The Trauma Within Navigating Wrestling Fandom W/ Cher Delaware

Do you have any questions, any comments about the episode? Jimanekia would love to hear from you!

What happens when a sport you love becomes a battleground for harassment and bias? We tackle this pressing issue head-on with Cher Delaware, a passionate wrestling fan and parent, who shares her journey of navigating the wrestling community while maintaining online anonymity for safety and privacy. From our first meeting on Twitter to unforgettable karaoke nights, Cher's story is a testament to resilience and the importance of community support. She bravely recounts her past traumas, including a childhood kidnapping and abusive relationships, and how these experiences shape her approach to life and parenting.

As we reminisce about childhood memories of iconic wrestlers like Sting and DDP, we shed light on the unique challenges female wrestling fans face, especially the biases and misconceptions that still persist. We discuss the growing presence of women in wrestling media and the distinct struggles of fans from different racial backgrounds. Despite the hostility from some male fans, our love for wrestling remains unshaken, fueled by the joy it brings to our families and the lasting memories we've created. The conversation takes a serious turn as we explore the toxic nature of fan culture and the moral dilemmas of supporting an industry with a problematic past.

Privacy in the digital age is more complex than ever, especially for those active in the wrestling community. Cher shares her humorous yet serious experiences of being mistaken for her pseudonym and the steps she takes to protect her children's identities. We reflect on the impact of the #SpeakingOut movement and the ongoing issues within the wrestling community, emphasizing the need for serious attention to accusations. Through it all, we highlight the significance of community, the importance of feeling safe at events, and the heartwarming connections forged through our shared love for wrestling. Join us as we uncover the multifaceted world of wrestling fandom, where every story matters.

Thank you all for listening. Set a boundary with yourself this week, set a boundary with someone else. If someone else does not respect that boundary. LET THEM LOOSE YOU! Stay hydrated internally and externally. We do not have an ashy family.


IG: @The_Trauma_Within
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetraumawithin
Jimanekia Ig: @Jimanekia

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Oh, hey, it's me.
So you are getting this episodea little bit earlier than it
was supposed to be coming out.
Why?
Why?
Because there has been a hugeuptick in fans going to
wrestling shows that happen tobe males that have been
harassing the women wrestlersthat have been harassing female

(00:42):
fans, women wrestlers that havebeen harassing female fans.
And you know we recorded thisconversation a little while ago
and it was going to come out alittle bit later, but right now
it's really a great time,especially following up with the
conversation we had last weekwith Lowe and, you know, seeing
the women of AEW being harassed,literally as they are trying to
work.

(01:02):
So let's dig into thisconversation, buckle up, because
hopefully you learned somethingfrom this Tips, tricks, ways to
be better, ways to be an ally,transitioning to an accomplice,
all of the above baby.
So here we go Listen to thisconversation with Cher Delaware
and I.
This conversation is going tobe so fun and I do truly hope

(01:26):
that people walk away from thiswith, honestly, being a better
person and having moreunderstanding, and so this is
going to be good.
It's one of my favorite humans.
We talk almost every day andyou'll figure out how we met.
So my first question foreveryone is who are you?

Speaker 2 (01:55):
So that's a funny question because I you know me,
you know who I am, but I don'treally share who I am online
because kind of why we're heretoday?
Because of the way that peopleact.
But I would say, as you know,first and foremost I'm a parent
and that's as, as we alwaystalking about, kids are wild
like being a parent is anexperience and pretty much

(02:20):
everything in my life revolvesaround being a parent.
So that's part of the reasonthat I don't go by my name
online as Cher Delaware, becauseof being a parent and because
of protecting that.
But being a parent and just, Iguess, being a wrestling fan is

(02:40):
what most people know me as.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
We'll talk more about that, that parents and all the
things.
How did we meet?

Speaker 2 (02:49):
So I was thinking about this last night at like
two o'clock in the morning,laying in bed, unable to sleep
because I don't sleep and I'mlike I think we met through Joel
on Twitter, oh, okay, and like,like I know I know it was on
Twitter, we obviously know that,but I think that it was through
Joel on there and I was like, Ijust remember we were just

(03:13):
following each other and westarted talking to each other
and then we met in person atkaraoke in Vegas that was a fun
karaoke yes, that was that was atime.
We've been to karaoke twicetogether now.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
So it's true, it's true, and I think karaoke that
was a really fun karaoke.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Neither of us sing, we just go to karaoke.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
It takes a lot to get me because I'm like I don't
want to hear people that can'tsing sing.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Oh yeah, the one in Chicago was not near as fun as
the one in Vegas, but yeah, wemet at karaoke in Vegas and now
we've been to wrestling showstogether.
We've done all kinds of thingstogether now Living in
California and Illinois, apartfrom each other.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
See, it works y'all.
The internet works.
What does trauma mean to you?

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Oh gosh, um.
What does trauma mean to you?
Oh gosh, um.
I think that for me we've haddiscussions before about the
things that both of us have beenthrough in our lives and I have
different things that Iclassify as, I would almost say,
different levels of traumaticexperience than my life.

(04:26):
You know, like I was kidnappedwhen I was six, so that it
honestly doesn't affect me asmuch now because I was so young
and I don't remember a lot of it, and it's more like it almost
plays like a movie in my head ifI think about it and it's like

(04:46):
was I really there?
Am I just watching this happento someone else when I was
obviously there?
It very much happens, yeah, butI'm getting ready to be 31 now,
so it's been 25 years since ithappened, and so I kind of I
that one doesn't affect me asmuch in my daily life, except
for in my parenting.
I'm very overprotective in myparenting and I don't trust

(05:07):
people with my kids, but thatmight've just been because the
way the world is too you knowlike that's a lot of people are
that way, but then trauma frompast relationships and abuse and
things like that.
That is something that I carrywith me a lot now and I think
that the trauma shapes who I amas a person.

(05:29):
It is the way that I react tothings the way that I carry

(05:51):
myself and me choosing to bearound or not to be around
people for sure.
And we chose wrestling.
So let's start there.
When did you find wrestling?
So I have an older brother whois 10 years older than me he's
my only brother and he wasobsessed with wrestling.
My family was from NorthCarolina so they were in WCW
territory and my dad would takehim and our cousin who was his
age to wrestling shows when theywere little.

(06:13):
My dad hates wrestling.
My mom would set it up and hewould have to take them to shows
and he would be so mad, likehow did I get volunteered into
this, to shows?
And he would be so mad, likehow did I get volunteered into
this?
Which is probably why I didn'tgo to a show until I was 24 25,
because there was no way myparents were going to take me.
But I started watching I thefirst time I remember watching I

(06:37):
was like three or four and mybrother would always watch WCW.
So I didn't really know WWF atthe time until like 2000-ish,
because that just wasn't what wewatched.
We watched WCW.
So I was a Sting fan.
I liked, yeah, we bond over.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
Sting.

Speaker 2 (06:58):
For some reason I was really obsessed with DDP and
Big Papa Pump.
Same, I'm a.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
Buff Bag.
Papa Pump, same, I would havebuffed that girl.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
Just watch that documentary.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yes, those, were my people and so getting to see
Sting again as an adult.
I posted the meet and greet Iwas never going to do a meet and
greet and paid to meet Stingfive years ago because I was
like it's Sting.
How do I not meet Sting likefive years ago because I was
like it's Sting?
How do I not meet Sting like so?
Yeah, I think that I wasprobably like three or four at

(07:31):
the time and my brother was intolike NWO, like that was kind of
more his thing, and then hestill kind of keeps up with it
now at 40.
So we still talk aboutwrestling a little bit now.
I love that.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
I love that you had someone.
I was the child that found itby herself and everyone was like
what's happening?
Where did we go left and how doyou find it by yourself?

Speaker 2 (07:58):
I had cable in my room.
That's fair that's fair.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
um, as being a wrestling fan, I think that
people assume that wrestlingfans all look one way and they
don't look like us and so, uh,this is where we start to really
, really kind of dive into thisconversation about being like a
wrestling fan, and my questionfor you is like, what type of
pushback have you experienced,like as you have been, like more
open and understanding as beinga woman, as being a female

(08:33):
wrestling fan?

