesome and there goes Cherry.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Interesting story. I never really knew the story about how
she got there, so very very uh very interesting.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
And yeah, I had no idea about the New Jersey background.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Oh yeah, that's she's didn't know.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
I knew she was from Jersey, I just didn't know
the full I mean, that was a that was a
rocket list of I thought she was like.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
So much younger, Like when I would see her on
these shows, I'm just like, oh, but I don't know.
But she looks great and it was nice to hear
her story because that's interesting. But you know, the whole
insecurity part gets me really sad.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yeah, no, that's absolutely I.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Went through I still go through it now. You know.
I just being a woman, especially in an industry where
it's male dominated and your fans are probably, you know,
eighty five to ninety percent male. Most of the time.
It's it's hard. You can't always fit the description of
bombshell in people's eyes. So I totally get what she's saying,
(37:42):
but I think she's delightful. There are
And our guests. Oh wonderful.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
So this is a woman that I knew god in
the nineties I guess, or early two thousands, it had
to be, and she found fame in w w E.
This is the former Deefen known as Cherry. I'm like
sitting here talking and you're just like staring at me.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I'm trying to figure at the microphone.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Okay, I was just I was saying like, I don't
remember what year you and I met, but you were
Kara Slice.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yes, yes, I was, So that had.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
To be good. Lord. Was that during ECW or right
after ECW or you're.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
In ECW And I think we did a show as
in Connecticut. It was like an outside show. It was
the first show we were on. But I think I
met you before that. But yeah, you were a ECW
and I still do in the Independence.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, And I don't know why I was allowed to
do an indie show when I was under contract. That
that happened a couple times.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
We've seen a few.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
We've watched a couple random New Jack City Wrestling shows
that you bought me.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I don't know why I was there, but I remember
watching you at You were so young and I said
to myself, this girl is going to do something in
this business. And you did, you did, but I lost
touch and I haven't seen you in forever. So when
you popped up on Twitter and I noticed you were
following me, so I followed you right back, and I
(01:55):
was like, I want to get her on the show
because I want to know what's going on. Where have
you been? Have you been hiding somewhere? Like what is
what is going on in your world right now?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Oh my gosh. So I am fully out of wrestling, obviously,
and it's been for a couple of years. But I'm
in Florida. Oh I just kind of started over, you know,
and I sell insurance now for USAA. I don't know
if I can say that, but I love it, you know.
I love that job. I still get to meet a
lot of people, and that's the fun part of it.
I talk to people, you know, in all fifty states,
(02:26):
and that's the fun part is meeting people and learning
about them and stuff. So, yeah, I just bought my
first house in October.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
So yay, I love that. Okay, and you're you're in Florida.
This is why I'm working because I am trying to
get to Florida.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Oh what part of Florida are you coming to?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well, I don't nowhere yet, but I'm looking like if
you go to my zillow, it's kissing me Orlando's celebration
because I am like a big theme park girl. Okay,
So I would love to be in the fisy of
all the parks and maybe try to become a blogger
of all things Disney and universection and that kind of thing.
(03:09):
But you know, that's a dream. I mean, I'm fifty
years old. What the hell did I think I'm doing
blogging with my life?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
I don't know. But do what you want to do
with your life, you know.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
No, that's that's good advice, because I have to. My
kids love it. My kids. I mean we were just
there two weeks ago. I think I told you we
were there for Speen days and it went by like that.
And my kids were so happy the whole trip, you know.
I mean, they're good kids in general. But I'm thinking
to myself, God, if we live down here, like, yeah,
(03:41):
be happy all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yeah yeah. I mean there's some diehard Disney fans down here.
