February 8, 2024 • 34 mins
Zelina Vega joins Eric and Ros on the show to talk all things WWE, podcasting and gaming. A fellow Puerto Rican she and Ros have an instant connection. Zelina shares with us how she got into the WWE, who her inspirations were, what it was like being in Puerto Rico for the most memorable night of her career, and how acting and story and characters are what drive her in everything that she does. She may be "5 feet on a good day” but her drive, and strive to to encourage young women who watch her is huge and there is only more to come in her future.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is, he said a Yavi Ho with Eric Winter
and Rodalind fantav So.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
We are so happy, he said Ajav. He listeners because
we have listened to this. She's an amazing guest, over
one point eight million followers on Instagram. She is a
force to be reckoned with when it comes to gaming,
podcasting and w w E.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
She's a fellow proud.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Puerto Rican and can be seen weekly on ww SmackDown
aerin Fridays at eight seventh Central on Fox.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
She also has a new.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Podcast, Selvis and Charlie Gurrow with fellow WWE superstar Da
kodak K, which has been described Takota Kai I'm Sorry,
which has been described as cyberpunk gamer podcast.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Oh this is gonna be fun. Let's bring her in.
Selena Vega, Selena, thank you for being here with us.
Speaker 5 (00:52):
Thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I was just competent. Look at that. Explain to me
your backdrop. This is like, I know you're in anime
and stuff. Is that what all?
Speaker 1 (00:59):
That's that?
Speaker 5 (00:59):
What that most of it?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, it's anime gaming, all kinds of different statues and
just my little nerdy things, you know.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
But I've always been in a huge fan of that
since I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So it's nice to just have a They say, like, Okay,
when you get adult money, you get to spend it
all the stuff you want as a kid, and you
can say anything.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
For for example, I want to talk to you a
little bit more about gaming, for sure, but let's start
with WWE, because you know, as a kid I grew
up that was a big deal to me. Were you
a big WWE fan?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I was a Lucha leave It because I grew up
in Puerto Rico and I was obsessed with what we
called lucha leave it It. But I was into local lucha
leave it, So I was not as much as like
WWE because yeah, exactly, but I remember, like, and this
is a true story. I don't know if you know
this because you're a fellow Puerto Rican. There, we had
(01:50):
a champion called Carlitos cologn. I don't know if you
have ever heard of Carlitos cologne, right, and Carlito's cologne.
I lived for Carlitos col Carlitos Cologne was like our
number one wrestler.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
We had the Invader. We have so many.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I'm shocked shoes, the butcher I mean, we have so
many Butcher, the butcher and the giant. He'll come to
put a Rico to fight, and it was huge. But
Cologne lived in my same neighborhood and my street at
the very end was a park.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
And and this is a true story.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Because I wanted my mom my dad wanted me to
be a how you call a runner, as a sprinter
no track and field track and Fieluse I was really
really fast, but my mom wanted to want me to
be a dancer. My dad wanted me to be like
an athlete. And he will train me and he will
take me to the park and Carlos Cologne will do
his jogging right at that park, and it will be
(02:44):
like a highlight every week for me to go to
the park just to sit down and see Carlito's call
on train.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
That's funny.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
I loved them.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
So what was your inspiration? Because you know, like my generation,
I grew up obviously on Colgan and it was Ultimate
War and Randy Savage and all these guys. What inspired
you to go into w W. I know you grew
up in New York. What was was impetus to this rise?
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Ray?
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Mystereo? Actually?
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Yeah, Ray, Masterio was like everything to me, even as
a kid, especially because I mean I'm only five feet
on a very very good day. So it's yeah for
me watching him, I'm like, wow, if he can do
that and he can be champion, like why can't I?
Speaker 5 (03:29):
You know, so watching him and Lida and the.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Hardy's and stuff, so it was those kind of you know,
it's Eddie Guerrero like it's just it's cool to be
you know. Watching Ray as a kid, I remember thinking like, gods,
it was Halloween Havoc ninety seven him versus Eddie, and
then thinking like I really want to do this now.
And now I'm getting to be in a faction with
him in the LWO. So it's getting to watch him
(03:54):
as a kid and now working alongside him is like
still mind blowing to me.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
That's incredible.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
How does that process even start? So as as a
young girl and you decide I want to go into
wrestling professional wrestling? Did you wrestle as a kid? Were you?
I mean like in school and all that or how
does that even? What is that journey? Like, it's fascinating
to me.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
So I started training with my cousin. His name is amazing.
Red he was an impact wrestling. He was very much
known without the indie circuit, and I started training with
him when I was like seventeen, and then I started
going to different training schools with different people, a lot
of his friends in New Jersey, like Jay Lethal, and
(04:38):
then I got to go to North Carolina and work
with the Hardys and the Hurricane, and then I got to.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Go to Florida.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I had my first tryout with w B back in
twenty ten, and I didn't end up making it to
w B until twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
So there's an underground circuit of wrestling essentially that you're
sort of climbing the ranks and then you get those
opportunities to go audition for the you know, the major
organization that everybody knows about, and that's obviously a massive break.
Like in our world with acting, like there's these moments
right when you break, that's how it starts. I had
no idea what are the sports?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
What are the sports that you have to besides wrestling?
Are there other disciplines that you took growing up to
become like a WU star?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
So for me, I wanted to do My mom wanted
to get me into dancing and I was never really
big into dance. I did it because it just was
something else. I mean, I did step I did, you know.
I loved baseball and swimming and stuff. But when I
watched wrestling and I knew I couldn't start it yet
because you have to be obviously, like eighteen to start.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
I started a little earlier than that.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
But my mom was like, well, what do you like
about it? Like, besides the innering stuff, what else did
you like about it? And for me, it was, well,
I love you know, seeing like you know, Bleda and
trishas go again, you know, going at it backstage and
yelling at each other and you know the store lines
between the rock and stone calciosage. She's like, okay, so
you like the backstage, like the drama of it.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
So the entertainment of it all.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, yeah, So start acting. And then that's how I
started acting as a kid. I went into in high school.
I did in college, and that kind of helped, you know,
start that because there's so many layers obviously to being
WW superstar, so to have that acting background definitely helped
when it came to displaying the emotion in the ring,
but also backstage.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
That's amazing the heights because you're saying you're petit, right,
you're tiny. Usually wrestlers that are part of that world
of entertainment, right are there much like are the girls
much taller than you?
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Most of them are? They would.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I say the range is probably anywhere from five to
four to five eight something like that. There's a few
of us that are around five feet to five two,
but most of them are around a five four five
five range.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
What is the advantage that you think you have by
being so petique compared to the one that he's like,
you're fighting somebody that's like five to eight.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Well, they won't have ankles after that. But no, I'm kidding, no,
but it's yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
It's you know, you get your quick to the ground.
You're trying to get everybody down to your size. So
you have like these little plans and strategies that you
go into the ring trying to obviously, like someone like
Naya Jacks, who's probably I think like five ten or something,
and I look at her and I'm like, okay, knees
have to go for the knees, and like you just
(07:32):
have like these little strategies and making sure that you
as long as they can't catch you, then then you're
okay for the time being.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, oh my goodness.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
I want to ask you about your moment of I
know you're proud Puerto Rican and you got to be
a part of your WWE backlash and a sold out crowd.
Of course, I'm gonna say correctly, right Puerto Rico, Jose
Miguel I wasn't gonna get that word right there. I've
been to this colisseum, I've been there before, go to
Porto Rica all the time. What was that like to
(08:04):
be in Puerto Rico? And I mean, I'm sold out
crowd probably going insane for you, and that must be
an incredible feeling.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
I always say this, and then I kind of stopped
myself and I'm like, besides my wedding day, but it
was like the best day of my life, like by far,
I mean, I have never experienced anything like that.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
It was it was almost as if.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
You know, it didn't matter, because obviously there's a difference
between like, oh, you're born in New York, what's your
Puerto Rican?
