Ok, so for those of you wondering how I became a wrestler..here's the story. The whole story filled with nothing but absolute truth and nostalgia! This also goes right on up to current. So enjoy!
So I was 14, and it was a Sunday. The big WWF Pay Per View was going to be on that night and me and a couple of my friends were going to go to Hooters to go watch it. I had been a huge fan of The Hardy Boyz. I grew up basically watching them and Lita because I loved their high fly, high risk style in the ring. Anyway, earlier that day my friend Jeff came over and gave me an article out of Creative Loafing (a newspaper in our area) for a wrestling school. He knew that I wanted it because I had been searching for schools to attend 2 months prior to this date. Anyway, he gave me the clipping. I stuffed it into my back pocket and we hung out all day.
Later that night, we were at Hooters, whooping and hollering at the TV. A guy I had never met before walked up and placed a business card on the table and basically said that it was for me. What he said was so hazy. He said it so fast and so low, it was hard to hear due to the crowd. Anyway, I looked at the card, and it was the same school as the article. I even pulled it out of my pocket to compare. So I figured it was a sign and that I'd call the next day. I did.
Eventually, I went with a friend of mine to go check it out. I didn't expect to actually get into the ring that day, but I did. They wanted to see how I was in the ring, so they invited me up into the squared circle. I had never done any type of bump for one day in my life..and the first couple of bumps were addictive and painful. Immediately, I was hooked. I left there shaking, excited, and begging for more.
I didn't tell my parents about the experience. They were against it. My dad was really against it. He didn't want me to get hurt. They were more worried about my grades. I kept going back, everyday for 2 or 3 hours a day. My trainer was understanding about my situation and that I couldn't pay him. But he told me not to worry about it much. He said I definitely had what it took to make it. He wanted to push me to get into Tough Enough. I wasn't so sure I wanted to go that route. I wanted to do it the way everyone else had. Pay your dues, travel the road, and take the hardships with the rewards. He continued to train me..and my parents were still oblivious to the fact. Everyday I woke up with bruises and sore muscles, but everyday I hid my bruises and pushed on throughout the day at school. I figured if I worked hard enough, I could keep my grades up and do the wrestling gig too, and that my parents would be cool with it...but I kept it from them, trying to ease them into it gently.
That didn't work so well when I had my first show. It was in Maysville, GA. I remember the Elementary school's gym, and even what I wore. The black and silver garb with my feather boa and my Dawn-esque face paint. I only had a small spot that night, and was in the battle royal at the end of the night. At practice a couple weeks before this, I was excelling. I had learned how to do a top rope hurricanrana amongst a few other hurricanrana arsenals. My spot in the show was simple. I ran out, interfered in a single match. Well, once I crotched the guy on the top rope, I'd bounce around like that was awesome and I was happy that I did it. I asked his opponent for a high five. He said, "If I give you a high five, will you go away?" I said yes, lying of course, and he gave me one. We wrapped fingers, I ran to the turnbuckle, walked the top rope and swung into a hurricanrana. I slid out of the ring and walked outside, acting like I was checking out the guy I crotched. Well, he threw the guy I hurricanrana'd outside the ring, then I gave him another on the concrete. After that I left slowly. Later that night I was in the battle royal, and eliminated by a huge powerbomb. I had fun, but my fun was shattered quick, when my parents found out where I was. We had told them that I was going to my friend's family reunion..which..the story actually worked..until my friend's mom called looking for her son. Yeah, that sucked! So I got chewed out on the phone..and ended up crying all the way home to a very upset mom and dad.
So I got all my wrestling privileges stripped completely. I threw away all my posters, boxed up all my action figures. I thought I would never wrestle again. Until my trainer came to talk to my parents and told them how good I was. My parents got passed the fact that I lied to them, and forgave me for it. I got everything back, and I was allowed to wrestle again. They even came to my shows!
I worked shows with them for a while. PWA was the school I went to, and also the show I worked for at first. I also won the PWA Tag Team Championship. I was the only female to attend the school. I worked shows with them for a long time, and then they merged with WWA4 in Atlanta. We did shows there at the club next door. In PWA, I grew up with guys like Jay Fury, Mustang, and Lunasyc. I got to meet some very cool people, and a couple of people who made it into the Biz. Like Kris Kanyon, Glacier, and New Jack.
One of the worst nights of my life. It was a small show at WWA4 and we were throwing it for family and friends. I was in a three way dance with two other females. So I came up with a good idea. I would make an illusion in our match to make it look like I got hit with an illegal object. The idea was, that I would get hit with an empty chocolate box. That box would get thrown out the ring, opposite side of the crowd (since the crowd was only on one side of the ring, instead of 3 sides.) The valet outside would then place a metal pipe in the box and hand it back in after the match was done. That way, it would get the heel over with the fact that she hit me and would stand over me, pulling the pipe out and bragging. It didn't go as planned. The pipe was never pulled out, and so, she had come flying off the top rope, hitting me over the head with this box. I fall backward, selling normally. I couldn't figure out why my head hurt so badly. Little did I know, until I sat up, I was busted open and was drenching the ring. No stitches required (Thank God!)