I'm not one of them. I mean, I live more
Wesley Chapel. Okay, but yeah, my sister just visited from
California this past week and her kids are not theme
park kids, so we didn't even do that stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
So now when you say Wesley Tchuble, is that near water.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
There's a water grass out here. It's getting built up,
So I'm kind of Zephyr Hill's Wesley Chapel area. So
I'm way inland. Okay, Okay, yeah there, oh yeah. The
heats of the only thing I don't like. The heat
could be bearable.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I mean, you're from the Northeast, so you're you're either
gonna get really cold or really hot, right, I would
prefer really hot over really cold, I know.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And the beaches are so nice down here, a lot
nicer than you know.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah, oh well, I am super jealous of you. Let's
go back a little bit. Okay, how did you get involved?
Because I see you in the indies? Who who was
the one that trained you? Initially?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
The boys kind of really Yeah, So I met a
promoter a J. Sparks through so Carmine Savia and I
had been working in the cellular industry selling cell phones
and stuff like that. So I had met a friend
whose uncle, Carmin Savia. She's like, you know a lot
(05:10):
about wrestling. So we talked and then it was all
about networking. I mean, we all know networking gets you
ahead in life, right, So he got me in contact
with AJ Sparks and Kevin Knight. I met them, went
to a show, and just went to a show like
I wasn't like, I didn't know that's how you get
involved in wrestling. I was just a wrestling fan, you know.
I didn't know there was a school and all that stuff.
(05:32):
So anyway, I just networked, and then I met Bobcat
and then I met Danny Inferno, and Danny Inferno was
the one so I did. I met Julio Denaria, I
traveled a lot with so I valeted for him a lot,
and I know you know him very well. So I
just met people and went to different shows. And my
boyfriend at the time, Judas Young, had already been in wrestling,
(05:52):
so I did shows with him. I found my own
network and just kind of saturated the area when I could,
you know, because Weekend Warriors, right sure?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
And how old are you when you when you.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Start twenty late twenties?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
I remember late no.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I started in ninety nine. I started turning in ninety nine.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Late twenties. Yeah here, I'm thinking you're like nineteen years old.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
No, smoke up your ass.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I'm like, she, she's like nineteen twenty years old.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I don't feel though, how old I am now either.
So yeah, so that was just a lot of networking,
did a lot of independence, try to saturate as much
as I could, and that's kind of how it started.
I mean, I was just like, I'll just do this
until I don't like it anymore, and just kept going.
So you're having fun.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
And I could be wrong, but that name is ringing
a bell? Is that Carmine cb a guy, the one
that never left his house? Yes? Yes, Okay, I got
interaction with him, and I do remember that name.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Okay, Jars and Strike Championship Wrestling, which never really kind
of got out there, but yeah, whatever he was able to,
he was able to do something. So yeah, he was
my real first connection to the indies. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Interesting, Okay, so you come to these shows, you start
doing manager work. I'm assuming because you're not gonna jump
in the ring yet, right, will fledge match?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Right? Right?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
You all in love with it right away? Or are
you saying to yourself, What the hell am I doing here?
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I fall in love with it right away, Yeah, because
I was a fan and Bobcat was so nice to me,
and she was just the other female rival. We always
had that, right, and we.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Would go to shows together talk to her to this day.
She was in my wedding. I mean, oh yeah, really
good friend of mine.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah. I love Cindy. Yeah, she's great, best, she's the best. Yeah.
So yeah, I remember seeing all you guys on shows
that I was on. You know, I met Nova and
his brother first off, which kind of got me. I
knew about you had been watching ECW, so Stevie Richards
and all them would come to the shows, and they
were smaller shows back then, you know, they weren't hugely
(07:56):
packed or anything. I mean ECW was definitely drawing the crowds.
So yeah, but uh I did. I fell in love
with it and was like, I'll do the managing thing.
And then I kind of got bored, so I went
to I forget who told me, But I started to
become friends with Tommy Fierro, Jus, Young Inferno Kid, Dannie Jimundo,
(08:18):
and they told me about ecp W, which was Gino
Caruso's School in Carsipia, Jersey. So then I went there,
and from when I went, I never really saw Gino
running classes. I know it was a school, but I
ended up learning from the boys like Judas would work
out with me, and Johnny Thunder would work out with me.