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Are you born on the island? In your Puerto Rican?
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Like there's so many people that you know, they'll they'll
kind of like to pick it apart. But that day
and that ring, in that moment, it didn't matter where
you know, you were Puerto Rican through it. There didn't
matter what hair color you had, how much Spanish you spoke, nothing,
it mattered just that you're there.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
You're our girl. We're going to support you.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
And it was just I felt like I was like
in a in a weird dream sequence because even I
was fighting my emotions the whole time because I knew.
I was like I have to at least go in
there and just get it done and just do it.
Like I was really fighting, and Ray was just like, Selena,
don't do that. Just be in the moment. Just whatever happens, happens,
just feel it, and that's when it's going to be
(09:16):
the best for you. So I was like okay, And
right before I went, I was like, okay, I'm good.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
I got this. I got this.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
And then as soon as I went out and I
opened up the flag and I heard like the crowd come.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Up, I was like crazy. I was like, I'm going fourth,
this is.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Are you planning to go to go like you want
to go back again anytime soon?
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Absolutely? Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yeah. I mean I have a lot of family members
too who are there, which is really cool because they
don't get to see me all the time and we're
here in you know, New York or wherever it is,
New Jersey, Like most of my family's in New York
and Connecticut, but you know, my family over there and
son on, they don't really get to see me all
the time. So be able to have them there was
just so so cool. And it's funny because my grandma
(09:56):
was like, yeah, I don't know, like somebody else called
me into their somehow related to us all of a sudden, and.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
They you know that they know you, and you know.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
So I'm like, I just I want to go back,
and I feel like it's it's also gave me such
a like like a motivation because sometimes especially then that
at that point in my career specifically before that happened,
there's a lot of like my god, like this is hard.
It's like, you know, the constant grind. It's really difficult,
Like I'm not getting the opportunit that I want. I
(10:24):
really feel like I want to go for this, and
like you could see so much for yourself, but you're
just like fighting the grind every day. And it gets
hard to me, you guys know, obviously, like the grind
can get hard, and it was as if it completely
like restarted me and just gave me a whole new
appreciation for everything. And you know, I think it's cool
because now I'm like telling my husband, Okay, so we're
(10:45):
going to go back now, right. I just hope that
they do a WrestleMania there because I felt like also
right like, I just think that Puerto Rico was one
of the best crowds that we've ever had. And I
think that they also because it was eighteen years since
w W was there prior to that event, so as
if they're like, oh no, we're going to make sure
you guys come back.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
So they went over.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
And be on like they as a as a as
A as a crowd.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Is that the event that but Bonnie?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
But Bonnie attended, that's something else, guys, I know that's
the one. So I think he will. I think he's
the one to bring it back. If he wants to
bring it back, I'm sure he'll produce it.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
I think that'd be great, that'd be incredible.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
If he doesn't, I'm sure I wonder if he's cooking
something I don't know regarding to that.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
That's the rock who's cooking something.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
But you don't know what I mean, you don't want
even even even even Dwayne should do it, should cook.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Something over that hands full of that. He's like on
the board of the whole organization that just bought the
w W.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
All he needs to do is put his name and
then people in Puerto Rico will what would take your.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Ultimate goal in w W E success?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
What?
Speaker 4 (11:51):
What do you what are you aiming for? I?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So I initially I wanted to be able to say
that I was a w superstar, and that came from
you know, loving as a kid and going to events
with my dad and wanting to accomplish because she he
wanted to do that as well, like to be a
WB superstar, but like with three jobs and kids like
that just wasn't going to be a thing. So I
was like, as a like, I'm gonna do it, like
(12:14):
four years old, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna be
the rest of the family. And then getting to now
do that for me and to do that for him
was such a big accomplishment and I didn't think, you know,
I was going to have like a first time ever
or like a history making moment in the w B
books is like to be the first ever queen of
the ring and I got to do that. Be a
tag team champion, I got to do that. But I've
(12:36):
never had singles gold before. So I would love to
be like the women's champion, Like that's that's my goal.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
And I'm sure just like in you know, boxing and
it even UFC all that, at ww there's a lot
you can't control, right, Like I mean there is there's
a lot of politics, you know what I mean. I'm
just like in the UFC, like you want to fight,
you don't get the fight. Dana White doesn't line the
fight up, You're not going to get that chance. Like,
there are probably tons of hurdles of politics that you
have to deal with in WWE, right that could be
(13:05):
completely out of your control. Even if you're ready, you
might not get that shot. But you just have to
keep proving yourself. Is that the deal?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:12):
And sometimes it just lines up with you know what
what venue are we going to?
Speaker 5 (13:17):
What what?
Speaker 1 (13:18):
You know? Uh, where we trying to get, you know,
crowd wise, where we trying to get more viewers in
a part of the world. Or you know, there's there's
so many different aspects to it, or like you know,
who's getting a part in a video game that we
need to push who's getting that? You know, they they
map things out like yearly, so they kind of know
where they want to go and obviously they get some
(13:38):
surprises along the way and they have to you know,
change things up. But it's, uh, it's definitely zero of
it is in our control. The only thing that is
is once we get out there and making sure that
you deliver during the chances that they do give you
makes sense?
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Do you want to be able to continue exploring the
acting thing? And I know you blending your voice to
like like video games and movies, but do you see
do you see yourself in front of the camera and
actually transitioning?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Like, uh, is it Tia? What's her name of the
Mma Fighter of Corono?
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Like a Tan? Yeah, like Gia? Like do you see
yourself doing that?
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Do you know what?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
I can be freaking the next Michall Rodriguez?
Speaker 5 (14:21):
You know, I mean I would love that.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I mean I got to do fighting with my family.
Like Dwayne was the the producer on that, so he
asked me to to you know, be the bad guy
in the movie, which is really fun.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
But I think after that.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
First of all, it was one of the most fun
times I've ever had just in life. But I was like,
I think, I actually really want to do this, and
I had no idea that it was gonna be something
I was going to really enjoy to that degree because
it was just foreign to me in the sense where
I knew I would plug my acting into wrestling and
not have to do it in film. So it became
(14:58):
something that I'm like, Wow, I really loves to do this,
and I think at some point I would like to
transition into that.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
But here's the other side of it. It's like the
same thing with wrestling.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
You're starting from the bottom and you have to pay
your dues to get to where you want to go.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
I mean, so I imagine it's the same thing there.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
So it's just a grind that I have to be
ready for.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Also, I want to switch gears for a second, because
this is actually this I don't even know if well
if you have heard of this, but maybe you have
so you're a gamer. I am not a gamer, but
I'm an investor in a big gamer organization called Energy
(15:43):
If that org. But I guess we just I just
found out I was talking to our president. We just
won North America for Legal Legends, and we went in
the farthest of any American team in Asia and all
this stuff, all this world. I've been learning a ton
about you now are doing a podcast dedicated the gaming.
So you're that big of a game or what is
your game? What's your what's your get up? And I
(16:05):
gotta do or I gotta you know, I gotta go
compete online? What is it?
Speaker 5 (16:10):
So there's there's a lot.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
I'm really into fighting games though, Like fighting games is
like it for me because I think with Street Fighter,
Mortal Kombat and tech In or like the top three,
and they've done such a good job of, you know,
having some fun fighting, like eventually you get tired of
like the back and forth, okay, round for round. But
they've also incorporated really amazing storylines, and that's where I
get super involved. I'm like, Okay, Plus I do take
(16:35):
a lot of my inspiration from the characters as far
as you know, if they're really cool looking, I'm like, oh,
can I add that to my outfit somehow or my
entrance piece or how can I add this to my
there's some of the moves that I've actually taken from
there too. Yeah, And I'm like, how can I make
this work on an actual human or like taking a
(16:58):
character like even just someone like Jin Kazama or Kazuya
Mishima from tech In and saying, wow, he was such
a good bad guy and I'm a bad guy right now.
