Posted on 8/01/125 by Colin Vassallo
Zelina Vega sat down with Chris Van Vliet in Nashville, TN
to discuss defeating Chelsea Green to win the Women’s United
States championship, wrestling Rhea Ripley in Puerto Rico,
becoming friends with The Rock and being cast as AJ Lee in
the Paige biopic “Fighting With My Family”, prank calling
Dominik Mysterio, the 619 that broke Chelsea Green’s nose,
being the first-ever Queen of the Ring winner, being
mentored by Rey Mysterio and more!
On winning the Women’s US Championship:
“Well the day of, when it actually happened, I think I was
just so in work mode that I wasn’t able to grasp what was
happening. Then the second I grabbed my face, when I was
walking up the ramp with it, that’s when it kind of hit me
and I was like, oh sh*t, this is real right now, like work
stuff and things. And then it was like, oh sh*t, this is my
first singles title, what the hell? It just so happened to
be the same time that the commentators putting that over so
yeah, I think that’s when it hit me and I was kind of blown
away by it. I wasn’t expecting to get emotional, because I
hate crying. I hate it, as much as you’re like, Oh, she’s
gonna cry again. I hate crying. When it was coming out, it’s
like you kind of fight it a bit, but that moment and
Backlash were the two that I just let it go.”
On winning Queen of the Ring:
“That’s where the weird Australian, British kind of accent
started. So yeah, because Vince asked me, ‘Can you do an
accent?’ I was like, ‘I could do a really bad one.’ And he’s
like, ‘That’s even better. Do that!’ I’m like, All right,
cool. So yeah, that’s how it started. I did talk to Booker T
right before I won it and I was like, ‘Hey, are you cool
with me doing an accent if I end up doing this?’ And he was
like, ‘Yeah, for sure.’ I was talking to him and Sharmell,
he’s like, ‘Make sure you make it yours. But whatever feels
natural to you, just amplify that.’ So it was cool to get to
talk to them right before it happened, because for me, he’s
my favorite. King Booker was my favorite.”
On being cast as AJ Lee in Fighting With My Family:
“So he [The Rock] knew for a while that I wanted to do
acting, because I was doing acting before I started
wrestling, because I thought that’s what you had to do. I
loved any kind of backstage or vignettes or in-ring promos.
I loved that, and he was like the godfather of it. So he
knew that I wanted to do acting also. I remember one time he
was like, ‘You sure you want to do wrestling? Because I just
feel like acting is right there for you. You have the look,
I’ve seen what you can do…’ I showed him reels and stuff. So
he’s like, ‘You sure?’ And I’m like, ‘100% sure wrestling
first and foremost, but I’d love to do acting at some point
too.’ He was like, Okay. And then eventually he’s like, ‘I
have the perfect blending of the worlds for you right now.’
I was like, okay, and mind you, so this came after I had
already said I don’t want to do anything entertainment
business anymore. I’m f*cking over it, blah, blah, blah.
He’s like, ‘Give me a few days.’ So he calls me, and he’s
like, ‘Yeah, I got this thing…’ The funny thing is, I don’t
remember exactly how the conversation went, because I
remember a sinking feeling the more he talks. I was like, Oh
my God, I feel like something big is coming, and I don’t
know what it is yet. Then he’s like, ‘So we’re doing this
movie. It’s a documentary that they had on Paige’s life and
her family. Basically, we’re doing the movie, but we’re
continuing it, and kind of replaying this whole thing out
with Paige and AJ Lee and how she won the championship and
whatever, because I was the one who told her about it that
day, and I need you to be my Divas Champion.’ And I was
like, ‘What?!’ He’s like, ‘This is usually where people are
like, super happy and say, “Thank you so much.”’ I’m like,
‘Wait, wait, I didn’t even hear what you’re saying
correctly. Can you repeat what you just said? Because it
sounds like you offered me a role just now, but I’m not 100%
that’s what you said.’ And he’s like, ‘Yes. You know you
don’t even have to audition for it. I already know that you
can do it, you’re gonna be my Divas Champion.’ I was like,
holy sh*t. So yeah. And then I remember just studying AJ’s
voice to exhaustion.”