So a lot of the like regular guys that would
(08:38):
just go for a workout would teach me some stuff.
So I kind of started from there and then started
learning as I you know, So I'd go to the
school like twice a week and I'd do the weekend
warrior stuff and I'd learn more stuff there. So over
time it got better. So I yeah, I was. I
was starting to get bored at the vallet. There's only
so much you could do, right, right, So yeah, then
(08:59):
I started to learning.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
An interject for a second, it's like the Hall of
Fame of New Jersey indies. All these names, this is
who I saw on the posters growing up, or every
single person that you're mentioning.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
So I love that.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
That's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
I love the Jersey indies. Oh, I'll drop some other
names if I remember.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Fine, I dropped New jack City Wrestling, and that's why
I saw your reaction so this is h.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Well, so you okay, so you did the manager thing,
obviously you liked being a wrestler more.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
But I think, well, I was really nervous at first
because I just didn't think I was very athletic. So
I took it a little bit at a time. I
didn't take on big matches or anything like that, just
and a lot of the girls around me they weren't.
The most experienced was Mickey James that really I would
do shows with. All the other girls were not really
(09:51):
that season. So it took a little bit for me
to to get the hang of it. So and then
I started to do better because then I was able
to do managing half wrestling full wrestling matches. So at
first it was the little because your body has a
use to that, you know, you know it feels so
(10:12):
also unfortunately, and the nerve wrack of wrestling in front
of a crowd and remembering you know what you're you're
planning on doing, and God forbid something happen you have
to go off of that That was I Still I
was always struggled with knowing how much time, like, oh,
you have a minute left? Like I always struggled at.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
The time yeah, and you're doing indies, so you have
a minute left, like, no, I can have five ten minutes,
Like this isn't television like that. I never understood. I mean,
I know they have to get out of there at
a certain time and stuff, but yeah, pressure on everybody,
and it's like, come on, it's an indie show.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Let them be exactly. I don't get it.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Okay, So so you work really really hard. How does
ww F or was it.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
At the time.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah, I don't even know. How do how do you
get on their radar?
Speaker 1 (11:04):
So Danny and Jamundo was already in Kentucky when OVW
was the developmental and I had managed him a lot too.
So they had a tryout training camp for OVW and
he told me about it. He's like, you're perfect for this.
And he told me and my boyfriend at the time,
you're perfect for this. And so I was like, eh,
(11:25):
I'm gonna set in my application and I was like,
they're not going to accept me, and they did. And
then I was like, I'll go for the weekend and
do weekend stuff all the time, right because it was
only a Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So I was like, oh,
So I went and it was just like that. I mean,
you did. I didn't think anything of it. I was like, oh,
they're never going to take me. I'm just you know,
good experience, like because we had done like my boyfriend
(11:47):
and I went down to Memphis and did Terry Golden's
developmental when it was back then, so we were used
to kind of doing that. So I went and I
was one of two girls in the class and for
you at that time, right right, and for some on
the second day, she like hit in the bathroom, so
she was super intimidated. It was. I never saw her again,
(12:08):
but so that he looked good, right, And then I
had I had been networking, so I knew a lot
of the kids that were already there. I knew Pat
Buck was there, and Damian Adams was there, and Damien
and I would would train every week together, so we
already knew each other. So long story short, we did that.
(12:28):
And then I called Danny Davis like that week when
I got home and thanked him for the opportunity, and
he said, you know, we see a lot in you
and we would love for you to come and train
at OVW. And he was very clear, this is OBW. Yes,
it's the developmental for WW at the time. But you're
coming for OVW. There's no promise, you, no guarantee you.
So like something in my gut just said do it.