Speaker 2 (08:35):
Um, I will say I feel like in maybe the past year it
has gotten a little bit better.
But I think that's becausethere are so many more women as
content creators and wrestlingnow doing wrestling media and
things like that, and I haveexperienced some stuff being a

(08:59):
female wrestling fan.
But I'm also a white femalewrestling fan, so I know I don't
get it as bad as black femalewrestling fans Hispanic female.
They get it way worse than I dotoo, and I'm fully aware of
that because I've seen thingssaid to other people, but it's
mostly just they think we don'tknow what we're talking about.

(09:19):
It doesn't matter if it's anopinion, we are always wrong.
They don't.
We are always wrong we.
They don't understand why we'rewatching and it's so strange
because you go to shows now andthere's so many women at shows,
yeah, but they act like you'rethe only woman they've ever met
that's ever watched wrestlingbefore and they don't understand
why you're there and it's it'svery strange because I'm into a

(09:45):
lot of other sports too.
I post about other sports.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
You're a sports child , I'm a sports girl.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
And like there are men in other sports that treat
women that way too.
Hockey is especially really badabout it.
But going to games it's prettymuch the same.
You see a lot of women, you seea lot of men, you see kids, but
at games they don't treat methat way.
At wrestling events they stilltreat women that way.

(10:14):
At an event Like you paid moneyto be here, why you don't even
know what you're watching, youdon't even know what's going,
and I'm like why are you soconcerned with if someone else
knows?
If they know the history ofwrestling, who cares?
Who cares if they just became afan last year?
Like, yeah, I really I'm notever trying to like find you

(10:38):
know, my favorite thing isalways.
Well, I've been a fan for 35years.
Whenever they say anything andI, I'm like cool.
Yeah, congratulations.
I don't.
There's not like a measuringtest where you win because
you've been a fan for longer.
It's very strange to me and ourdear friend Will Washington.
He and I talked about this onetime because everyone knows I

(11:02):
love Brian Danielson and I hadposted that he was my greatest
wrestler of all time and I gotdeath threats from people and
like people were calling me justhorrible names and things like
clearly you've never seen a BretHart match and I'm like I mean

(11:23):
I have.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
I too have the internet.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
I have seen them and that's fine if he's your
greatest wrestler of all time.
I'm saying what my opinion is.
I mean, it was insane.
I had to go private on Twitterfor a while and at that time I
only had like 5,000 followersand I had to go private on there
.
I had people finding myInstagram and messaging me.
It was crazy.

(11:48):
Will posted the same thing andthere was people like oh man, I
don't really agree.
I think that it's ShawnMichaels, I think that it's you
know, and he's like why is itsuch a vast difference in coming
at a woman so aggressivelyabout it, telling me I was
stupid, telling me that I'veclearly never watched wrestling

(12:09):
before, and I'm like it's justvery strange the aggressiveness
that men have towards women inthe fandom yeah, what brings you
back, like why do you likewrestling?
So, honestly, probably withinthe last month I've really

(12:32):
started watching wrestling again, because I kind of stopped for
like six months because of theway that people treated me
online.
I stopped posting aboutwrestling at all.
I would watch my kids my kidslove wrestling, so I can't.
We would watch thepay-per-views.

(12:53):
So we would watch WWE and AEWpay-per-views, kind of like
catch up on what was going on alittle bit, just so we knew what
the matches were going to be.
But we weren't watching weeklyand my kids train in wrestling
too, so we were having wrestlingpractice four nights a week.
There's no way to watchwrestling when you've got
wrestling practice four nights aweek and it's 40 minutes away.

(13:14):
So that was just basically ourentire night, monday through
Thursday.
But I I just had to take a stepaway because I was like this
thing that I have loved foralmost my entire life, that I
met some of my best friendsthrough, and even my best friend
that is local to me, that shewas in my wedding.

(13:38):
I was in her wedding.
We became really good friendsbecause of wrestling.
Her mom hated wrestling and Igot her to start watching it
when we were like 10.
And we had like notebooks wewould write down the matches in
the notebooks and like, have VHStapes where we recorded stuff
and everything.
Like she was big into RandyOrton, I was big John Cena.

(14:00):
We had posters of themeverywhere.
Like every year she would buythe WrestleMania DVDs and then
we would watch them afterwardsbecause we were way too broke to
buy the pay-per-views fair,fair but like she still kind of
watches.
Her husband is a wrestling fantoo, so that helps, so she still
kind of watches.
But it made me not want towatch wrestling when every time

(14:22):
I post something, it's causingpeople to just be awful to me.
I mean, we know there areaccounts on Twitter that are
dedicated to hating one companyor the other and hating specific
people, and there were peoplethat were taking my pictures and
making accounts to just beawful and I like because you

(14:46):
don't like my wrestling opinions.
I'm so confused, I just don'tunderstand, and they would post
horrible things to other people,but with my face attached.
So it looks like it's me sayingthese things and I was just
like things and I was just likeI can't do this anymore.

(15:08):
I don't have the mentalcapacity to deal with people who
have no life to the point thatthey are trying to ruin my life
and just say horrible things,and I wasn't enjoying going to
shows anymore because of it.
I just didn't want to be a partof any of it.
My last.
I go to a lot of pay-per-viewsand such.

(15:29):
The last pay-per-view that Iwent to was in September of last
year, so it was all out inChicago.
I have not been to apay-per-view since then.
I've taken my kids to shows,but that was it.
I just kind of left everythingand I felt like I needed a break
.
And it wasn't because thewrestling on tv was bad or

(15:49):
anything like that.
I was still, like I said, kindof following along with
storylines.
I knew what was going on.
I have friends in each companythat would keep me updated on
things and such, yeah.
But because I God, who canwatch that much wrestling anyway
?
So I'm like okay.
And then the lead up toWrestleMania.

(16:13):
I was like, okay, I know mykids are going to have me
watching 18 hours of wrestlingthis weekend.
I know we're going to do it.
I need to know what's going on.
So we've watched a little bit.

Speaker 1 (16:26):
We will not stay up till 10 o'clock on a Monday
night to watch three hours,three hours you don't want to do
three hours.

Speaker 2 (16:32):
It's never going to happen.
You know me, I am in bed by 830at the latest.
We watched the first hour or soand then I kind of catch up the
next day on Twitter see whathappened.
And then I kind of catch up thenext day on Twitter like see
what happened.
But we've kind of got back intoit a little bit.
My kids always knew what wasgoing on because they watch a

(16:59):
lot of wrestling YouTubers thatare more for kids who talk about
it.
Bde is he does like a lot ofgaming stuff.
I met him in Vegas.
He was the one that I went overand was like take a picture
with me in Vegas, because I waslike my kids are a fan of gaming
stuff.

Speaker 1 (17:04):
I met him in vegas.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
He was the one that I went over and was like take a
picture with me in vegas,because I was like my kids are a
fan of his.
They're gonna love it yeah theydo not care anything about me,
but the fact that I met him thatwas the greatest thing ever,
like they did not care aboutanything else, but they kind of
kept up with things like that sothey knew what was going on.
Like last week, we week we wentto bed, of course, before raw

(17:28):
ended the next morning on theway to school.
They're telling me how rawended the night before and I'm
like okay, like cool, you getthis update.

Speaker 1 (17:35):
You're watching your teeth.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
I'm like it is 745 in the morning.
How do you already know this?
But yeah, like that.
So they already knew.
So I I didn't feel as badbecause they could kind of keep
up with it that way.
But we've got back into it alittle bit and I am enjoying
both companies.
I can't watch any morecompanies than that.
I know people are always likebut you've got this one and this

(17:56):
one and no.

Speaker 1 (17:58):
I'm also tired.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
I'm a grown up and I'm also watching basketball and
football and baseball and Icannot do it all.
I can't.
Yeah, I don't even watch TV.
That's all I'm watching is allthis crap all the time.

Speaker 1 (18:13):
So it's true, it gets overwhelming.