I like how he said that. How can I apply
this to my storyline? So it's just like, yeah, dissecting characters,
and I mean that's something I love doing as a
kid too. Is just what do I like about you know,
(17:21):
this moment when I got to see, uh, you know,
because Kazuya Mishima finally throw his dad off the cliff.
He did it like, you know, that moment, like what
I felt? How can I dissect that to apply it
in the ring so that I get to make the
fans feel what I felt in a similar way.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
It's interesting I've never you know, I grew up playing
games at Nintendo. I mean it was just that was
the types of games I played. But you're talking a
street Fighter all those things.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
But there's a big difference between Nintendo that was a
foundation of years ago but that was a foundation of gaming.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
And what I'm saying my point that I, yeah, remember
a Tari. I actually grew up playing Tatari. If we're
really going to go way back, didn't have much of
a storyline. Neither did Donkey Kol. But but it's true
what you say, And I never really thought about that there.
Gamers probably often play for that backstory and that character development,
because I mean, I'm just coming to this realization now,
(18:14):
but as you think about gaming and the evolution of it,
there is Look. I did a video game once, believe
it or not. It was called Beyond Two Souls with
who's now Elliott Page, Willem Dafoe, and myself and this
guy Kadem Hartisan, And it was this thousand page script
and we only got these tiny little pieces and it
was the first video game ever where we each were
playing entirely like our bodies, our voice, and our movements.
(18:38):
It was the first game ever made to do that.
And it was a massive story. It was choose your
own adventure. Everything the player would do. You'd choose what's
gonna happen with my character and that characters, et cetera. Yeah,
and I never really thought about that You're right, there's
such a backstory. And now to hear that that actually
is a big part of what you use even in
your own performance and your character development WWE is fascinating
(19:01):
to me. That's really cool. Podcast is going to be
dissecting all that kind of stuff. That's what you want
to talk about.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
So it's a lot of that. It's so my friend
who I do this with. Her name is Charlie. She
she's a huge game or two. She's very much like
the I call it like the gaming Bible when it
comes to that kind of stuff, Like she knows a
lot of the you know, backstories and characters and how
to like what the I don't want to say the
cheek codes are but kind of but me I get
(19:28):
to bring more of the anime aspect to it. Also
because she doesn't know too much about animes, that's like
a blend of the two. And we we always talk
about how do we apply that to wrestling and how
can you know?
Speaker 5 (19:40):
Because before, like right now, I'm a good guy.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
So luckily I get to share this kind of nerdy
side with the with the fans. But prior to that,
I was like a total, horrible, horrible bad guy. And
I just I remember looking at there was a few
different bad guys that would base my character on and
then just even just some of their lines. I would
take it and say, Okay, how can I put this
(20:03):
into Zelena's mind? And what would she say to make
it so that people could feel that evil like whatever
he was thinking, like, how can I apply that to her?
And eventually it led to me getting the voice actor
for one of my favorite characters to do my intro,
Like when every time I would hit the ring and
my music would play, he would say, all Hail the Queen,
Queen Stelena, and then I would walk out, So it
(20:25):
was like blend of everything. This just like a crazy
full circle. See.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
I think WW fans will find this fascinating because it's
it's one thing. It's like what we get asked a lot,
even as actors. It's one thing to see the performance
right and see what you do on stage. It's another
thing for a real fan to understand what goes into
that performance. What's your preparation, How did you, like you said,
come up with your intro song, How did you come
up with your name? How did you your walk your attitude?
(20:53):
This character, that character when you're in the ring and
how that evolves. I find that fascinating because there's so
much work put into it. It's not just go in
there and fight. You're not just given this persona then
you just have to go act it out. You're writing
a lot of the script of what you do.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yeah, do you guys? And I guess to flip up
it on you guys for a second, but do you
guys get to do that at.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
All for your characters that you do?
Speaker 1 (21:17):
You you know, get to explore that when you're given
a character or do you have to kind of just
like find yourself in the parameters of who this person
is that you're given.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Yeah, that's actually I think it's a great question. I
it's a combination.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
It depends on the material. It depends on the people involved.
You know, how open they are for you to actually
come in with a proposal of this is the way
I see it, kind of make these changes.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
This doesn't speak organic to me. People don't talk like that.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
You know. Sometimes they're very gracious and they allow you
to have an opinion. And I've been in situations where
they tell you there's a coma you pause. You know,
it's very restricted is it very specific, especially when it
comes to comedy. You know, comedy writers are so specific
about how they want the joke to be placed and
(22:07):
said for it to be effective. So it depends in
the situation when you do like usually independent movies, little
movies that they allow you to actually have a voice
and an interpretation is beautiful.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
You know, I did. I did this thing in Spanish.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
It was as a TV show, as a series in Spanish.
It was for actresses, and I think to me, first
of all, I was speaking in my first language, which
was already so much freedom. But the work is pretty
magical because they allowed us to just be free and say,
you know, you don't have to stick to the page.
I want to see what you have to bring to
the table. And the improvisation that went on everybody within
(22:47):
their characters was just the most incredible experience ever and
it shows when you look at the material on screen.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Everybody is so free.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
You have you watch something like Succession, you know on
is it HBO, HBO HBO Max. You know that won everything.
But it's so evident that those actors were allowed the
luxury just to be and just do what was right
for the character. And it is, so you can tell
(23:18):
when you see that or you see a typical network
TV show and you see the acting is like an
add on day.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
But I also think it's a combination no matter what
as an actor, and maybe it's very similar even in
your position. But you're giving a script right even to
earn the job. You're hundreds of people are reading the
same script, so you're still bringing your own interpretation of
the character to the page, and at the end of
the day, they're either going to like your version or
like somebody else's version. Now that could be a look,
(23:45):
that could be a demeanor, that could be an attitude,
but it's still what you're bringing. I think as you
and she's right independent, you might have more freedom. Big big,
big movie stars have a bit more freedom. If you're
on a show like Succession, they probably gain even more
freedom as the seasons go on. Same with like my show,
I'm in a fifth season. As the seasons go on,
I have more of a say and who I think
(24:07):
the character is and it evolves. And as you've been
on shows longer when you did, you know, four seasons
of a show, you you have more of an opinion
of what's going on with those characters. So I think
you're always bringing something and the She's right. Some creators
don't give you that freedom, or directors or you know,
writers in general. But it's a collaborative event for sure.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
You know what just happened to me. I was in
Atlanta shooting something that it was the IP.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
It was a romance novel that I guess it's a
very huge, like best New York Times bestseller, whatever, romance novel.
So I go in, I do my work. You know,
I know my lines, I do my homework. I show
up to do. There's no there's no rehearsal time, there's
no table reads. I just show up to work.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
And a lot.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Of the dialogue was okay, it's beautiful, but it's not
the way in a million years I will speak, you know.
So when I act, I improvise a lot and I
add a lot of little things. You know that it's
that it makes it makes me comfortable and I'll never forget.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
So I'm doing the scene. So we rehears and you know,
we're blocking with the.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Cameras and the director comes over us says, listen, you
can change any words like nothing, and I'm like, I
just added like you know, you know, And he said no, no, no,
you can't do any going. But why and he goes,
I'm sorry, I should have said this to you before
and and maybe your team should have said something. But
because this audience that we're aiming for are like fanatics
(25:33):
of romance novels, they all the scripts are very much
verbatim taken from the book, so the scenes are written
in the book. So the audience gets so upset if
you change anything, because it's almost like they know this
writing by heart. So if you come in with your interpretation,
(25:54):
they get really really upset, so you.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Cannot change anything. I King died.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
This is the first day that I show off work,
and I was like, if I would have known this,
I think my decision would have been different about taking
the job or not, just because I understand it, but
it's dialogue, because it's a romance novel. Who speaks like
a freaking romance novel, you know what I mean. So
I was like, it's doable for me because I will
(26:21):
just change it. I will make it more me and
it will be a lot of fun. When I'm telling
you that it took me hours to be able to
be like Ross cut it out, you're here already.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Respect the material, you know, it is what it is.