(12:51):
So I left a job that I loved and I
was making really good money and I just took a chance,
so get down there in August of five and they
did their TVs on Wednesday. So the girl that used
to be the ring girl for whatever reason wouldn't make
(13:13):
it or whatever. I was like, I'll do it. Like
I just was like, whatever I can do, right, So
I'd been doing classes. You show up to the TV
and help out, you show up to the weekend house shows,
you help out. I mean, it was just constant. So
I got on as the ring girl. So, long story short,
Deuce was down there already, and I'd known Deuce for
a long time because he started in ECPW in the
(13:37):
same year that I did. However, he would come with
his dad on times where nobody else was there and
they would train. So I had met him a few
times and did indie shows with him and stuff like that.
So you know, again I had already met worked. I
knew a lot of people already there. Besides inferno. So
long story short, after one of the TVs, he approached
me and said that, you know, him and Cliff were
(13:57):
working on this gimmick and they did, and really they
wanted a girl on old school roller skates. And he
wanted to, you know, give me the opportunity to put
it together with them, because Deuce was sign a, Cliff
wasn't either, Dumbina wasn't either. So they showed me the
promos that they had been working on because for some reason,
Cliff was in the he had gotten into the advanced class,
(14:20):
so he had been there for a while. So they'd
been working on promo class this greaser gimmick, and they
wanted a girl on old school roller skates. They didn't
know what she looked like, they didn't know her name.
They just wanted her on old school roller skates for
the gimmick. So I was like wow, Like so, so
Jimmy knew me and knew kind of my what he
said was my work ethics, so he's like, let's ask her,
you know. So it kind of came together all in
(14:41):
one week and it almost didn't happen. So that so
Wednesday was TV. Jimmy approached me that coming Tuesday, Johnny
East and everybody was coming down to evaluate who was
down there, so we didn't tell anybody that we were
putting this together. So I had to go out and
find the skates. I had to find the outfit and
all this. So we kind of like scrambled, and on
(15:03):
Sunday we got together at the school, came up with
my name. It was either going to be Cherry from
Outsiders or Sandy from Greece, and wrestling wise, Cherry is
me sure. So so then Tuesday, well, Monday night comes
around and Jimmy calls me and he's like, hey, Danny's
not going. Danny said you can't come because it's only
for contracted talent, and I was like, oh my god,
(15:27):
like and I was just like bummed. But what could
I do? Yeah, So my boyfriend at the time, Judas Young,
was actually coming in to visit, so I was like,
all right, I'll just get you know, clean the house
and like have everything ready's coming, you know. He's like,
just be ready. He's going to go down and really
fight for me. So, long story short, he fights for me.
The day of he calls me, He's like get down here.
(15:48):
So I grab all of my stuff. I run into
Davis Arena and the first person I sees Rip Rogers,
Now I'm in this class. I didn't tell him what
was going on, and he looks at me was like,
are you getting me? You're late, and I'm like I
wanted to be like rep. I didn't mean to be.
You don't understand. So I run into the girl's locker
room and change really quick, and again nobody knows that
(16:11):
this is going on. So I come out in my
skates and I hadn't roller skated since I was like little.
Oh well, so of course, do some domino across Davis Arena.
So I roll and I said do something like catch me.
It couldn't stop. It was like a pin drop. It
was the best feeling ever. So I roll out and
(16:32):
everybody stopped talking. They were like watching me roll across.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
That is so great. Your name should have been Cherry Pop.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
That's funny because we'll get the cherry that's so great
as sure that I had in WWE that I that
I was using. I wanted to use Cherry Pop, but
Vince nixed it out. So Mick Foley's like, what's your
what's your finisher? And I was like cherry pop and
they ended up calling it the do Wop Drop because
Vince didn't like it. And then and Mick was like,
I tried, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah, So you you come out with the skates. Do
you have the big you know, the big skirt, the
big poodle skirt and the hole the hair up And.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
I didn't have the poodle skirt. I had this like
blowout skirt. It was just kind of what I can make.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Shift, you know, prepare because you had five minutes to
prepare for this big Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Of course.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
So we go through the day. They do matches, you know,
they do drills, they do all of that stuff, and
Johnny ash just kept having He's like he's like, Jimmy,
bring your team, Jimmy, bring your team. So we got
up to the point where we were doing promos and
we all get online for promos and Johnny goes to Cliff,
he goes, I want you guys up next, because they
(17:51):
would go into Danny's office and watch us on the
TV on the cameras. So we made us skip the line.
