By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
The Velvet Ropes interview with guest Shelly Martinez (a/k/a Ariel and Salinas)
Interview conducted by SoCal Val
Available on the Wrestlingnews.co YouTube Page
On not realizing her WWE character was sexual: “I didn’t realize how sexual Ariel was. I had no idea. I was just doing my role… I pulled from Drusilla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly from House of 1000 Corpses, Lily Munster… It’s so crazy that… when I look back, I’m like, ‘No wonder why my family wasn’t cool with… my WWE character, because it was so sexual.'”
On rumors she hooked up with Kevin Thorn: “Everyone and their mom thought we hooked up, and that’s just like, so not the truth… Kevin and I had a very brother-sister kind of vibe… when he pulls me into him [in the ring], I’m talking shit to him… ‘You’re an asshole’… He never tried to creep out on me. He never tried to be weird… He knew we were there to make money together.”
On the “New Brood” faction that was scrapped: “Tommy Dreamer told me… ‘We’re going to make a new Brood with Gangrel, me, Jimmy Wang Yang, and Kevin Seven.’ And so I was excited… And then when I got there… Jimmy Wang Yang, Kevin Seven, and Gangrel all got released. And so I was like, ‘This is not gonna happen.'”
On her TNA run as Salinas: “TNA was like my rebound, whereas WWE was my first love. So of course, when you’re with your rebound, you want to make your ex jealous. So I was over there killing it… ‘See, I can make it without you.’… But… I was a hurt ass girl, because I just got fired.”
On taping her chest down for TNA: “Jolene, the wardrobe lady… would have to tape my boobs down… she’d be like, ‘This is not healthy for her boobs.’ And they’re like, ‘Keep going,’ because I’m supposed to be a boy [in LAX]… I assumed everyone knew it was me… people were like… ‘You couldn’t believe it was me.’ I was so oblivious.”
Jimmy Wang Yang!?
That would’ve been random.
Lol
Yeah, I did a double-take. It’s hard to picture that after seeing his redneck gimmick, but now I wish we could have seen if he could pull it off.