Speaker 2 (18:15):
It's a lot.
It's a lot.
When I was told that thedynamite last week or the week
before was going to be threehours, I was told like three
weeks before and I was like, oh,that's a no, I'm out, so you
get two and then good luck.
Yeah, you're gonna be lucky ifyou get an hour and a half, to
be honest.
But yeah, I mean, I think thatI still had so many friends in

(18:39):
wrestling that I was kept up onwhat was going on, and I have
curated my timeline sospecifically on Twitter, with so
many people, words muted, thatI don't see a lot of what the
negative stuff is anymore, and Ithink, taking the break for so

(19:00):
long, those accounts have mostlyleft me alone.
Since I've come back Now, whoknows how long it'll be before
they start coming at me again.
There are specific people thatI've learned that I cannot
interact with on Twitter, eventhough they are my friends,
because then things get accusedof me doing things and them

(19:21):
doing things and it's all alljust insane and I just don't
have time for it.
And like we are in our 30s, whohas time to be?
It's high school stuff that I'mlike.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
It's like middle school take care of yes it's
worse.
You don't use your name on theinternet anymore.
But when I first met you, youdid.
I did what pushed you to fullychange it.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
So I have had Twitter since like 2009,.
I think I've had it for forever.
I was in high school.
I didn't use it, and I startedusing Twitter again during my
divorce, which was in 2018.
So, six years ago and it wasabout this time six years ago

(20:11):
and I got on there and Iunfollowed everyone that I was
following, because it was peoplethat I'd followed when I was 16
years old Different person.

Speaker 1 (20:22):
We're different people.
We don't want that.

Speaker 2 (20:23):
I unfollowed everyone I was following and I started
following years old.
We're different people.
We don't want that.
I unfollowed everyone I wasfollowing and I started
following wrestlers and Ifollowed just like some people
in wrestling media and thingslike that.
I never expected to have 15,000followers like I have now, like
that was never.
You know, I'm like I'm just onhere to see what's going on and
to distract myself from thethings that were going on in my

(20:45):
life.
And I started posting aboutwrestling and people started
following me.
I honestly I don't know why but,people started following me and
things like that.
But and it was it startedhappening so quickly that I got
like all of a sudden I had 3000followers and I was like, okay,

(21:08):
you know.
And then people started beingmean to me.
Once I got to a threshold,basically, people started being
mean to me and I took my lastname off.
So my name on there was myfirst and last name, but my
username was my first name andmy maiden name from when I had

(21:28):
made the account and so Ichanged both because I was like
I don't want either of them onhere.
So I changed my username to justhad my first name on there,
like yours is just your firstname.
That's how mine.
Mine was just my first name andthen it just it kept getting
worse and I didn't have my lastname on there anymore.

(21:48):
But people were still liketrying to find my information,
which is so strange.
And our friend Seahawk CameronHawkins one day was making fun
of me about something and hecalled me share Delaware and I
was like that's the name I'mgoing to start using.

(22:11):
Yeah, so he makes all the time.
He's always like I feel like Ideserve royalties or something.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
You're like from zero Great.

Speaker 2 (22:20):
So I just like jokingly changed it on there to
share Delaware, and then that's,I just changed all of my public
social media to that.
I my Instagram, everything waschanged to that, which I'm glad
it was, because about a yearafter that, someone got mad at

(22:40):
me over wrestling and they foundmy Facebook.
They messaged my mom.
They were posting where my kidsgo to school and I was like
what it was?
It was very crazy andthankfully, like my mom does not

(23:02):
understand Facebook, herFacebook is logged in through my
phone so that I can fix it forher all the time.
Oh, okay, so I'm like I justyeah, I just blocked anybody
that was trying to contact heron there Because, like, the
first person messaged her, butthen there was like ten more
people trying to ask.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
See, I didn't know you intercepted it.
I thought she just told you no,the first message.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
She did see the first message, but she was just like
okay, but then they were tryingto add her and it was like a
whole group of guys Most of themwere Canadian, and it's like
this like cult, I swear.
And so I just got on there andjust kept blocking people and I
think that they figured out thatthey weren't going to get
through, so they they left heralone, but also my mom she calls

(23:46):
it her website, like sheliterally does not understand
Facebook, so they were notgetting anything accomplished
with her.
I'm always like mom she's likecan you make me a webpage on my
website?
No stop, like my parents are intheir sixties, they don't.
They don't do something my daddoes not have social media at?
All but so wild?

Speaker 1 (24:07):
Yeah.
What is the purpose in doxingyou, right, like, let's name it.
Yeah, these random people triedto dox you because of an
opinion.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
Yeah, and so made up thing.
So many people have followed mesince then.
I have 15,000 followers nowthat they think my name is
actually Cher or Cherilyn, andso I think you've been with me
before when people have beenlike every time I tackle I'm
like who the hell is, Cher?

Speaker 1 (24:32):
Oh, that's you.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
And someone will be yelling it and someone will be
like, hey, that's I'm.
Like, oh, hello, it is me.
Yeah, and sometimes I'll tellpeople like, if I went, I always
women, I always introducemyself as my name, and so I'll
be like, oh, my name is, andthey're like your name's not
actually shared.

Speaker 1 (24:53):
No, like you thought it was shared Delaware.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
That's wild, you know I have people that will be like
oh, so you, it's Delaware.
Because you live in Delaware,I'm like I've never been to
Delaware.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
No, no not on the travel list no, that is not
correct.

Speaker 2 (25:10):
So a lot I mean a lot of people really think that my
name is sharon al, which is it'svery funny.
Yeah, that's what I want.
I don't want people to knowwhat my name is, so I'm like,
but then I'll have some peoplewho will not remember it and
they'll like slip up and say myname, responding to me, and then
I message them.
I'm like, I don't want to berude, but can you please delete
that comment because I am tryingto protect my kids.

(25:32):
I I no longer post anything ofmy kids publicly.
Um, I don't share their names.
If I post pictures, their facesare covered because of weirdos,
and that's not just when withinthe wrestling community.
I mean, there are weirdostrying to find people's kids on
the internet everywhere.
Yeah, but people that weresharing pictures of my kids

(25:55):
really made me be like what areyou trying to accomplish?
Because, okay, you hate me,that's, it's still weird, but
that's fine.
But my kids at the time werelike five and seven and you're
posting their faces and that'svery strange.
So I was like to protect them.

(26:17):
They're just done.
They're no longer.
I share them on my Facebook.
I personally know everyone thatI'm friends with on my Facebook
, so, but I do not share them onmy Facebook.
I personally know everyone thatI'm friends with on my Facebook
, so, but I do not share them onInstagram.
I do not share them on Twitter.
Like I said, I don't sharetheir names anymore.
I usually just say their age,or the tall one and the little
one you know the little one.

(26:38):
They're like what Anybodythat's met, my kids too.
My oldest is almost as tall asI am and he's nine, so because
you're not that tall.

Speaker 1 (26:48):
Let's, let's tell people I know you think you're
six feet tall.
You think you're six feet tall?

Speaker 2 (26:52):
it's wild.
Seven, my nine-year-old shouldnot almost be my height they're
different these days they are,they're built different.

Speaker 1 (27:03):
Are the kids aware of how, like kids are very
intuitive and your kids are soconnected to you like I know
that.
Are the kids aware of how youhave had to navigate wrestling?

Speaker 2 (27:16):
not really, because I I mostly protect them from
stuff they do think it's sofunny.
When people come up to us atshows, though, and call me Cher,
they think that is so funny,and my youngest is always like
making fun of me about it,because people say that to me
and I'm like, well, that's whatthey think my name is, and then

(27:37):
I've kind of got it through tothem, because they watch
YouTubers who don't use theirnames.
So they're like, oh, okay, kindof like you know bde, which his
or his initials, I think, butthat.
So they've kind of got thatthrough, and they're older now
too, but they think that it'shilarious, and my oldest does

(27:58):
not like people.
So when people Like you.
He's very much like me.
So when people come up to us atshows he's like he gets so
irritated with it but we'll besitting before a Smackdown or
whatever and friends that workin the company will come out and

(28:19):
say hi to him.
And my youngest is talking tohim and my oldest is like
talking to him and my oldest islike how dare you, how dare you
have adam pierce say hi to meright now and I'm like kid,
there are kids up here thatwould like die for someone to
come out here and look at youhe's like this is terrible, this
is the worst experience of mylife.
And then I'm always like I tellthem that they have to be very

(28:42):
grateful because we are giventhe tickets to shows, because
they got to go to 10 shows lastyear between AEW and WWE, that
we paid for none of them, andI'm like most kids your age
don't get to go to 10 shows intheir life and you guys are
going we didn't get to go untilwe were old enough to buy our
own shit.
We were buying our own tickets.