So we go and do our thing, and we had
been working on promo so that worked. So long story short,
like they ended up cutting it because we had a
ton of people there, and Arne was there, Tedy Biassi
was there, there were so many, uh, doctor Tom Rip,
(18:14):
Danny Davis. So they greet the room, They're like, thank
you so much, blah blah blah blah. They give us
words of wisdom and all that stuff, and then Johnny goes, Jimmy,
bring your team into the office. I was like, what, yeah,
so they just so. So Johnny brings us in and
basically says, we loved it, this is great, this is awesome.
(18:36):
You know, I'm thinking I almost didn't even make this right.
So he says, we want to sign you, and that's
all I heard. Oh I did hear? He goes, oh,
and I didn't know you could wrestle. Like they knew
nothing about me. They didn't knew that. They didn't know
that I was in the classes I had been on
the indies. They were like, oh, we want to be
your bonus. So I was like, I was there for
(18:57):
four months, Grant Scene, four months, unheard of incredible. And
the funny thing is they wanted to debut us that
next Monday. Outer all, so we got booked to go
to the house show that weekend and We're like, oh
my god, we're like a week old.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
So you're training down there for four months, you get
thrown into this position you know this, Yeah, right place,
right time kind of sort of because you made it
to the right place at the right time, and then
the next week we want you on row. What is
your mind? Are you blown away at this point?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Completely blown away? Yeah, completely blown away.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
It sounds like to me, you're you're having a positive
experience in ov W, Yes, the best. Do you feel
like you were ready for all?
Speaker 1 (19:52):
We we definitely didn't think we were ready. We were
we were a week old. I mean, the boys had
been working. We didn't get that chemistry really yet. So
they he ended us flying us in the house show
Loop and we were supposed to do something with superstar
Billy Graham that Monday, I think like his book was
coming out or something. You were going to interrupt it
or something. Yeah, and then we ended up going but
(20:13):
they didn't use us a scrapped it, which was a
godsend because we ended up staying down in OVW for
a year. So we ended up debuting a year to
the day that Cliff and I got signed January nineteenth,
Oh wow, which gave us that time to marinate. So
it was a blessing, Yeah, blessing.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
And it's got to work on the characters chemistry together.
And when you finally go up to you know, the
main roster, how long were you there for and what
was your opinion? Because I know back then I worked
there in two thousand and six and it was very
negative for me. And it's either anybody who says anything,
(20:56):
it's either the most wonderful thing that ever happened to
them or they wanted to kill themselves because it was
the worst experience of their life. I didn't want to
kill myself over it, but I would have to not
be there. What he experience? Positive? Uh? Negative?
Speaker 1 (21:14):
It was. I wasn't really sure of anything, so I
just kind of kept to myself and was quiet and
and you know, just said my hellos and stayed in
the corner. And you know, it wasn't I just kind
of like followed my lead and then met up with
the boys and what do we need to do? And
you know, I had known some people from OVW or
what have you, but I didn't in the beginning. It
wasn't bad. I just didn't know what to do, and
(21:37):
I didn't want to do the wrong thing, so I
just kind of like stayed the straight and narrow and
I go back to my hotel room at night and be.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Like, oh breathing.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Nobody was ever mean to me or anything like that,
right and right. It was just navigating this new environment
and this new, bigger environment. It's like I'm here, like wait,
I'm here, you know. So I never had any bad
experien speriences. I know. I'm not made for that industry,
I feel, or that television environment. Like I'm just a
(22:08):
normal girl that love was wrestling and was able to
live my dream. So a lot of the like politiicy
stuff I didn't really understand. But I feel like I
got along with everybody. I feel like I had a
decent time. I started to struggle with myself towards the end,
which was not delightful. So it wasn't because of somebody
(22:32):
being mean to me or budding heads with anybody or
I mean, we all get struggles with the creative team
and how the story's going, and that was you know, natural,
I feel, But I had a bad time in sense
because of myself. I got super insecure and I felt
so out of place and even though they were doing
(22:52):
stuff with me and it was going really well for me,
I just got super insecure and self conscious, you know.
So yeah, I think we all. I I crumbled within myself,
but it wasn't because of somebody else. Like all the
girls to me were very nice to me, and you
were very nice to me and Shelley, and you know,
it was chaotic when everybody was there.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Come let me take you back, turn back the hands
of time.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
That's when I discovered.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
That's when I made it mine. My pants couldn't be
too I think the difference between you and I, like
I always say, it was a great opportunity. You know,
I'm I took the opportunity, but it wasn't my cup
of teape. That's what I say. The difference is me
going in there, there was no plan so to speak.
(24:14):
I was told one thing, and then as soon as
I got there, that was like that conversation never happened,
and they no one was on board with that because
nobody knew what I was told to sign the contract, right,
So you know, I was told something and then I
go in there and I have to do something completely different.
(24:35):
Like you, I would say, you're kind of homegrown in
a sense that you were never signed anywhere and they
molded you. You trained with them, so I had thirteen
years experience, but it wasn't experience with them. So I
go in there and I'm pretty much scared to death.
(24:55):
I have my tail between my legs, humble as hell,
you know, trying. I'm getting people stuffed from catering that
have been in the business for six months, like I'm
serving people like I'm just trying to fit in. I
don't want to cause any waves. And then I'm told
I don't politic enough an office. You're not politic enough.
(25:17):
You're not out there, You're not You're not trying to
get a spot. You're like watching paint dry. So when
I hear you say, you know you kept to yourself,
I did the same thing, but I got heat for it.
I got try Oh yeah, yeah, it was a toe.
It was like you and I are kind of like
the same person. We have the same mind frame about
(25:38):
that place, but if we did things kind of equally,
but it was a different reaction.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
And I think that's the problem. It's I've always said
I never felt like everybody was on the same team, Like, hey,
you want me to go do this, and I come
back and I do something you don't want me to do.
They don't tell you like, hey, we would have rather
you have done this, like they it's such a guessing game.
So it's you know, nothing's ever the same. Like when
(26:07):
I did my match with Natty it was her debut
match and Fit and us we put it together and
it went over really well. We come back, I mean
standing ovation in Gorilla, right, so I'm like, yay. So
they loved it. It went well and Fit was happy.
So the next week I did another match. It was
exactly the way they wanted it or how I knew. It.
(26:28):
Came back and nobody would look at me, nobody would
tell me anything, nobody would say anything. I'm like, did
I make a mistake? Did I do what you wanted
me to do?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Like your agents won't even tell you what's going on.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Not after that second one, So I was like, what
this is weird? So I get what you're saying, because
things you could, they could want one thing from you,
and then I can be doing that same thing and
it's and it's like you're not doing it right, but
I'm doing it. I totally totally get what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
And it doesn't make any sense, and like do you
get heat for it that you don't know about? Because
you know, I can't even tell you how many times
I sat in front of Johnny East and cried and
asked for my release and was like, this isn't a
good fit for me, because like you're presenting ideas and
no one's listening to you.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, it's like it's super frustrating to me and for
somebody I'm not lackadaisyl, lackadaisical when it comes to working, Like,
my work ethic is really high because at one point,
like and you were the same way, we love this
business and you wanted to work and you wanted to grow,
and you know, I kept saying to them, I want
to work, I want to work. It was like going
(27:37):
in one ear and out job. No one cared that
I was even there, and I'm thinking, why am I hired?
