By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Insight With Chris Van Vliet with guest Carmella
Host: Chris Van Vliet
Podcast available via Podcasts.Apple.com
On a WWE return: “I would love to return. I mean, obviously, I’m so immersed in this motherhood world right now. But honestly, I actually have an injury from delivery. So I have a lot of nerve damage that happened and my foot is kind of non-functional right now. So it’s something that I never knew could happen during labor and delivery, but I have two herniated discs in my back and that is correlated to my foot. So I haven’t even been able to work out. I haven’t been able to do anything that will get me back to the ring quite yet. Hopefully, eventually, I’ll get there. But right now I’m just kind of working, I’m going to be in physical therapy and things like that, too. I mean, I’ve been wrestling for eleven years, I’ve never been injured knock on wood. And now here I have a baby and I’m going to physical therapy so I don’t know how that works out. But here we go.”
On not being called up to the main roster in 2016: “We were at WrestleMania 32. I guess Triple H had talked to Enzo and Cass separately and told them they’re debuting the next night on Raw. They were talking about it because we had done tours together. We had done loops, and I was with them. So I thought okay, well when they go up, of course I’m going up with them. So when I found out that Triple H had talked to them and someone came and pulled me off the bus we were about to leave.
“It was Takeover, I think, I don’t even remember what we’re doing. But I was pulled off the bus. We’re about to head back to the hotel, [someone says] ‘Triple H wants to talk to you.’ I’m like, oh yeah, we’re debuting tomorrow! I was so excited. And he pulled me and he’s like, ‘Enzo and Cass are debuting tomorrow.’ And I’m like, yeah. [He says] ‘You’re not going to debut with them.’
“My world just came crashing down. I was devastated in the moment. But now I look back and he had told me this is a good opportunity for you to prove who you are on your own. You’re going to be a strong character, you don’t need to be with them, you’re going to be strong on your own. And at the time, of course, it was devastating to hear but it all worked out I think the way it’s supposed to. And here I am eleven years later still here and killing it.”
On the 24/7 Championship segments with R-Truth: “I just loved being paired with R-Truth. He is such a treasure and he’s such a good person and so fun to be around. It was just full-on shenanigans all the time whether the cameras were rolling or they weren’t. We just always had fun ideas. We would ad-lib things that weren’t in the script and it was just fun to play off each other in that aspect. And I just think you just never knew what to expect and people were looking forward to seeing what we were going to do.
“You know, we’re in costumes and disguises and just getting into the most ridiculous situations. I just loved being that entertainment part of the show, rather than going out, I had already at that point been women’s champion, I showed what I can do in the ring. Let me show what I can do with my character and be fun and be silly and have comedic timing and play off somebody. I think to be able to have that range is so important. Not everyone can do that and I’m so grateful I was afforded the opportunity to show that side of my character, especially alongside R-Truth.”
At the time it seemed insane, but given how quickly Enzo and Cass flamed out, utterly the correct decision.