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Ex-WWE star Melina wants current female stars to respect history of women’s wrestling
Melina is part of the past and present of wrestling (Pictures: NWA/ WWE)
Former WWE superstar Melina has called on the current crop of female stars to show respect to the women who paved the way for them.
The former Women’s and Divas Champion – who now appears on a stacked NWA roster with the likes of Thunder Rosa, Kylie Rae, Kamile and Sarena Deeb – is proud of the way wrestling has progressed but she doesn’t want people to forget the sacrifice of past performers.
She exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘What the women now do not realise – as much as they’re gonna bash me for, “Oh you’re too old, you’re this, you’re that”. Some girls are like, “No we praise you” and others are like, “What is she still doing round?”
‘I’m like, OK. You remember that what you have today is because of women like me, the women of the best.
‘And you remember that how you’re treating me now is the way you’re gonna be treated in your future. So what I’m fighting for now is because there needs to be someone representing.’
She’ll get a chance to do just that later this year when NWA holds all-women’s pay-per-view EmPowerrr, and Melina is passionate about what it means for the industry’s past, present and future.
Melina has tangled with the likes of Kylie Rae recently (Photo: NWA)
‘Respect the people who get in the ring with you, regardless of their gender, age, or anything. Have respect because I’m fighting for your future,’ she said. ‘Because some of us love this business so much that as much as we wanna walk from it, we don’t.
‘That doesn’t mean you don’t have a purpose in this business, in this career. You still have a place in it. You will forever have a place in it and I will fight for that until the end of my time.’
While the 42-year-old star – who worked for WWE from 2004 to 2011 – is vocal about the recognition she wants, she keenly pointed out how much she loves the roster she’s surrounded with in NWA.
‘Incredible human beings. It’s beautiful,’ she beamed. ‘Every time I just wanna hug everybody and just say I love you. “No, you’re supposed to be a bad girl!” I know but I love you guys, I wanna hug your faces. I do, they’re absolute sweethearts.’
When it comes to EmPowerr next month, the pay-per-view is yet to take shape and while Melina doesn’t have an opponent yet, she’s delighted to know she’ll be involved in some capacity.
‘I really don’t know who I’m gonna up against. I don’t know if I’m gonna be tagging, I don’t know what’s gonna happen in this all-women’s pay-per-view,’ she admitted. ‘But I’m so glad it’s happening because it’s about time! It’s about time, and I’m glad NWA is doing it.’
The driving force behind it is her close friend and fellow WWE alum Mickie James, who revealed after her release earlier this year that she’d pitched a regular all-women’s show to company bosses before her exit.
‘That’s my sister. That’s my sister from the beginning of my career till the end of this time. We were born in the same year, everything. It’s so funny how our lives are just so paralleled in this,’ she smiled.
‘To be in NWA with her, to do this with her, is just like… aw man, that just brings me closer to my sister. I’m very fortunate that she’s with us and doing this with us. She’s leading the charge with this. I’m so proud.’
When it comes to the future, Melina is already so proud and grateful for the legacy she’s developed in the business, and she wants to continue to enjoy every single moment of her career.
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‘Embracing every minute that I get to be in and around wrestling,’ she said of her goals. ‘You get in it until you can’t be in it anymore.
‘You’re around it – like at ringside, I’ll manage until I can’t do that anymore. I’ll teach until I can’t teach it anymore. I’ll watch it until I can’t watch it anymore.
‘But all of it – in, out and around – it’s all a gift that I’m the most lucky person to be a part of.’
*NWA Powerrr airs every Tuesday at 10.05pm on Fite TV. Watch EmPowerrr on August 28 followed by NWA’s 73rd Anniversary Show the next night.
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