You know, in your instance, you were there, you trained,
they saw something in you, and they're salivating to get
you on TV right away, and you know, you take
a year, you get your craft. You you know, go
(27:58):
with these two guys and you become a threesome that
they love, and yet you're doing things that they're not
approving and no one's telling you what you're doing wrong.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Well, I don't know if they approved or approved or not.
Nobody told me either way, so you know if but
looking back on it now, obviously not in the moment,
you don't understand, but just talking to Natty and talking
to TJ and talking, you know, I ran into de
Malenko in the airports and you know, being able to
talk to people every time. It's not just us talent
(28:30):
where things kind of go. They're just you don't know
what's going on. It's the producers too, So I think, yes,
I may have felt like what is going on? And
somebody tell me like should I have done this? Should
I do that? Was that perfect? Was that not? Was?
They're getting that too. So I think everybody's in this
like dire circle of like what's going on?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
What are the agents there for? They're there to critique
your work, telling you no, that's what they do. You
have an agent, you know, everybody has their agents back there.
Stephen Kern was one of my agents all the time,
and he made me feedback all the time, like I
didn't work much for them, like we did I worked
(29:13):
every house show, loop and stuff for six months, but
I didn't get a lot of TV time because, honestly,
I you know, I was paired up with balls and
then he took a urine test and he had drugs
in his system and got kicked off the road. And
then it was like, go get a bathing suit you're
gonna do and I'm just like, I don't want to do.
I don't do these bikinis. I never did bikini stuff.
(29:37):
And I'm in my third mid thirties now, you know
what I mean. And it's like if you go to
the office and you say I can do this, this
and this, and Vince McMahon tells me, I know nothing
about you. Well, it's your company, dude, why am I
even here?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Like when you say there's no feedback, I kind of
get that. And at some point I just said to myself,
they're just telling me things that I want to hear
at this point, and I can't do anything to change
it because they're not willing to change anything.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
I'm not sure some people knew. I remember one time
we were in the car about to drive out for
our entrance. Our music was playing and we were wrestling
Bran Lendon Kendrick and our agent came over and was like,
they just changed it again and they jumped out. Yeah. So,
(30:35):
looking back on it now, I think everybody feels that way,
you know what I mean. I feel like the producers
feel that way, and the wrestlers feel that way, and
we feel that way, and so it's yeah, that's why
I say, like, I'm just a normal girl who's not
used to that kind of life. Sign Yeah, well it's uh,
(30:56):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
It was apples and oranges. ECW was so laid back,
and then you get to this place and it's like
a zoo. Really is like a zoo. Yeah, how long
how long did you last there on the main rock?
You were there in O VW for a year, then you.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Move off, yes, and then I was Oh, so I
got released August of eight with the Crash of Everybody.
Domino got released the week before me. Then I got
released in the second Talent releases, and then the last
two weeks of the month they let a ton of
people from Headquarters go.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
So so roughly about three years with the comping, yeah,
two two and a half. Yeah, okay, yeah, regret it
or learning experience. No, okay, I know.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
It's a blessing. Now I can see now that it
was a blessing. I just take it. You know. I
wish I could have done more, but it was I
take responsibility for it because I did not towards the end,
when I got super in my head and I got
super insecure, I didn't take I didn't invest in myself
like Natty invests in herself. And she lives ten minutes
from I moved closer up towards where she is, so
(32:01):
you know, she just invest in herself. She can do
pr she can do matches, she can carry people, she
can build people, she can do everything. And I didn't
do that. You know, I was so nervous. I was hiding.