Just do what you told and freaking don't change your word.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
But it was hard.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
At the beginning.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
I was like, oh my god, I just I'm saying
it and my stomach wants to turn because but at
the end I did it and listen, it's going to
beautiful and it was effective, and I guess the audience
of that type of material they're going to be very happy.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Do you have that freedom in wrestling?
Speaker 5 (26:58):
To do?
Speaker 4 (27:00):
You have a lot of freedom?
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Yeah, it's so it depends on who is I would
say in charge at the time, but it depends on
so for instance, Triple A to who's my boss? He
I was working with him. There's so there's NXT, SmackDown,
and Ross. It's three different shows NXT initially from twenty
seventeen to twenty eighteen. I believe is when I was
(27:25):
working with Triple Ah and he once he kind of
saw how I, how I was and what I brought
to the character that he was looking for. He was like, Okay, yeah,
I try to just here's a skeleton of what we want.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
Just fill it with the meat of what you think
fits that's great.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Because one of the points, Yeah, one of the points
that he would say to me is like, I don't
know what a girl from Queen's like, what your girl
from Queens, New York.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
I don't know what she would stay?
Speaker 1 (27:45):
But you do, so however, you think you should put
that into this do it?
Speaker 4 (27:51):
And by the way, that's very valid. I wish a
lot of people in entertainment thought that way, because it's true, right, Like,
you know what your persona would bring to a situation.
If you're playing a Puerto Rican girl, it'd be very difficult.
Different for somebody else who's not Puerto Rican, say no,
you do it like this, Like, no, I wouldn't. I'm
Puerto Rican. Is how I would do it. So it's
(28:12):
a it's a very valid way of collaborating.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
I had a question for you because you must have
a lot of young women, you know, that look up
to you. You have a huge social media presence, you know,
and what you do is actually pretty cool, you know,
to be a female Latino wrestler, it's really really cool.
What would be your main advice that you would give
(28:35):
to all these girls that go, oh my gosh, Alena Bega,
I love wrestling. I want to be a part of
that world. What would be the main advice.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
So I would say the first thing is never take
no for an answer, because I was told every kind
of no possible. You're too small, you're not pretty enough,
you're not you know, you don't you don't have the
blonde hair and the big boobs and the stuff, and
you know, you're you're There are so many things you
know as to as why uh. And even at one
(29:06):
point it was just like oh, and someone who wasn't
even involved with w B at all, They're like, Oh,
you're not gonna make it like you're not a white
girl with you know. That was a big part of it,
was like I wanted to do this to show, yeah,
you don't have to be just the white girl with
blonde hair and big boobs to make it in w B.
Like w B is a nice melting pot of all
these beautiful cultures, and they do a really good job
(29:27):
of celebrating who you are. And that's why I think
they put me in the stage of you know, Puerto
Rico for backlash. You know, it was to celebrate that,
and I think that's such a nice thing that we're
able to do and it's just.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
Never take no for an answer.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
Celebrate who you are and who you know, whatever it
is that you're representing, because I feel like you're always
going to be a representation for someone, whether that is
because of your culture, it was because you're a gamer,
because you're a nerd, because you're you know, you like cats.
I have ten cats, you know, So it's like you
just you're representing for people in so many ways.
Speaker 5 (30:02):
And yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Think that's just like a cool thing that you get
to do for for other people, is just to say, like, well,
if she can make it, why can't I.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Would you advise if you ever had a little daughter,
like a little girl, would you be happy if she says,
I want a one to be like mom, I want
to be a wrestler.
Speaker 5 (30:20):
Yeah, I would. I would.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
I know that It's it's difficult because I know for
my mom, she was very scared.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
She was very very scared.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
She was afraid that I was going to be exploited.
She was afraid that I was going to get her.
And you know, but for me, now seeing how wrestling
is progressed and how w B is in the landscape,
is now with everybody in charge and everyone that's you know,
really pushing for female wrestling.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
I'd be soaked on it.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Okay, that's all same.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Well, this is incredible. So can you tell us where
people can find you. We'll talk about the podcast.
Speaker 6 (30:54):
The name, and the Charlie Girl. Correct, So how do
you say? It's Celtics, Yes, Zelvis and Charlie Girl. And
it's sort of described as you actually you describe it.
I want to hear you described because I have a
note of how to describe it. I want you to
describe the podcast or our listeners.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
No, well, it's it's I'm curious how yours says it
because it started out as something that was just for gamers,
but it's evolved and just been more inclusive to people
who are just nerds overall and love gaming and wrestling
and anime and just you know, people who can relate
to two best friends just being total nerds with each
(31:31):
other and just having a good time and just exploring
all kinds of different games and you know, different things
that you know, we even just got recently, we got tattoos,
Pokemon tattoos, you know, just because we hit a sub goal,
you know. So it's just it's fun, it's something that
we really love, including the fans and and just having fun.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Yeah, it's perfect. I thin it's a perfect description. It's
too great. Genre's meetiing, you have WWE and you got
you got gaming, which is huge.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Next time you go to PR to the big call
they see him to find we should go.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
That.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
I would absolutely love that for sure.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Beautiful. Well, thank you, Selena, You're wonderful. Thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
Nice, Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
Take care bye. That was awesome. I've been a WW fan.
I mean, you know, I would love you know, Dylan,
I think we'd get a kick out of going to
a w W event. I've actually never been to a
live event, but I grew up a huge fan, had
all the characters. I mean, I've never had a chance
to talk to I mean, I guess in this sense,
(32:34):
I mean we know something, we met the rock, we
know the rock, you know something like that. But like
talking about the past and how you get there, what
do you do and the drive to become a w
W stars is It's really cool? So that was fun.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
How much is it choreographed? I wanted to ask her,
but they don't want to be like tree Key.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Like, well, it sounds like they're so free. I mean,
I'm assuming some is and I you know there are politics.
I don't know, and I also don't it. Didn't want
to go into the behind the scenes of what WW is,
but I know it is very physical, get hurt all
the time.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
But in terms of who's gonna win, who's not gonna win?
Is it already set up or they actually we should
have asked.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
You can't ask me.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
I don't know, but I didn't want to ask her, like, listen,
is this for real?
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Because you might be offended? What if it's super free?
Speaker 4 (33:15):
So we need part two behind the scenes b t
s of the.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
W because I think me growing up calitles Cologne against
Abdullah or the Invader and all that, one hundred percent
to me was real.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
I'll see blood all the time.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
They will take a his his forehead was destroyed because
of forks and spoons, and they will use like tools.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
And I swear to you that's what goes on in
the port.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Yes, unless it was a fake, but I will remember.
And his forehead was destroyed is intense. So I don't
know if nowadays all right, we'll get back. You know
that the twin girls, like are they actually fighting and
knocking themselves out or is it like one to three,
I'm gonna punch it, but then we have a choreography
and then we go back to fighting.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
But then like how I mean, it's a combination of
all of that. Got it? We need to have her
back for part two. I don't have the answers.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
How come we didn't ask?
Speaker 4 (34:07):
How come you didn't ask? You were doing You're the
one had that question. You just had that question.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Because she's a rock star and she's incredible. I don't
want to be so tell me like, do you really
get beat? I don't even want to ask, But anyway,
she was amazing.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
Check love you, love you, thanks for listening. Don't forget
to write us a review and tell us what you think.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
If you want to follow us on Instagram, check goes
out at he said ajavi Orson is that email Eric
and Ross at iHeartRadio dot com. He said, Aja is
part of iHeartRadio's Mike would do that podcast network.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
See you next time.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
I
This is, he said a Yavi Ho with Eric Winter
and Rodalind fantav So.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
We are so happy, he said Ajav. He listeners because
we have listened to this. She's an amazing guest, over
one point eight million followers on Instagram. She is a
force to be reckoned with when it comes to gaming,
podcasting and w w E.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
She's a fellow proud.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Puerto Rican and can be seen weekly on ww SmackDown
aerin Fridays at eight seventh Central on Fox.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
She also has a new.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Podcast, Selvis and Charlie Gurrow with fellow WWE superstar Da
kodak K, which has been described Takota Kai I'm Sorry,
which has been described as cyberpunk gamer podcast.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Oh this is gonna be fun. Let's bring her in.
Selena Vega, Selena, thank you for being here with us.
Speaker 5 (00:52):
Thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I was just competent. Look at that. Explain to me
your backdrop. This is like, I know you're in anime
and stuff. Is that what all?
Speaker 1 (00:59):
That's that?
Speaker 5 (00:59):
What that most of it?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, it's anime gaming, all kinds of different statues and
just my little nerdy things, you know.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
But I've always been in a huge fan of that
since I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So it's nice to just have a They say, like, Okay,
when you get adult money, you get to spend it
all the stuff you want as a kid, and you
can say anything.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
For for example, I want to talk to you a
little bit more about gaming, for sure, but let's start
with WWE, because you know, as a kid I grew
up that was a big deal to me. Were you
a big WWE fan?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I was a Lucha leave It because I grew up
in Puerto Rico and I was obsessed with what we
called lucha leave it It. But I was into local lucha
leave it, So I was not as much as like
WWE because yeah, exactly, but I remember, like, and this
is a true story. I don't know if you know
this because you're a fellow Puerto Rican. There, we had
(01:50):
a champion called Carlitos cologn. I don't know if you
have ever heard of Carlitos cologne, right, and Carlito's cologne.
I lived for Carlitos col Carlitos Cologne was like our
number one wrestler.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
We had the Invader. We have so many.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I'm shocked shoes, the butcher I mean, we have so
many Butcher, the butcher and the giant. He'll come to
put a Rico to fight, and it was huge. But
Cologne lived in my same neighborhood and my street at
the very end was a park.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
And and this is a true story.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Because I wanted my mom my dad wanted me to
be a how you call a runner, as a sprinter
no track and field track and Fieluse I was really
really fast, but my mom wanted to want me to
be a dancer. My dad wanted me to be like
an athlete. And he will train me and he will
take me to the park and Carlos Cologne will do
his jogging right at that park, and it will be
(02:44):
like a highlight every week for me to go to
the park just to sit down and see Carlito's call
on train.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
That's funny.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
I loved them.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
So what was your inspiration? Because you know, like my generation,
I grew up obviously on Colgan and it was Ultimate
War and Randy Savage and all these guys. What inspired
you to go into w W. I know you grew
up in New York. What was was impetus to this rise?
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Ray?
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Mystereo? Actually?
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Yeah, Ray, Masterio was like everything to me, even as
a kid, especially because I mean I'm only five feet
on a very very good day. So it's yeah for
me watching him, I'm like, wow, if he can do
that and he can be champion, like why can't I?
Speaker 5 (03:29):
You know, so watching him and Lida and the.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Hardy's and stuff, so it was those kind of you know,
it's Eddie Guerrero like it's just it's cool to be
you know. Watching Ray as a kid, I remember thinking like, gods,
it was Halloween Havoc ninety seven him versus Eddie, and
then thinking like I really want to do this now.
And now I'm getting to be in a faction with
him in the LWO. So it's getting to watch him
(03:54):
as a kid and now working alongside him is like
still mind blowing to me.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
That's incredible.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
How does that process even start? So as as a
young girl and you decide I want to go into
wrestling professional wrestling? Did you wrestle as a kid? Were you?
I mean like in school and all that or how
does that even? What is that journey? Like, it's fascinating
to me.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
So I started training with my cousin. His name is amazing.
Red he was an impact wrestling. He was very much
known without the indie circuit, and I started training with
him when I was like seventeen, and then I started
going to different training schools with different people, a lot
of his friends in New Jersey, like Jay Lethal, and
(04:38):
then I got to go to North Carolina and work
with the Hardys and the Hurricane, and then I got to.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Go to Florida.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I had my first tryout with w B back in
twenty ten, and I didn't end up making it to
w B until twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
So there's an underground circuit of wrestling essentially that you're
sort of climbing the ranks and then you get those
opportunities to go audition for the you know, the major
organization that everybody knows about, and that's obviously a massive break.
Like in our world with acting, like there's these moments
right when you break, that's how it starts. I had
no idea what are the sports?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
What are the sports that you have to besides wrestling?
Are there other disciplines that you took growing up to
become like a WU star?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
So for me, I wanted to do My mom wanted
to get me into dancing and I was never really
big into dance. I did it because it just was
something else. I mean, I did step I did, you know.
I loved baseball and swimming and stuff. But when I
watched wrestling and I knew I couldn't start it yet
because you have to be obviously, like eighteen to start.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
I started a little earlier than that.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
But my mom was like, well, what do you like
about it? Like, besides the innering stuff, what else did
you like about it? And for me, it was, well,
I love you know, seeing like you know, Bleda and
trishas go again, you know, going at it backstage and
yelling at each other and you know the store lines
between the rock and stone calciosage. She's like, okay, so
you like the backstage, like the drama of it.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
So the entertainment of it all.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, yeah, So start acting. And then that's how I
started acting as a kid. I went into in high school.
I did in college, and that kind of helped, you know,
start that because there's so many layers obviously to being
WW superstar, so to have that acting background definitely helped
when it came to displaying the emotion in the ring,
but also backstage.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
That's amazing the heights because you're saying you're petit, right,
you're tiny. Usually wrestlers that are part of that world
of entertainment, right are there much like are the girls
much taller than you?
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Most of them are? They would.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I say the range is probably anywhere from five to
four to five eight something like that. There's a few
of us that are around five feet to five two,
but most of them are around a five four five
five range.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
What is the advantage that you think you have by
being so petique compared to the one that he's like,
you're fighting somebody that's like five to eight.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Well, they won't have ankles after that. But no, I'm kidding, no,
but it's yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
It's you know, you get your quick to the ground.
You're trying to get everybody down to your size. So
you have like these little plans and strategies that you
go into the ring trying to obviously, like someone like
Naya Jacks, who's probably I think like five ten or something,
and I look at her and I'm like, okay, knees
have to go for the knees, and like you just
(07:32):
have like these little strategies and making sure that you
as long as they can't catch you, then then you're
okay for the time being.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, oh my goodness.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
I want to ask you about your moment of I
know you're proud Puerto Rican and you got to be
a part of your WWE backlash and a sold out crowd.
Of course, I'm gonna say correctly, right Puerto Rico, Jose
Miguel I wasn't gonna get that word right there. I've
been to this colisseum, I've been there before, go to
Porto Rica all the time. What was that like to
(08:04):
be in Puerto Rico? And I mean, I'm sold out
crowd probably going insane for you, and that must be
an incredible feeling.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
I always say this, and then I kind of stopped
myself and I'm like, besides my wedding day, but it
was like the best day of my life, like by far,
I mean, I have never experienced anything like that.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
It was it was almost as if.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
You know, it didn't matter, because obviously there's a difference
between like, oh, you're born in New York, what's your
Puerto Rican?
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Are you born on the island? In your Puerto Rican?