Speaker 1 (29:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
And I'm like you have to be very grateful for this
and understand that you are.
You're experiencing somethingthat a lot of people don't get
to experience, and we're almostalways on the floor when we get
the tickets.
My youngest became best friendswith pat mcafee a few years ago
because we were in the frontrow behind him and pat was
teaching him to say things heshould not have been saying, and

(29:25):
then he was about right he wasgoing sorry mom, sorry mom.
Every time you would do it likeand my youngest, of course, is
just eating it up because that'swho he is as a person.
But I've taught them like youare very blessed to be in the
position that you are in, but Idon't want them to know the

(29:47):
extent of what I have had to gothrough and, like, none of the
people that I'm friends withwithin the companies have ever
treated me badly and like you'rethey're just people.
I'm just a person.
I treat them like people andthat's why we get along.
Yeah, but they will sometimeslaugh about the way that people

(30:07):
act online.
Like, if I say something,people will be like jumping all
over my case and they're likewhat is their problem?
I don't know, I don'tunderstand.
When WWE was doing the releaseslast year, for some reason
everybody thought Adam Pearcewas fired and I was getting
tagged like I'm his freakingkeeper and I was are you the?
boss.
I messaged him and was like sir, can you please say something,

(30:30):
because people will not leave mealone asking if you've been
fired, like like, if he gotfired, he's gonna message me
immediately and be like hey,just so you know, I'm no longer
employed.
I probably wouldn't have knownuntil everybody else knew.
You know, like it was verystrange and they're like why do
people think that you knoweverything?
I'm like I don't know, but Iwish that one of these companies

(30:52):
would cut me a check with theway that people think that they
cut me a check it's true, thereis one of us getting a check on
this conversation and it's not.

Speaker 1 (31:00):
It's not you that's not me um something that really
bought me back, brought me backinto wrestling uh, was hashtag
speaking out?
yes um, and I think it would beum I'm about to say remiss, is
that the word?
I think that's what the girlsuse if we didn't address that

(31:22):
like having that conversation asbeing a wrestling fan on
twitter, because we're notcalling it that one letter, um,
and like watching it play out asa woman was so shitty and I
feel like people act like ithappened a few years ago so it's
over, but you and I both knowas the year, this last year or

(31:47):
so, that it never stopped.
People just stopped talkingabout it and for me, because of
the work that I do, I'm likesilence is where bullshit
continues to breed and thrive.
How was it for you seeing this,these conversations, and like
how they went?

Speaker 2 (32:05):
I had to take breaks from all of it because it was a
lot and I was trying to keep upwith everyone everyone's stories
, the victim stories and theneveryone because you don't see
everything on twitter, and Iknow that people are always like

(32:26):
, why haven't they made acomment on this?
Yet I don't even see everythingon twitter, and I'm on twitter
a lot like I don't expectwrestlers to see everything on
twitter, you know, and so I wastrying to keep up with the
people, and then people thatmade statements, and then there
was like, thankfully, a runninglist of everyone that had been
accused of everything, like whatthey had been accused of,

(32:48):
because I wanted to make sure Iwas not supporting anyone who
had been accused of something.
And you know, I know thatthere's people that are always
like, well, it's just anaccusation.
You and I have been throughthis so many times.
I post that all the time abouthow many people are actually

(33:10):
arrested when you go to thepolice, about things and things
like that.
I'm always retweeting that postbecause an accusation does hold
weight and there are it'smostly men that think that it
doesn't.
But I did not.
You know, whether a person diddo something or not.

(33:31):
I would rather be on the safeside and not give them my money
and not support them.
And some of it was justsickening, like some of it was
so painful to read and, like yousaid, the stuff that came out
last year and earlier this year.
I had to get myself in aheadspace to read those filings

(33:52):
too, because I was kind of toldwhat they were going to be
beforehand.
You know, giving a little bitof heads up and it's just, it's
so hard and it's like thiswithin anything, but it's so
hard when something you love hassuch terrible people in it and
it's like, how do you graspstill supporting this thing and

(34:19):
not supporting those people?
And it's just a really hardbalance to find.
And I told somebody one time Iwill always support wrestlers
within companies who arewrestlers that I like, wrestlers
I'm friends with.
I'm never going to be like,well, I'm never going to watch

(34:42):
you wrestle again Because you'reworking for this person,
because this is their job, thisis how they're getting their
money.
And if I didn't, if I, you know,banished every corporation or
whatever, I would do nothing.
I wouldn't be using my iPadright now.
I would you know like I wouldhave nothing.
But I think that you have tokind of pick and choose through

(35:07):
what you're doing there.
But every company, everybusiness has horrible people in
it and it was just so hard tosee the sheer amount of horrible
people within wrestling.
Sheer amount of horrible peoplewithin wrestling yeah, it was.

(35:27):
It was painful and to know likethey got away with this for so
long because it is such a boysclub, it is such the fandom, the
actual wrestling, everything issuch a boys club and I'm glad
that it is changing to an extent.
I mean it's still still hasissues, but it's not as bad as

(35:49):
it was before and I wish thatmore men within wrestling would
stand up for women and not justyou know.
Oh well, that's my friend who Iwrestled three times.
Like they can still be aterrible person.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
I always say that, like you this is something my
mom always taught me is you willnever know anyone a hundred
percent.
You are not with them everysecond of their day in their
life and people are differentwith other people.
Yeah, like you can't be like,well, I've never seen it.
Well, I'm sorry, you've neverseen them rape someone.
Yeah, yeah, I mean that wouldbe a conversation.

(36:27):
Yeah, they're probably notdoing it in front of you.
How people move, that is how wechoose to navigate.
Once we see what you do andeven seeing, like, who would
defend and who would then goafter these survivors.

(36:48):
Again, as you and I both know,it's real fucking hard to come
out to share that informationand, as someone that does this
work, it's like one to 2% ofpeople that lie.
People lie, but it is one to 2%because, as we do know, you
come forward and these people'slives were threatened, dragged,
they lost opportunities, theylost jobs, like safety and we'll

(37:12):
talk a little bit more aboutsafety Like all of that was
jeopardized because they didn'twant to keep having this happen.
And then what happens?
Like it's continued and thenpeople think, well, they're not
talking about it anymore or theydropped it.
I'm like they're fucking tired.

Speaker 2 (37:27):
Yeah, like it's a fight yeah, and it's mentally
taxing to have to continue todefend yourself and be like no,
I'm not lying constantly to tostrangers, to strangers
nonetheless.
You know, like that that isalways.
I mean, just when I have sharedmy own story, I've had

(37:50):
strangers who, like, accuse meof lying.
They don't even know the personthat I'm talking about, no
connection to him whatsoever,but they're going to defend him
because they don't like me, andso it.
It's like is it worth it?
It, because sometimes itdoesn't feel like it is.
It doesn't feel like it's worthit to tell someone, you know,

(38:12):
like, I support you I've beenthrough this when it's just
constant other people tearingyou down for it, and when it's
someone famous, I can't imaginebecause, like we laughed about
this last year, there's alwaysdrama going on within wrestling.
There was a wrestler who didsomething and there was a girl

(38:33):
who posted he could literallykill someone and I would still
support him because I don't knowhis reasoning for killing
someone and I'm like what?
What Are you serious right now?
I'm like you know saying like hecould quit his job, and I would

(38:56):
still support him.

Speaker 1 (38:57):
Or people are like you could rape me.
Excuse me, I don't know.
I've been raped.
You know what?
It is Not fun, fuck you.

Speaker 2 (39:03):
Still fucked Wood hard pass.
Yeah, that, like just some ofthe comments that people make,
I'm like and it's always peoplethat you're like you've never
experienced any big trauma inyour life to be able to say that
because it's not funny.
It's not funny to your friendwho went through it.

(39:25):
It's just not something that isamusing, it's not a joke, and
so it's almost better, like yousaid we do, to just say nothing
because I would rather watch.
You know, everything does notneed my input, it does not need
my commentary.
I wish other people knew that.

(39:45):
Yes, and I like it's okay to bequiet sometimes we don't need
your opinion on it.
You know, like me, and you willtext back and forth and say how
we feel about something, and Ihave other people that I will
talk to.
I I don't need to make a postevery time something happens.
I don't, I don't care, I don'tneed to have people.
You, you know, like I wonderwhere she stands on this.

