Shelly Martinez on Why She Taped Her Chest in TNA, Not Fully Understanding Her WWE Character

Shelly Martinez had stints with WWE and TNA Wrestling during the mid- to late 2000s. She signed a deal with WWE in April 2005. After working in the company’s then-developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, she was moved to the ECW brand in 2006.

There, she portrayed the gimmick of a tarot card reader and managed Kevin Thorn, with her on-screen name being Ariel. However, Martinez was released from the company in 2007. Following that, she joined TNA Wrestling, only to quit the company a year later.

In a recent appearance on The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val, Shelly Martinez opened up about her stints with WWE and TNA.

Below are the highlights:

On not fully understanding what her WWE character meant

“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 her relationship 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 sh*t 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 WWE scrapping initial plans of reviving the Brood faction

“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.'”

Shelly Martinez on why she joined TNA after getting released from WWE

“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-a*s girl because I just got fired.”

On why she taped her chest in 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.” [H/T: WrestlingNews.Co]

Check out the video below: