Zelina Vega was on D-Von Dudley’s “Table Talk” podcast where she talked about her feud with Asuka, in-ring cosplay, the support she gets from Vince McMahon, and much more.
Zelina Vega talked about her TNA experience:
“I think it was good for what it was. I was young at the time. I was 19 years old when I got signed but I needed that experience because it introduced me to Sarita who is still someone who I consider my cousin. We were on-screen cousins, but she is considered family. I went to Mexico and I got to train in CMLL which is funny because that is where I met Andrade initially in 2011. So, the whole story that we’ve known each other for a while wasn’t a lie. It was good for what it was and maybe they (TNA) thought we were not going to take a chance on her. I remember you (D-Von Dudley) was always going to bat for me. Kurt Angle was going to bat for me. Sting was going to bat for me. I remember he passed by Dixie and said we should put a title on that one. The next day, Terry Taylor came up to me and said, ‘hey kid, we are giving you the tag titles tonight and you are getting the pin.’ It was a great experience and something I needed to grow as a performer because I got to meet all the people I work with now like A.J. and Jeff Hardy. I needed it at the time but now I feel like I’m the butterfly I was supposed to be. All that was my cocoon stage and now I’m the butterfly I’m supposed to be.”
Vega talked about her push and her relationship with Vince McMahon:
“If the quarantine didn’t happen, not that I wouldn’t have had these opportunities, but it may have taken a little longer. Also, Becky is having her baby. There are people that are not here and that leaves spots for people to fill. I was always like, give me the ball, and if I drop it, screw me, but you lose nothing. I was always ready for that. I think it started with Drew when we had that back and forth. He was my other promo half. It was perfect. When it happened with him, it was magic. It’s interesting because before quarantine happened, Vince would always say ‘you are one of my favorites. You are one of the reasons I watch Raw and I love your character.’ It was such an honor to hear that. He said ‘you remind me of Stephanie because she is always working out there and you are a machine.’”
Vega mentioned Paul Heyman was a supporter of hers:
“You wouldn’t be given the ball if it wasn’t for someone to believe in you. One person that really believed in me was Paul Heyman. I’m so lucky to say I had someone like him on my side because he fought for me every single time, every single day. When it comes to being a manager, I look up to him a lot because he is the greatest of all time. When you have someone like that who believes in you, it fuels your fire that much more.”