(40:06):
It doesn't matter, because it'snot my, it's not my situation,
and if they knew me, they wouldknow where I stood on it.
So that's all that reallymatters, and it it is.
You don't have to pander toyour followers on Twitter every
time something happens and tellthem.
You know like, oh well, I readthese filings and this is my

(40:26):
take on it.
Who cares?
800 other people just gavetheir take on it in the last
five minutes and I didn't careabout those.

Speaker 1 (40:33):
No, and I'm not reading any of those either.

Speaker 2 (40:35):
So who cares?

Speaker 1 (40:38):
I'm like, oh, don't care, you kind of got into this,
but how has your mental healthbeen as a fan, especially since
since the last five?
What years was 24 the past likefive years?
How has your mental health beenas a wrestling fan?
Okay, there's that face.

Speaker 2 (40:59):
I'm gonna clip that I would say up and down a lot.
I mean, you know, not takinginto account other things going
on in my life just like it'shard to be a wrestling fan,
sometimes, when things come outand when it, especially when it

(41:19):
becomes mainstream news, becauseit's it's like when you're a
wrestling fan amongst peoplethat are not wrestling fans, you
are the token wrestling fan,you are the person that they are
going to about the question.
No, I don't want it I posted theother day, 6 30 in the morning,
I got a message from somebodyasking me about how owen hart,

(41:42):
it's 6.30 in the morning.
Also, Google's free Wikipediaexists, Like, what, Like why I
linked them to the Dark Side ofthe Ring episode.
Yeah, that's perfect.
I mean they're like well, Iknow you know about wrestling
and I'm like like what?

Speaker 1 (42:03):
It's 6.30 in the morning.
You want to wake up and talkabout death.
That's wild Right, good morning.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Hi, nice to see you.
So it's like they come to youand my dad does that to me too.
Anytime anything happens inwrestling, he's like, oh, I saw
on the news today and I'm like,yeah, like I don't, and he will
watch wrestling now, which is sofunny because he wouldn't when
I was a kid, but he will with mykids.
So like while you and I were inLA last year, my dad was

(42:33):
watching with my kids and thenwhen I got home he's like, yeah,
that that one guy went outthere when Cody was out there
and I'm like, okay, dad, like,but he wants to talk to me about
it and I'm like I don't want totalk about this, like I am not
online and that's all anybody'stalking about online and I don't
want to talk about it withpeople that I know outside of it

(42:54):
either, and that's.
I always laugh like you work inwrestling adjacent more because
you're not like in thewrestling part of wrestling you
know you're in the mental health.
Part of wrestling I got but Igotta stay attached yeah, like,
like we do not talk aboutwrestling very much no, we don't

(43:14):
have my friends actually, yeah,like any of my friends that
work in wrestling, any of myfriends that are wrestlers, we
barely ever talk about wrestling.
Any of my friends that reporton wrestling barely ever talk
about wrestling.
Any of my friends that reporton wrestling barely ever talk
about wrestling.
The only time wrestling istalked about is like if
something big happens.
It's like, oh, this happened.
Oh, yeah, that's pretty much it.
But it's the other people whowant to talk about it constantly

(43:36):
and I'm like I don't want tohear about this anymore.
I just need a break from it.
I don't want to talk aboutabout it.
So sometimes it's like, even ifyou disconnect from online,
it's still happening.
It's like, yes, I know that ithappened.
If you know that it happened,would you not think that I know
that it happened?
Like, yes, I know I already, I,yeah, I know.

Speaker 1 (44:00):
So it's just Wrestling is a weird place and
what I?
I am very thankful for Twitterbecause I found wrestling
community.

Speaker 2 (44:11):
Like.

Speaker 1 (44:11):
I feel like I have been a wrestling fan but I never
had community until I foundTwitter and I was like is this
where everybody's been?
What the hell?
Why didn't anyone tell me what?
What is community like for youand also, how important is it
for you in this space?

Speaker 2 (44:30):
I would say it's really important for me because
I don't have a lot of friendswhere I live.
We, you know, we always jokeabout where I live well, it's
because you fuck this.

Speaker 1 (44:41):
She lives in the backwoods of nothing.
If you send her a gift, she'llbe like maybe I'll get it in
like three years.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
It's wild when I had surgery and everybody was trying
to send me flowers and theywere gonna have to work to me
via fedex, because we don't it'swild y'all yes, we don't have
things here.
Like all the time people willbe like just get uber eats, we
don't have uber eats.

(45:07):
We don't have, we don't haveanything.
We don't have these things like.
We have mcdonald's, dairy queenand subway.
That's what we got like wow so Idon't have a lot of friends
where I live.
I mean, I did not live here, asyou know.
I lived in California for alittle while and I loved living

(45:30):
in California.
But, girl, you can't afford tolive in California.
As someone that lives inCalifornia, I know I know, yeah,
like I mean that was and thatwas 10 years ago.
I think about that all the time.
In June it'll be 10 years sinceI moved from California, so I
loved living out there, likewhen I was out there last year,

(45:52):
it was like like with the smogand all I can breathe.

Speaker 1 (45:57):
You got to.
Just you know, keep your, getcloser to the ground to the
ground.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
Good thing I'm not tall, I mean it was I.
Just I need the people in mylife from that.
I've met through wrestling,like I said, even though we
don't talk about wrestling likewe became friends because of
wrestling.
That's not what we talk about,because we became better friends
because of all the otherreasons that we connected.
And most of the wrestling tripsthat I go on have nothing to do
with going to see wrestlingthere, because I get to go see
my friends and that's been thehardest part for the past six

(46:35):
months for me is not gettingseven months now, goodness, not
getting to see my friends notbeing in Philly this week.
Do I care about going to Philly?
No, I never need to step footin Philly this week.
Do I care about going to Philly?
No, I never need to step footin Philly in my life.
But I know that all my friendsare going to be there.
I was upset that I didn't get togo to North Carolina last month
because I knew all my friendswere going to be there, that I
didn't get to go to Tampa orwherever that was in January

(46:57):
because everybody was going tobe there and so, like I took my
kids to a show January, february, something like that.
Like I took my kids to a showJanuary, february, something
like that, and we'll came outand sat with us through like
half the show at that one and Ihadn't got to see him and I
think, since September.
So so nice to be able to justsit and talk to him.
And I'll get to see him in acouple of weeks oh God, it is

(47:20):
April.
Yeah, I'll be there.

Speaker 1 (47:22):
Yeah, I'll be there weeks.
Oh god, it is April, yeah soI'll be there.

Speaker 2 (47:25):
Yeah, no, I'll be there.
I'm booking my flight, I'll bethere.
So, like I'll get to see him ina couple weeks and get to see
you in a couple weeks and then Ithink next month I'm gonna be
in Vegas.
So get to see everybody then.
And it's more about getting tosee my friends because, like you
have to work during the show.

Speaker 1 (47:40):
You know, like I do be working you don't get to
enjoy things anymore, don't youknow?
I appreciate thank you foracknowledging working and
wrestling.
You're like I didn't see.
I'd be like, did you see it?
I'm like, no, I saw none of theshow.
You were there all eight hours.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
Yeah, I was there yeah, like the edge, edge,
edgeland, edge, copeland debut.
When you yeah, when you cameout, you recorded it, you sent
it to me.
You were sending me people'sreactions and stuff.
Like you get to see smallthings if you go out for it, but
you're back, you're working,you got an office, you know like
you're stretching.

(48:17):
You're sending me pictures ofyou stretching in the back.

Speaker 1 (48:19):
So much for noting my .
I take care of myself in theback yeah, like you're doing
your thing back there.

Speaker 2 (48:23):
It's a job for you, you're back there working, but
like the days around that we getto hang out and that's like the
best part of those trips for me.
I don't care about thewrestling as much as getting to
see my friends, and it has, Idon't know, especially
especially because of thepandemic.
Oh God, the pandemic was sohard, not getting to see anybody

(48:46):
.
But I don't know how I wouldhave made it, sometimes through
the pandemic, without just beingable to check in with my
friends and everything, eventhough we're all over the well,
all over the world.
Honestly, like, everybodyalways makes fun of me because I
don't have a passport and I'mlike but you have a passport so
you can come to me, oh, dear you.

Speaker 1 (49:08):
Okay, one of us does look at that, but there's a lot
more shows here than there.