I was nervous about, you know, being seen. I just
I got so insecure that I didn't take the advantage
of Fit and Regal and just these people that I
(32:22):
could have really picked their brains from, and I just
got so it was my fault. I mean, I don't
blame them for letting me go. I didn't. They wanted
to do stuff with me, and I should have taken
advantage of it. But I don't think I was in
my own mindset to be able to I don't know,
it's just it's it's it's it's upsetting to think of
(32:44):
it like that because I just know that they were
planning on doing things with me. But I honestly, I
take the responsibility. I dropped the ball.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Okay. So I also feel like, if you know, back
then we had social media and everything like they have now,
because we really didn't have all this, you know, Twitter
and Instagram and all this, bully right, we could have
reinvented ourselves and pushed ourselves more. But you know, back then,
(33:13):
I had a flip phone, and.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
You know, I think the only messaging I remember was like,
w W had a message board on the dot com
or something.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
And probably yeah, like and the stupid third cheeks, which
you know ninety percent of the time are wrong anyway,
So I mean, you know, I I felt like every
time that I watched you, you looked beautiful and I
could I could just think back to when I thought
you were a kid, but apparently you weren't. He looked
like a kid to me. I saw you grow as
(33:48):
not only a woman, but as a performer. Like I
I watched you from just this this little girl outside
the ring, and then I watched to do your matches,
you know, and and it was so nice, like I
kind of saw you blossom, you know. So when I
saw you on WWE, I was just like I was proud,
like I felt like because I love seeing my friends thrive.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yeah, you know, and I was so happy for you.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
And again I thought the gimmick was adorable, like really.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Really cute stuff. I loved it.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
I get the insecurity thing, because I think all females
go through being insecure, you know, with weight, with looks,
with this.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
That and the other thing.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
I'm not a Barbie doll. I didn't look like the
other girls. I felt like I had to work twenty
million times harder to prove myself that I deserved to
be in this industry. So I get what you're saying,
but to me, you looked perfect and you fit that
part well and you did a great job. I'm excited
that you're starting to do some signings. I know you
(34:52):
say you're completely out of the business, but do you
have anything coming up anytime soon that people should be
aware of of.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
No, no signings just yet, just more social media cameos
things like that.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
So you're cameo. What's your uh, what's your little Do
they just look you up under Cherry?
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Yeah, under Cherry, d d C Chick.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Okay, yeah, I just did some this morning, So cameos
a very good.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
If anybody wants to look her up on cameo, she'll uh,
she'll wish you a happy birthday or she'll heal the
sheet out of you, one or the other. That's right,
are the best? I love that, Yes, they're fine. And
then on social media where can people find you?
Speaker 1 (35:36):
So Twitter, I'm former Diva Cherry, so f m R
Diva Cherry, and then Instagram I'm also d DC chick.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Awesome. Well, honey, I loved speaking with you. It's been
way too long and way too long. Hopefully, uh, you'll
get booked on one of these conventions and we'll bump
into each.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Other, and yes, for sure, I would love that.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Yes, that would be wonderful. But until then, we'll keep
in touch and nothing but luck to you. Enjoy Florida,
enjoy your job, and you look beautiful, and I'm so
happy that you well, yeah, thank you. I'm so happy
that we got to share this little bit of time together.
So everybody got down.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
In Florida and then we could do like coffee or something.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
I would love that. I'm trying to believe me, this
is why I'm working to move my ass down there.
So hopefully I will speak later. And everybody, please, you know,
go follow Cherry because she's she's.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
An awesome chick. So absolutely, I'll talk to you, sou
love you guys later.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
She looks awesome and there goes Cherry.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Interesting story. I never really knew the story about how
she got there, so very very uh very interesting.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
And yeah, I had no idea about the New Jersey background.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Oh yeah, that's she's didn't know.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
I knew she was from Jersey, I just didn't know
the full I mean, that was a that was a
rocket list of I thought she was like.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
So much younger, Like when I would see her on
these shows, I'm just like, oh, but I don't know.
But she looks great and it was nice to hear
her story because that's interesting. But you know, the whole
insecurity part gets me really sad.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yeah, no, that's absolutely I.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Went through I still go through it now. You know.
I just being a woman, especially in an industry where
it's male dominated and your fans are probably, you know,
eighty five to ninety percent male. Most of the time.
It's it's hard. You can't always fit the description of
bombshell in people's eyes. So I totally get what she's saying,
(37:42):
but I think she's delightful. There are
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