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Like there's so many people that you know, they'll they'll
kind of like to pick it apart. But that day
and that ring, in that moment, it didn't matter where
you know, you were Puerto Rican through it. There didn't
matter what hair color you had, how much Spanish you spoke, nothing,
it mattered just that you're there.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
You're our girl. We're going to support you.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
And it was just I felt like I was like
in a in a weird dream sequence because even I
was fighting my emotions the whole time because I knew.
I was like I have to at least go in
there and just get it done and just do it.
Like I was really fighting, and Ray was just like, Selena,
don't do that. Just be in the moment. Just whatever happens, happens,
just feel it, and that's when it's going to be
(09:16):
the best for you. So I was like okay, And
right before I went, I was like, okay, I'm good.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
I got this. I got this.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
And then as soon as I went out and I
opened up the flag and I heard like the crowd come.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Up, I was like crazy. I was like, I'm going fourth,
this is.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Are you planning to go to go like you want
to go back again anytime soon?
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Absolutely? Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yeah. I mean I have a lot of family members
too who are there, which is really cool because they
don't get to see me all the time and we're
here in you know, New York or wherever it is,
New Jersey, Like most of my family's in New York
and Connecticut, but you know, my family over there and
son on, they don't really get to see me all
the time. So be able to have them there was
just so so cool. And it's funny because my grandma
(09:56):
was like, yeah, I don't know, like somebody else called
me into their somehow related to us all of a sudden, and.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
They you know that they know you, and you know.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
So I'm like, I just I want to go back,
and I feel like it's it's also gave me such
a like like a motivation because sometimes especially then that
at that point in my career specifically before that happened,
there's a lot of like my god, like this is hard.
It's like, you know, the constant grind. It's really difficult,
Like I'm not getting the opportunit that I want. I
(10:24):
really feel like I want to go for this, and
like you could see so much for yourself, but you're
just like fighting the grind every day. And it gets
hard to me, you guys know, obviously, like the grind
can get hard, and it was as if it completely
like restarted me and just gave me a whole new
appreciation for everything. And you know, I think it's cool
because now I'm like telling my husband, Okay, so we're
(10:45):
going to go back now, right. I just hope that
they do a WrestleMania there because I felt like also
right like, I just think that Puerto Rico was one
of the best crowds that we've ever had. And I
think that they also because it was eighteen years since
w W was there prior to that event, so as
if they're like, oh no, we're going to make sure
you guys come back.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
So they went over.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
And be on like they as a as a as
A as a crowd.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Is that the event that but Bonnie?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
But Bonnie attended, that's something else, guys, I know that's
the one. So I think he will. I think he's
the one to bring it back. If he wants to
bring it back, I'm sure he'll produce it.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
I think that'd be great, that'd be incredible.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
If he doesn't, I'm sure I wonder if he's cooking
something I don't know regarding to that.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
That's the rock who's cooking something.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
But you don't know what I mean, you don't want
even even even even Dwayne should do it, should cook.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Something over that hands full of that. He's like on
the board of the whole organization that just bought the
w W.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
All he needs to do is put his name and
then people in Puerto Rico will what would take your.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Ultimate goal in w W E success?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
What?
Speaker 4 (11:51):
What do you what are you aiming for? I?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So I initially I wanted to be able to say
that I was a w superstar, and that came from
you know, loving as a kid and going to events
with my dad and wanting to accomplish because she he
wanted to do that as well, like to be a
WB superstar, but like with three jobs and kids like
that just wasn't going to be a thing. So I
was like, as a like, I'm gonna do it, like
(12:14):
four years old, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna be
the rest of the family. And then getting to now
do that for me and to do that for him
was such a big accomplishment and I didn't think, you know,
I was going to have like a first time ever
or like a history making moment in the w B
books is like to be the first ever queen of
the ring and I got to do that. Be a
tag team champion, I got to do that. But I've
(12:36):
never had singles gold before. So I would love to
be like the women's champion, Like that's that's my goal.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
And I'm sure just like in you know, boxing and
it even UFC all that, at ww there's a lot
you can't control, right, Like I mean there is there's
a lot of politics, you know what I mean. I'm
just like in the UFC, like you want to fight,
you don't get the fight. Dana White doesn't line the
fight up, You're not going to get that chance. Like,
there are probably tons of hurdles of politics that you
have to deal with in WWE, right that could be
(13:05):
completely out of your control. Even if you're ready, you
might not get that shot. But you just have to
keep proving yourself. Is that the deal?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:12):
And sometimes it just lines up with you know what
what venue are we going to?
Speaker 5 (13:17):
What what?
Speaker 1 (13:18):
You know? Uh, where we trying to get, you know,
crowd wise, where we trying to get more viewers in
a part of the world. Or you know, there's there's
so many different aspects to it, or like you know,
who's getting a part in a video game that we
need to push who's getting that? You know, they they
map things out like yearly, so they kind of know
where they want to go and obviously they get some
(13:38):
surprises along the way and they have to you know,
change things up. But it's, uh, it's definitely zero of
it is in our control. The only thing that is
is once we get out there and making sure that
you deliver during the chances that they do give you
makes sense?
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Do you want to be able to continue exploring the
acting thing? And I know you blending your voice to
like like video games and movies, but do you see
do you see yourself in front of the camera and
actually transitioning?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Like, uh, is it Tia? What's her name of the
Mma Fighter of Corono?
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Like a Tan? Yeah, like Gia? Like do you see
yourself doing that?
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Do you know what?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
I can be freaking the next Michall Rodriguez?
Speaker 5 (14:21):
You know, I mean I would love that.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I mean I got to do fighting with my family.
Like Dwayne was the the producer on that, so he
asked me to to you know, be the bad guy
in the movie, which is really fun.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
But I think after that.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
First of all, it was one of the most fun
times I've ever had just in life. But I was like,
I think, I actually really want to do this, and
I had no idea that it was gonna be something
I was going to really enjoy to that degree because
it was just foreign to me in the sense where
I knew I would plug my acting into wrestling and
not have to do it in film. So it became
(14:58):
something that I'm like, Wow, I really loves to do this,
and I think at some point I would like to
transition into that.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
But here's the other side of it. It's like the
same thing with wrestling.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
You're starting from the bottom and you have to pay
your dues to get to where you want to go.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
I mean, so I imagine it's the same thing there.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
So it's just a grind that I have to be
ready for.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Also, I want to switch gears for a second, because
this is actually this I don't even know if well
if you have heard of this, but maybe you have
so you're a gamer. I am not a gamer, but
I'm an investor in a big gamer organization called Energy
(15:43):
If that org. But I guess we just I just
found out I was talking to our president. We just
won North America for Legal Legends, and we went in
the farthest of any American team in Asia and all
this stuff, all this world. I've been learning a ton
about you now are doing a podcast dedicated the gaming.
So you're that big of a game or what is
your game? What's your what's your get up? And I
(16:05):
gotta do or I gotta you know, I gotta go
compete online? What is it?
Speaker 5 (16:10):
So there's there's a lot.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
I'm really into fighting games though, Like fighting games is
like it for me because I think with Street Fighter,
Mortal Kombat and tech In or like the top three,
and they've done such a good job of, you know,
having some fun fighting, like eventually you get tired of
like the back and forth, okay, round for round. But
they've also incorporated really amazing storylines, and that's where I
get super involved. I'm like, Okay, Plus I do take
(16:35):
a lot of my inspiration from the characters as far
as you know, if they're really cool looking, I'm like, oh,
can I add that to my outfit somehow or my
entrance piece or how can I add this to my
there's some of the moves that I've actually taken from
there too. Yeah, And I'm like, how can I make
this work on an actual human or like taking a
(16:58):
character like even just someone like Jin Kazama or Kazuya
Mishima from tech In and saying, wow, he was such
a good bad guy and I'm a bad guy right now.