Speaker 2 (49:13):
So you come to me like last year in LA, that's,
you know, at my hotel.
You came to my hotel and hungout for a little while and
everything.
Like alex mccarthy, who I helives in the somewhere in the uk
, I don't know somewhere overthere, and he's like when are
you gonna get a passport?
And I'm like you're here, get apassport.

(49:34):
I have a passport holder.
I'm going to fight you.

Speaker 1 (49:40):
I'm going to fight you.
You're like I have part of it,not the part I actually can
utilize anything for.

Speaker 2 (49:46):
Yeah, like my dear friend Frankie is like can I get
you a passport?
Like can I just crop one ofyour pictures and like apply for
a passport?
He's always mad at me about it.

Speaker 1 (49:56):
And I'm like it.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
Just it seems like a lot of work to go have my
picture taken.
I just don't want to do it, butI will eventually.
I mean I'm going to be 31.
I need to get it done at somepoint.

Speaker 1 (50:10):
I didn't get my passport until I was 30, and I
will be 37 this year, which iswild Cause.
Look at me.

Speaker 2 (50:15):
You look amazing it is almost our birthdays.
We are almost there.

Speaker 1 (50:20):
We take cash, venmo, paypal, may.

Speaker 2 (50:26):
We take everything.
But yeah, like just getting tosee people, like I said, from
all over the world.
Like I have become such goodfriends with people.
People like I talk to youalmost every day and we have
group chats with other peoplewhere we check in on things.

(50:47):
And then, like Jeremy, I metthrough Fightful and went to his
wedding two years ago.
You know, like I was two yearsago that's's why and drove to
Ohio I had never been to Ohio inmy life Seven hours with my
kids to Ohio for his wedding andthen drove back straight

(51:11):
through through the night, likewhen we had a blast, and I think
that was one of the momentsthat was the coolest for me
seeing everybody that came tohis wedding.
Because Jeremy had just moved toOhio.
You know he was from NorthCarolina, he just moved there
for I call her Mrs Jeremybecause he doesn't share her
information.
You know, like he just movedthere for Mrs Jeremy.

(51:33):
He didn't have friends therereally, and everyone that was at
that wedding for him thatwasn't his family was people
he'd met through wrestling andwe had like two and a half
tables full of us and we took apicture at the end and I mean
there was people from everywhere, like we'd driven in, flown in,

(51:55):
denise flew in.

Speaker 1 (51:57):
I couldn't make a flight work.

Speaker 2 (51:59):
I know I remember we were trying to make it work and
I was like Denise and her Idon't think, maybe I'm trying to
think of her and her husbandwere married yet I don't think
so yeah, but he came in with herand like she stayed at an
Airbnb with me and my kids, andJoel and his wife came in from
Canada, you know, like justpeople from everywhere coming in

(52:22):
, and it meant so much to himand I think that that was really
when I was like this is so coolthat, you know, all these
people came here for him and hedid not expect a lot of people
to come.
So when SP3 showed up from NewYork and when Steven Jensen came
in from Georgia and everything,like he was just kind of amazed

(52:43):
that so many people caredenough about him that he just
met through wrestling to come,and I was like we love you, like
that's why we're here, we, weare happy for you and we want to
support you, and I think thatthat's such a cool thing that we
all may have not ever met if itwouldn't have been for
wrestling.
You know, like wrestling andtwitter, yeah fuck you, elon,

(53:06):
but yeah, like twitter theclosest I live to anybody
throughout like is three and ahalf hours away, and it's people
that I go visit, you know.
So it's just really cool to seethat many people be able to
come in for someone and, like Isaid, we wouldn't have known
each other otherwise, so it'slike man, this is awesome.

Speaker 1 (53:29):
I love that as the one that we'll.
We'll end with a fun comment,but I think there's also
something to even talk to.
Is like safety, um and we'vetalked about mental health and
all the things, and I alwayslook at safety as two ways,
internally and externally.
If there's any tips and tricksyou can give to femme, women,

(53:51):
ladies we are not thegatekeepers of what that
identity looks like, but likeany safety tips to want to
attend these shows, because Iknow I've been to shows and I'm
like they got one more word andI'm about to get kicked out
because we're about to fight.
I'm about to jump over, like Ihave been in places and I'm like
, oh no, I start like taking myshit off.

(54:11):
It's like I black out, becauseI think you and I are very
similar in the ways of like theways that we go to protect
others and we're like, well,fuck it.
Kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (54:28):
Yes, If I see someone that I can tell they're going
in on themselves and they don'twant to stand up for themselves.
I used to be that person and,like my mom always says that, I
have become very um hardenedsince my divorce and I'm like
I'm just not naive anymore and Iwas a kid I was 20 when I got
married like that should beillegal.
You shouldn't even be able toget married at 20 and I'm like I

(54:49):
couldn't even drink, like whichI don't drink, but if I wanted
to, I couldn't drink at my ownwedding reception, like that's
so true you're?
Yeah, I was like sorry, youknow.
So I'm like I, I used to bethat person.
I was the person who would letpeople say things about me and
let people laugh about itbecause I, I wasn't going to

(55:10):
stand up for myself.
So if I'm at shows and I seethat happen 100%, I'm always
saying something like I willyell at people, and then people
are like Like I will yell atpeople and then people are like
cause I don't, I don't dresslike a wrestling fan.

Speaker 1 (55:23):
You don't let me.
If y'all don't know.
I've been out and I'm like am I?
Should I go back to my room?
Where are we going?
I'm like in leggings.
This bitch is fully dressed.

Speaker 2 (55:34):
I'm like well, I was in a dress and heels when we
went in LA.
I got some Nikes on.
You know it's okay.
The only time I go anywhere iswhen I go to wrestling shows,
you know what.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
But also I always say , like, if this makes you feel
comfortable and happy, who thefuck cares?

Speaker 2 (55:52):
Yes, exactly, do whatever you want, but I'm
always going to stand up forpeople.
So I've been to shows with mykids before where people were
yelling racist remarks likepeople in the crowd yelling
racist remarks at wrestlers andstuff and my kids are always
like, oh God, cause, they knowI'm going to say something.
They always they're like and Ido, and I'll say, and usually

(56:15):
the person will sit down becauseeverybody everybody else around
them, you can tell also feelsuncomfortable but they're not
going to say anything and I willsay something every time
because I don't care and I'mlike I don't ever want people to
feel singled out in wrestlingthe way that I have felt, so I'm
always going to stand up forpeople in that safety.

(56:37):
Going to shows.
Yeah, I stopped going towrestling shows alone because I
didn't feel safe.
Um, I used to go to all of themby myself, unless my kids were
coming with me, and evensometimes with my kids.
I don't feel safe becausepeople are.

Speaker 1 (56:57):
You've had many instances, we've talked about
them.
So many instances, what, like,what.
Why are you trying to talk tomy kids?
I'm always like do I have likea neon?

Speaker 2 (57:05):
sign on my head, that's like come mess with me.
Like we were at a show thesecond house show, back after
COVID.
We were in Kentucky.
We had second row seats, we hadfour tickets, but there was
only us three.
I don't remember seats.

(57:25):
We had four tickets, but therewas only us three.
A guy on the floor you're notsupposed to be able to go on the
floor unless you show him yourticket.
This guy tells he's drunk offhis ass and he tells the
security woman like that's mywife.
She has my ticket.
Does she ask me?
No, she just lets him sit there.
He's trying to take pictureswith me and my kids in the
background, like I have myyoungest on my lap.
So this would have been?

(57:46):
Was it 2021?
Yeah, yeah.
So my youngest was four at thetime and I have him on my lap
and he's like like touches hisleg, trying to get him to smile
at him, and I'm like, no, thisis not happening and it was just

(58:06):
like we missed a whole match.
That was going on because I wastrying to deal with this
situation and the people behindus were like he's not with you,
is he and I back?
And they got the WWE securityto come get this man and make
him leave because the arenasecurity just let him sit down.

Speaker 1 (58:30):
That's the shitty part too and I've had this
conversation, amanda and I havehad these conversations with
other women too is like go tothe security that works for the
company Arena security are justhired.
Yeah, some don't know what thefuck is going on, they're doing
yeah no yeah, so we had thatrecently.