After a while, I worked for smaller federations. Some I traveled to with friends, others were local. I began to work for a place called NWF after a friend of mine told me about it. This friend had grown up with me to at PWA. There is where I met Brandy Scotch. We became friends and eventually practiced together at WWA4. We bettered ourselves there and began to work with FWF. We were both named Women's Champions there. And one night, we were working a Toys for Tots benefit. There is where we both met John Johnson. We gave him our numbers, and we then got a call from Greg Hunter. He asked us if we could travel to wrestle for MAXW. And we did. We had tons and fun and enjoyed the travel and the scenery. We loved the locker room most of all. The people were polite, and we met several folks from NWA Anarchy. We were excited that it was televised locally, and we became local stars. To hear people talk about you and recognize you every time you go to the mall was definitely a treat! It got to the point where we would give out autographs here and there. I developed a pretty big fan base and was overjoyed. I was crowned MAXW Women's Champion, (But that's a whole different story!)
Then came the time I moved to North Carolina. I still traveled to some of the shows in GA and SC, and soon was introduced to the scene up there. I got set up with a federation called GOUGE Wrestling. I wasn't certain on what I would be doing for the first show, but I was asked to show up anyway. So on what little gas I had left, and not sure of any pay, I traveled anyway. I didn't expect anything. I went with an open mind, an eagerness to work, and a positive attitude. Before I had arrived, I was told I'd be in a three way women's dance. When I got there, that was changed. He said it wouldn't make sense to throw me into a fight I had no business being in. I could understand that and told him I was there for whatever he needed. Match or valet wise. He asked me to gear up anyway, so I did. He ended up placing me in a match with a guy with double personas. I faced Skelator that night. We had a great match, and right off the bat I was accepted. It felt great. The crowd was awesome! Later that night I was paid and thanked and praised. I hadn't expected any of it, and left in an even better mood than when I arrived. I promised I would definitely be working for him again.
Shortly thereafter, I met a guy named Tim over Myspace. He said that he was coming up with a federation soon, and would like to recruit my talent. I found out there shortly afterward, that he too worked for GOUGE, but he couldn't make it to that show. I attended a show with him as a guest, and was able to speak with a few big names. Marty Garner was there, Brad Hunter was there, and Jeff Hardy was a guest that night. I was able to say wassup. Not to mark out, but this was one of my childhood heroes – and I was in the same room with him. It was an awesome feeling. I duly noted that he was busy, and made sure to leave him be. After all, famous folks are people too…and they don't want other folks crowding them with questions on their endeavors. So I continued on with what I had to do that night. I didn't get a spot, but I would hopefully be able to work for them in the future. House of Pain wasn't ready for Toni Monroe yet.
So, I hung out with Tim or "Dead Lee" as us folks in GOUGE call him. We became good friends and we even trained some of his friends to wrestle. We carpooled to GOUGE shows together and I got to meet more people. I had a blast! He even traveled with me to GA. It was back in December. December 2nd. And it was another show for FWF for a Toys for Tots benefit. This was the second worst night of my life. My new friend Tim was my manager that night. I was to face my old friend, Brandy Scotch. It was in the beginning of our match, and we were going for a maneuver we were so used to doing, and my boot got caught on the canvas. The spot messed up, and I hyper-extended my knee and sprained that same ankle. So, Tim and I ended up making a hospital trip that night. The match ended fairly quickly, although I was too stubborn to end it. The match was literally shit. So given pain medication and a knee immobilizer, we ventured back to our hotel. That night was very painful, and yet I remember it like yesterday. A week from that date, I was to wrestle for GOUGE again. I was anxious for my recovery. Tim took care of me the entire trip. And if it had not been for him, I don't know what I would've done that night. I could only think, if I had ended up going by myself. How would I have gotten home?
So that next weekend, the GOUGE show was here. It was in Raleigh, and my knee was still a little stiff. I had motion without pain, unless I pulled it back all the way, then it really hurt. I was the only female in a 10 man tag team elimination match. With The Hardy Boyz & Shannon Moore there as special guests, I could care less about the pain in my knee. I was more worried about putting on a good show, better than what I normally would. The match went off ok. You can't really be in a 10 man tag team match without it becoming a cluster fuck. But all I know, I gave more than 110% for that match, and I'm damn proud of myself. It was cool to be able to hang with them a little bit afterward, although once again, they were flocked with folks to talk with..so it was difficult to ask any questions. So I let them have their time.
I worked a few more shows for GOUGE before I ended up coming back home. A rough time in my life had come up, and dealing with it has been hard and difficult, but still I persevere! So here I am, still eager to get back into the ring, still working shows, and still having that drive to do what I do best. This has been my dream since I was 12. This will remain my dream until I die. And if there was or is ever a time I am not in that ring…that ring is with me…in my heart…in my mind..in my dreams. Forever.