I like how he said that. How can I apply
this to my storyline? So it's just like, yeah, dissecting characters,
and I mean that's something I love doing as a
kid too. Is just what do I like about you know,
(17:21):
this moment when I got to see, uh, you know,
because Kazuya Mishima finally throw his dad off the cliff.
He did it like, you know, that moment, like what
I felt? How can I dissect that to apply it
in the ring so that I get to make the
fans feel what I felt in a similar way.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
It's interesting I've never you know, I grew up playing
games at Nintendo. I mean it was just that was
the types of games I played. But you're talking a
street Fighter all those things.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
But there's a big difference between Nintendo that was a
foundation of years ago but that was a foundation of gaming.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
And what I'm saying my point that I, yeah, remember
a Tari. I actually grew up playing Tatari. If we're
really going to go way back, didn't have much of
a storyline. Neither did Donkey Kol. But but it's true
what you say, And I never really thought about that there.
Gamers probably often play for that backstory and that character development,
because I mean, I'm just coming to this realization now,
(18:14):
but as you think about gaming and the evolution of it,
there is Look. I did a video game once, believe
it or not. It was called Beyond Two Souls with
who's now Elliott Page, Willem Dafoe, and myself and this
guy Kadem Hartisan, And it was this thousand page script
and we only got these tiny little pieces and it
was the first video game ever where we each were
playing entirely like our bodies, our voice, and our movements.
(18:38):
It was the first game ever made to do that.
And it was a massive story. It was choose your
own adventure. Everything the player would do. You'd choose what's
gonna happen with my character and that characters, et cetera. Yeah,
and I never really thought about that You're right, there's
such a backstory. And now to hear that that actually
is a big part of what you use even in
your own performance and your character development WWE is fascinating
(19:01):
to me. That's really cool. Podcast is going to be
dissecting all that kind of stuff. That's what you want
to talk about.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
So it's a lot of that. It's so my friend
who I do this with. Her name is Charlie. She
she's a huge game or two. She's very much like
the I call it like the gaming Bible when it
comes to that kind of stuff, Like she knows a
lot of the you know, backstories and characters and how
to like what the I don't want to say the
cheek codes are but kind of but me I get
(19:28):
to bring more of the anime aspect to it. Also
because she doesn't know too much about animes, that's like
a blend of the two. And we we always talk
about how do we apply that to wrestling and how
can you know?
Speaker 5 (19:40):
Because before, like right now, I'm a good guy.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
So luckily I get to share this kind of nerdy
side with the with the fans. But prior to that,
I was like a total, horrible, horrible bad guy. And
I just I remember looking at there was a few
different bad guys that would base my character on and
then just even just some of their lines. I would
take it and say, Okay, how can I put this
(20:03):
into Zelena's mind? And what would she say to make
it so that people could feel that evil like whatever
he was thinking, like, how can I apply that to her?
And eventually it led to me getting the voice actor
for one of my favorite characters to do my intro,
Like when every time I would hit the ring and
my music would play, he would say, all Hail the Queen,
Queen Stelena, and then I would walk out, So it
(20:25):
was like blend of everything. This just like a crazy
full circle. See.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
I think WW fans will find this fascinating because it's
it's one thing. It's like what we get asked a lot,
even as actors. It's one thing to see the performance
right and see what you do on stage. It's another
thing for a real fan to understand what goes into
that performance. What's your preparation, How did you, like you said,
come up with your intro song, How did you come
up with your name? How did you your walk your attitude?
(20:53):
This character, that character when you're in the ring and
how that evolves. I find that fascinating because there's so
much work put into it. It's not just go in
there and fight. You're not just given this persona then
you just have to go act it out. You're writing
a lot of the script of what you do.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yeah, do you guys? And I guess to flip up
it on you guys for a second, but do you
guys get to do that at.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
All for your characters that you do?
Speaker 1 (21:17):
You you know, get to explore that when you're given
a character or do you have to kind of just
like find yourself in the parameters of who this person
is that you're given.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Yeah, that's actually I think it's a great question. I
it's a combination.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
It depends on the material. It depends on the people involved.
You know, how open they are for you to actually
come in with a proposal of this is the way
I see it, kind of make these changes.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
This doesn't speak organic to me. People don't talk like that.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
You know. Sometimes they're very gracious and they allow you
to have an opinion. And I've been in situations where
they tell you there's a coma you pause. You know,
it's very restricted is it very specific, especially when it
comes to comedy. You know, comedy writers are so specific
about how they want the joke to be placed and
(22:07):
said for it to be effective. So it depends in
the situation when you do like usually independent movies, little
movies that they allow you to actually have a voice
and an interpretation is beautiful.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
You know, I did. I did this thing in Spanish.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
It was as a TV show, as a series in Spanish.
It was for actresses, and I think to me, first
of all, I was speaking in my first language, which
was already so much freedom. But the work is pretty
magical because they allowed us to just be free and say,
you know, you don't have to stick to the page.
I want to see what you have to bring to
the table. And the improvisation that went on everybody within
(22:47):
their characters was just the most incredible experience ever and
it shows when you look at the material on screen.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Everybody is so free.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
You have you watch something like Succession, you know on
is it HBO, HBO HBO Max. You know that won everything.
But it's so evident that those actors were allowed the
luxury just to be and just do what was right
for the character. And it is, so you can tell
(23:18):
when you see that or you see a typical network
TV show and you see the acting is like an
add on day.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
But I also think it's a combination no matter what
as an actor, and maybe it's very similar even in
your position. But you're giving a script right even to
earn the job. You're hundreds of people are reading the
same script, so you're still bringing your own interpretation of
the character to the page, and at the end of
the day, they're either going to like your version or
like somebody else's version. Now that could be a look,
(23:45):
that could be a demeanor, that could be an attitude,
but it's still what you're bringing. I think as you
and she's right independent, you might have more freedom. Big big,
big movie stars have a bit more freedom. If you're
on a show like Succession, they probably gain even more
freedom as the seasons go on. Same with like my show,
I'm in a fifth season. As the seasons go on,
I have more of a say and who I think
(24:07):
the character is and it evolves. And as you've been
on shows longer when you did, you know, four seasons
of a show, you you have more of an opinion
of what's going on with those characters. So I think
you're always bringing something and the She's right. Some creators
don't give you that freedom, or directors or you know,
writers in general. But it's a collaborative event for sure.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
You know what just happened to me. I was in
Atlanta shooting something that it was the IP.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
It was a romance novel that I guess it's a
very huge, like best New York Times bestseller, whatever, romance novel.
So I go in, I do my work. You know,
I know my lines, I do my homework. I show
up to do. There's no there's no rehearsal time, there's
no table reads. I just show up to work.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
And a lot.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Of the dialogue was okay, it's beautiful, but it's not
the way in a million years I will speak, you know.
So when I act, I improvise a lot and I
add a lot of little things. You know that it's
that it makes it makes me comfortable and I'll never forget.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
So I'm doing the scene. So we rehears and you know,
we're blocking with the.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Cameras and the director comes over us says, listen, you
can change any words like nothing, and I'm like, I
just added like you know, you know, And he said no, no, no,
you can't do any going. But why and he goes,
I'm sorry, I should have said this to you before
and and maybe your team should have said something. But
because this audience that we're aiming for are like fanatics
(25:33):
of romance novels, they all the scripts are very much
verbatim taken from the book, so the scenes are written
in the book. So the audience gets so upset if
you change anything, because it's almost like they know this
writing by heart. So if you come in with your interpretation,
(25:54):
they get really really upset, so you.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Cannot change anything. I King died.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
This is the first day that I show off work,
and I was like, if I would have known this,
I think my decision would have been different about taking
the job or not, just because I understand it, but
it's dialogue, because it's a romance novel. Who speaks like
a freaking romance novel, you know what I mean. So
I was like, it's doable for me because I will
(26:21):
just change it. I will make it more me and
it will be a lot of fun. When I'm telling
you that it took me hours to be able to
be like Ross cut it out, you're here already.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Respect the material, you know, it is what it is.
Just do what you told and freaking don't change your word.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
But it was hard.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
At the beginning.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
I was like, oh my god, I just I'm saying
it and my stomach wants to turn because but at
the end I did it and listen, it's going to
beautiful and it was effective, and I guess the audience
of that type of material they're going to be very happy.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Do you have that freedom in wrestling?
Speaker 5 (26:58):
To do?
Speaker 4 (27:00):
You have a lot of freedom?
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Yeah, it's so it depends on who is I would
say in charge at the time, but it depends on
so for instance, Triple A to who's my boss? He
I was working with him. There's so there's NXT, SmackDown,
and Ross. It's three different shows NXT initially from twenty
seventeen to twenty eighteen. I believe is when I was
(27:25):
working with Triple Ah and he once he kind of
saw how I, how I was and what I brought
to the character that he was looking for. He was like, Okay, yeah,
I try to just here's a skeleton of what we want.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
Just fill it with the meat of what you think
fits that's great.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Because one of the points, Yeah, one of the points
that he would say to me is like, I don't
know what a girl from Queen's like, what your girl
from Queens, New York.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
I don't know what she would stay?
Speaker 1 (27:45):
But you do, so however, you think you should put
that into this do it?
Speaker 4 (27:51):
And by the way, that's very valid. I wish a
lot of people in entertainment thought that way, because it's true, right, Like,
you know what your persona would bring to a situation.
If you're playing a Puerto Rican girl, it'd be very difficult.
Different for somebody else who's not Puerto Rican, say no,
you do it like this, Like, no, I wouldn't. I'm
Puerto Rican. Is how I would do it. So it's
(28:12):
a it's a very valid way of collaborating.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
I had a question for you because you must have
a lot of young women, you know, that look up
to you. You have a huge social media presence, you know,
and what you do is actually pretty cool, you know,
to be a female Latino wrestler, it's really really cool.
What would be your main advice that you would give
(28:35):
to all these girls that go, oh my gosh, Alena Bega,
I love wrestling. I want to be a part of
that world. What would be the main advice.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
So I would say the first thing is never take
no for an answer, because I was told every kind
of no possible. You're too small, you're not pretty enough,
you're not you know, you don't you don't have the
blonde hair and the big boobs and the stuff, and
you know, you're you're There are so many things you
know as to as why uh. And even at one
(29:06):
point it was just like oh, and someone who wasn't
even involved with w B at all, They're like, Oh,
you're not gonna make it like you're not a white
girl with you know. That was a big part of it,
was like I wanted to do this to show, yeah,
you don't have to be just the white girl with
blonde hair and big boobs to make it in w B.
Like w B is a nice melting pot of all
these beautiful cultures, and they do a really good job
(29:27):
of celebrating who you are. And that's why I think
they put me in the stage of you know, Puerto
Rico for backlash. You know, it was to celebrate that,
and I think that's such a nice thing that we're
able to do and it's just.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
Never take no for an answer.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
Celebrate who you are and who you know, whatever it
is that you're representing, because I feel like you're always
going to be a representation for someone, whether that is
because of your culture, it was because you're a gamer,
because you're a nerd, because you're you know, you like cats.
I have ten cats, you know, So it's like you
just you're representing for people in so many ways.
Speaker 5 (30:02):
And yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Think that's just like a cool thing that you get
to do for for other people, is just to say, like, well,
if she can make it, why can't I.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Would you advise if you ever had a little daughter,
like a little girl, would you be happy if she says,
I want a one to be like mom, I want
to be a wrestler.
Speaker 5 (30:20):
Yeah, I would. I would.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
I know that It's it's difficult because I know for
my mom, she was very scared.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
She was very very scared.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
She was afraid that I was going to be exploited.
She was afraid that I was going to get her.
And you know, but for me, now seeing how wrestling
is progressed and how w B is in the landscape,
is now with everybody in charge and everyone that's you know,
really pushing for female wrestling.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
I'd be soaked on it.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Okay, that's all same.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Well, this is incredible. So can you tell us where
people can find you. We'll talk about the podcast.
Speaker 6 (30:54):
The name, and the Charlie Girl. Correct, So how do
you say? It's Celtics, Yes, Zelvis and Charlie Girl. And
it's sort of described as you actually you describe it.
I want to hear you described because I have a
note of how to describe it. I want you to
describe the podcast or our listeners.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
No, well, it's it's I'm curious how yours says it
because it started out as something that was just for gamers,
but it's evolved and just been more inclusive to people
who are just nerds overall and love gaming and wrestling
and anime and just you know, people who can relate
to two best friends just being total nerds with each
(31:31):
other and just having a good time and just exploring
all kinds of different games and you know, different things
that you know, we even just got recently, we got tattoos,
Pokemon tattoos, you know, just because we hit a sub goal,
you know. So it's just it's fun, it's something that
we really love, including the fans and and just having fun.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Yeah, it's perfect. I thin it's a perfect description. It's
too great. Genre's meetiing, you have WWE and you got
you got gaming, which is huge.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Next time you go to PR to the big call
they see him to find we should go.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
That.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
I would absolutely love that for sure.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Beautiful. Well, thank you, Selena, You're wonderful. Thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
Nice, Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
Take care bye. That was awesome. I've been a WW fan.
I mean, you know, I would love you know, Dylan,
I think we'd get a kick out of going to
a w W event. I've actually never been to a
live event, but I grew up a huge fan, had
all the characters. I mean, I've never had a chance
to talk to I mean, I guess in this sense,
(32:34):
I mean we know something, we met the rock, we
know the rock, you know something like that. But like
talking about the past and how you get there, what
do you do and the drive to become a w
W stars is It's really cool? So that was fun.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
How much is it choreographed? I wanted to ask her,
but they don't want to be like tree Key.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Like, well, it sounds like they're so free. I mean,
I'm assuming some is and I you know there are politics.
I don't know, and I also don't it. Didn't want
to go into the behind the scenes of what WW is,
but I know it is very physical, get hurt all
the time.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
But in terms of who's gonna win, who's not gonna win?
Is it already set up or they actually we should
have asked.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
You can't ask me.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
I don't know, but I didn't want to ask her, like, listen,
is this for real?
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Because you might be offended? What if it's super free?
Speaker 4 (33:15):
So we need part two behind the scenes b t
s of the.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
W because I think me growing up calitles Cologne against
Abdullah or the Invader and all that, one hundred percent
to me was real.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
I'll see blood all the time.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
They will take a his his forehead was destroyed because
of forks and spoons, and they will use like tools.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
And I swear to you that's what goes on in
the port.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Yes, unless it was a fake, but I will remember.
And his forehead was destroyed is intense. So I don't
know if nowadays all right, we'll get back. You know
that the twin girls, like are they actually fighting and
knocking themselves out or is it like one to three,
I'm gonna punch it, but then we have a choreography
and then we go back to fighting.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
But then like how I mean, it's a combination of
all of that. Got it? We need to have her
back for part two. I don't have the answers.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
How come we didn't ask?
Speaker 4 (34:07):
How come you didn't ask? You were doing You're the
one had that question. You just had that question.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Because she's a rock star and she's incredible. I don't
want to be so tell me like, do you really
get beat? I don't even want to ask, But anyway,
she was amazing.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
Check love you, love you, thanks for listening. Don't forget
to write us a review and tell us what you think.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
If you want to follow us on Instagram, check goes
out at he said ajavi Orson is that email Eric
and Ross at iHeartRadio dot com. He said, Aja is
part of iHeartRadio's Mike would do that podcast network.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
See you next time.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
I
Host
Roselyn Sanchez
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