Speaker 2 (58:50):
We had last year um, it was the show after the bray
memorial, so we went to thatsmackdown and then we went to a
house show the next night and wehad the guy who was there
working with mentally disabledadults who kept asking me for my
phone number.
Yeah, I remember that yeah,would not leave me alone and
kept and being like, call me andlike was absolutely 20 years

(59:13):
older than me at least, keptgoing on and on and then my
youngest was like what did hesay to you?
And I was like he me on a date.
He cackled because my kids knowI don't date.
And he's like he thinks you'regoing to go on a date with him,
Like he thinks it's so funny andI'm like yeah, I know, that's
your biggest bully.
He really is.
He bullies me more than anyone.

(59:35):
But at that show I nobody thatI knew within the company was
there, and so I just had to dealwith it and we were in comp
seats.
Their facility had gotten compseats, so we were just next to
each other and we ended upleaving early because I was like

(59:55):
I cannot deal with this.
I can't deal with this manbothering me the entire time.
He's ruining the experience formy kids because I'm so on edge
because of it, and there's adifferent level of
protectiveness when my kids arewith me too, even if the person
is bothering me.
I've never had anyone like messwith my kids, because then it
would be a whole different level.

(01:00:15):
But going to shows alone I'venot.
It's not as fun.
But you're looking over yourshoulder a lot more, you know.
Like when you and I wenttogether we had fun.
We, you know, watched whatever,but like we knew that we had
each other's backs in everythingtoo.
When you're by yourself, youknow you're the whole time like,

(01:00:38):
oh, this person over here andthis person over here, and I
just realized like this is notas enjoyable for me going by
myself.
So, even if I'm going by myselfbut meeting other people there,
I find that better and I I'malways, if I have my car,
volunteering to drive people,cause I'm like, then I don't
have to be driving.

(01:00:59):
I'm like I don't have to go tomy car by myself, I don't have
to, you know, be in a parkinglot by myself, because even if
it wasn't, there are creepseverywhere.
Like it's not, like it's justin wrestling, it's.
There are creepy peopleeverywhere and I just think
meeting other people withinwrestling, like the heels
community and.
AEW has.
I saw that they have a.

(01:01:20):
They're going to have a heelseating section at shows now
where they can all sit togetherand everything.
And I think that that's amazingbecause you're building a
community within the communityand you know, find other people
that you get along with andstart, you know, buy tickets
near each other at shows andthings like that, because it
makes it a lot more enjoyable tohave the experience with

(01:01:41):
someone else, but you feel saferin that too, because there are
always going to be weird people.
Well, I actually forgot aboutthis one at mania when I went
down to the floor to say hi toour friend emilio.

Speaker 1 (01:01:53):
Yep and oh yes, I was , like she, gone a long time.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
I do remember this, yeah the guy cornered me on the
floor and was like I saw you atyour hotel earlier and was like
grabbing my arm and stuff.
And I'm like dude, like please,let me go.
And he was like forcing, likelet me have your Instagram, I'll
follow you on Instagram.
And I'm like no, I'm good.
And finally one of the securityguards because you're not
supposed to stand on the floorlike outside of the sections

(01:02:19):
came over and was like you needto go to your seats and I was
like I'm going back upstairs,like I'm good, I'm not gonna be
down here.
But that was the only reasonthat he finally left me alone.
And it's just like theaggressiveness can be very and I
wasn't alone then, but I wasalone at that moment and I had
just left you to go down thereto say hi to him and he was like

(01:02:41):
yeah.
And he was like, well, if Iwould have known and I'm like
you were watching the show, youknow, I mean it's there wasn't
anything, unless somebody waswith me that anybody could do.
And think about that.
How many people are around inthat arena and someone has the
audacity to do that in front ofpeople and it's just like and
nobody says anything.

(01:03:01):
All these people standing thereand nobody says anything, and
like he's got a hold of my arm.
You can tell I'm uncomfortableand I'm just like man.
We really people just do notlook out for other people.

Speaker 1 (01:03:13):
Yeah, it's like the everything is a community.
We have different aspects of it, but it's also like see
something, say something ascheesy as it sounds like how you
could really be helping someonein a moment If someone was like
what are you doing?
You good, like I will pretend Iknow somebody.
Quick, hey girl, come on, itdoesn't matter.

(01:03:35):
Like it is so scary justnavigating every day outside,
and then you go into, like thismore concentrated area where we
already have these preconceivednotions that have continued to
be accurate of I'm not welcomedhere, you don't want me in this
space the danger of it all, andlike navigating it.

(01:03:56):
People ask me like well, whatdoes safety look like for you at
wrestling shows?
And I'm like stay and ready.
Ask me like, well, what doessafety look like for you at
wrestling shows?
And I'm like staying ready.
And it does take away from theenjoyment of the actual show,
which is like a lot of peoplepay a lot of money to go to
these shows.
Wrestling's not cheap.
Oh, that's so annoying.
Um, what have been the goodparts of wrestling for you?

(01:04:17):
Because there's been a lot ofshit.
What are the good parts, though?

Speaker 2 (01:04:21):
I'm muted Cause there's a train.
Um, I would say like the thingsthat I've got to be there to
witness wrestling wise and thenexperiencing them with my
friends and meeting the people.
Like, as I said before BrianDanielson, I went to a random

(01:04:44):
SmackDown in St Louis I don'teven know what year that was
2019, I guess I was sitting byRandy Orton's wife and all 87 of
his children Don't do that, andthere's a lot of them.
A few.
A few do that and there's a lotof them a few and that was the

(01:05:10):
show where brian turned heel andwon the world title from aj and
when he became like, changed itto like the eco title and
everything after that and justrandomly getting to be there for
that as a huge fan of his wasalways something that I go back
to and always talk about.
I got to go to.
Well, I went to the RoyalRumble in St Louis, but that was

(01:05:30):
my first Royal Rumble.
Royal Rumble is my favorite.

Speaker 1 (01:05:33):
Same.
You know we love a rumble.

Speaker 2 (01:05:35):
Yes, so I was so excited when we got to have it
in St Louis, and then it wasterrible.
But that was when the signcaught on fire.

Speaker 1 (01:05:42):
Right above me I was sitting with Issa, oh, I
remember you were like there's afire.
I was like, what do you mean?
There's a fire above my head.

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
Yeah, I was sitting with Issa and it was just like
right above us, so that was,yeah, that was the one when Seth
came down, did the shieldentrance and he came right next
to us so like you can see usduring that entrance.
That was really cool toexperience For us.
The show was terrible.
But I went to the Rumble lastyear I guess, which was in San

(01:06:10):
Antonio, and I got to go with myfriend Frankie, who works for
WWE, who we never got to go to ashow together before and he
lives in Connecticut.
Of course, we've actuallybecame.
I knew who he was through ashirt company that we both
followed on Facebook, which wasjust because he was always doing

(01:06:30):
giveaways where he would giveaway like WWE stuff.
They would do like guess who'sgoing to win this, and then do a
drawing or whatever through thecompany.
And he had started following meon Twitter, had no idea who he
was and I'm like, why is thisguy always commenting on stuff?
And then I put two and twotogether with the name and
followed him back and now he isone of my best friends.

(01:06:52):
We talk all the time.
He and his wife just had a babyand so I'm like buying stuff
for their baby all the time andeverything.
But we got to go to that showtogether and it was so much fun
to get to experience that withhim him as a fan, because he has
worked as a producer for thecompany.
It's real different.
Yes, he's worked as a producerfor like 14 years for the

(01:07:12):
company, so he, you know, whenhe's working it's a different
experience than going as a fanand we had so much fun at that
show.
Different experience than goingas a fan and we had so much fun
at that show and it was.
It's just really fun to get toexperience different shows with
different people too, becauseI've sat with so many different
people.
Now, like I said, you and I sattogether last year and I've sat

(01:07:33):
gosh, just so I can't even thinkof all the people that I've sat
with.
Just you know different shows.
Like hey, we're both gonna behere, let you know, sit near
each other, whatever.
And like t and his girlfriendin vegas last year at that show,
I think we're gonna sittogether again this year and
like me just dancing toeverybody's themes the whole
time, like that was my wholeshow was me dancing to all the

(01:07:56):
themes and everything, and Ithink that that's like the
memories of getting toexperience those things with my
friends is always something thatI'm like yeah, you remember
when we were at that onetogether and we got to see that
that really cool match andwhatever like it's, it's just
fun yeah, people think that myfavorite things, people like you
like wrestling, like perfect,like professional wrestling,

(01:08:16):
like WWF, and every time theyask the question, they just lean
in harder, like it's you couldlean back.

Speaker 1 (01:08:22):
They're shocked.
Yeah, go back.
It's the.
The answer is going to be thesame.

Speaker 2 (01:08:27):
Yeah, I'm like you watch cartoons yeah, I'm like
it's okay, you like spongebobf42.

Speaker 1 (01:08:34):
Why are you my business?

Speaker 2 (01:08:35):
yeah, like I'm not a marvel girl, but there's people
that like obsess over that stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:08:40):
We'll bite you yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:08:43):
All you talk about is like ranking your favorite
Marvel movie.
It's okay, like yeah, I thinkthat's part of why I could never
date, cause if somebody waslike I'm, I can't.
I can't deal with somebody thatwatches wrestling.
I'd be like bye, see ya.

Speaker 1 (01:08:59):
I think that this conversation was so needed and
to have it with you.
I think it really shows more oflike who you are, just like a
person.
People always see you as likethis person on the internet, but
also like you're a whole human,and people forget that the
internet's not real fun fact.
Twitter is a show.
It is a game.

(01:09:20):
You don't have to fight for thedeath for these wrestlers when
you don't know who they are.
You don't know their real namesmost of the time, like you
don't know these people at all.
They do not stop it.
They don't.

Speaker 2 (01:09:32):
They don't know you, baby and why are you trying to
fight people and they don't wantto?

Speaker 1 (01:09:38):
and stop standing outside people's hotels.

Speaker 2 (01:09:39):
That's creepy that and inside don't stand inside
the hotel or outside the hotelstay out.

Speaker 1 (01:09:44):
How do you find the host?
I don't even want to know howyou find it.
Stop finding it, stop looking.
Um, I appreciate having thisconversation with you.
Is there anything else youwould like to tell women
wrestling fans just like I saidbefore, just find your community
within wrestling.

Speaker 2 (01:10:02):
You know like follow female.
We all kind of stick together.
Follow female content creatorslike they share other female
content creators.

Speaker 1 (01:10:13):
I remember how I found you.
It was that tiktok video whereall of y'all were changing the
outfits of your favoritewrestlers.

Speaker 2 (01:10:21):
Yeah, yes, that's what it was.

Speaker 1 (01:10:24):
Oh, that is so good, and that's why I was like look
at all these hot women.
What the hell Beautiful womenthat love wrestling, and I
followed everyone.

Speaker 2 (01:10:34):
That's what it was.
That's what it was.
I can't even remember.
I remember it got taken downoff Twitter because of the song.
Like was I can't even remember,I remember it got taken down off
Twitter because of the song.
Like that, it got like a DMCAstrike, but it's on TikTok
somewhere still.
Yeah, alex, queen of the Ring,alex was the one who put it all
together and it was so much funand I was so excited to be a

(01:10:55):
part of it.
Like, yeah, that was.
I remember that.
Now I forgot that we even didthat.
That was like the beginning ofCOVID, wasn't it?
Like yeah, yeah, yeah, becausethe female wrestlers kept doing
like the same one over and overand over and we're like we got
it, we got it.

Speaker 1 (01:11:10):
Yeah, oh, there it is .
I love how it just popped up atthe end there sparkle at the
end.
Um, I like to end the show witha question that is for my pure
entertainment and for the folks.
Now, what is the wildest thingbecause I know you get wild shit
that someone has texted or DM'dyou in the last two weeks, and

(01:11:31):
wild is relative.

Speaker 2 (01:11:33):
I get a lot of wild stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:11:35):
It's true, I know.

Speaker 2 (01:11:36):
Not as many in the texting because I don't give out
my number.
I've had people find my numberon the internet, which is very
strange.
I've had the same number sinceI was 14 years old, so like,
please don't make me change myphone number.
But, I'm like I don't want to dothat, but I get a lot of crazy.
Even with my DMs like mostlyclose, I get a lot of crazy DMs.

(01:11:58):
So I had someone this happenedtoday, okay, but I get a lot of
crazy.
Even with my DMs like, mostlyclose, I get a lot of crazy DMs.
So I had someone.
This happened today.
Okay, I posted my birthday isMay 1st.
So I posted April 1st, likejust a reminder.
My birthday is a month fromtoday.
And this person sent me amessage and they said how old

(01:12:20):
will you be on your birthday andwhat's your favorite number?
And I said I'm going to be 31.
And my favorite number is 22.
I don't know why that's myfavorite number.
I mean I do.
There was a baseball player whoI was obsessed with, but that
was 20 years ago, but that waslike my basketball number.
Everything that I did had to be22.

Speaker 1 (01:12:40):
Mine's 58 because of MTV back in the day it just like
stuck.

Speaker 2 (01:12:47):
My sister's was 15 because of a baseball player
Whose number like that was hernumber through everything High
school basketball Like yeah, sohe's like okay, it's about to be
weird, I feel it.
He says well, I shot myself inthe foot.
The idea was 31 times 22, $682.
I'm going to send you that,half this Friday and the other

(01:13:10):
half next Friday, happy birthday.
So apparently I'm getting $341on Friday.
Okay, well, two days.
I'm checking in, I'm getting$341 on Friday.

Speaker 1 (01:13:21):
Okay, well, two days.
I'm checking in, I'm gonna sendyou a text.
Did the money come through?

Speaker 2 (01:13:26):
So what's funnier is?
I don't know what this man'sname is.

Speaker 1 (01:13:29):
I don't know who this man is, and he thinks my name
is Chelsea.

Speaker 2 (01:13:33):
He calls me who the hell is Chelsea?
So you're not getting thismoney, chelsea which I mean my
cash app, is at share delaware.
But he's always like hey,chelsea.
And I'm like where did you getchelsea from?
Like that's so strange to me.
Don't know who this man is.

(01:13:55):
He used to message me veryinappropriate things oh, he said
to switch it up.
Very inappropriate things and Ihad blocked him on another
account and then he followed meon this account and so now I
guess he's just sending me money.
So we're going to see.
I can't wait.
I know I mean to be continued.

(01:14:15):
If he sends me $341 Friday,that's going straight to tea for
the Airbnb in Vegas.

Speaker 1 (01:14:22):
You're like look at this gift we have.

Speaker 2 (01:14:25):
Look at this.
Thank you for the Vegas trip.

Speaker 1 (01:14:29):
This was good.
I truly hope that people listento this and understand how hard
it is to just sometimes enjoythings Because people are shitty
.
You're allowed to have your ownopinion and not want to dox
people and also believe peoplelike.
Believe women when they saythey feel unsafe it shows.

(01:14:51):
Believe people when they saythey are harmed.
The questions, the who, what,when, where, why they're fucking
shitty and no one wants them.
Yeah, fucking shitty and no onewants them.
Yeah, where can him?
Hey, they, zim zay zee find you.
If they want to find you.
I don't know what you're goingto tell.
You might tell them nowhere.

Speaker 2 (01:15:11):
I usually always say don't find me.
Which is you know, like fromthe New Day podcast, when Vicky
would be like I don't need yourfollows, I don't need your
follows, I don't want yourfollow.
I love e.
He's such a time, he's the best, he's hilarious.
But um, uh, you can follow meon twitter, because we don't

(01:15:33):
call it that letter uh, we'renot using that, no, I'm never
like when people are like.
I reposted, no, you retweeted,that's what you did.
I don't know, what that meansyeah, um, and then on Instagram
it is share period Delaware, butthose are really the only ones
that I use.
I've got like all the threadsand blue sky.

(01:15:54):
I don't use any of those.
I forget that they're theresame.

Speaker 1 (01:15:58):
I have them, but I don't, I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:15:59):
I forget and then I'll be like it'll show me I got
like 15 new follows and I'mlike cool.

Speaker 1 (01:16:04):
I'm like, why, I'm always like.
Why are you following?

Speaker 2 (01:16:08):
That's why, okay, well, I'm good.
But yeah, you can follow me andsee my.
I don't post about wrestling asoften as I used to.
I mean, I'm still posting aboutit some, but I just can't get
that deep into all of it againbecause it's just too much.
But you can see me havemeltdowns about other sports all
the time with my.
I hate baseball, I hate hockeyConstant.

Speaker 1 (01:16:34):
Well, this was fun, Y'all.
You know where to find the nextepisodes and until next time.