WWE EVOLVE star Zayda Steel recently spoke with DS of Ring the Belle about various topics, including how AJ Lee inspired her to pursue a career in professional wrestling during her childhood.
Steel said, “Without AJ Lee, I would probably not think it was possible to be a wrestler. Because, you know, like a lot of people, like Lita, because they saw themselves in her. She didn’t look like everyone else. AJ Lee was my Lita.”
“Something in 10-year-old me resonated with her…”
She continued, “She didn’t look like everyone else, from even NXT when she was on the game show. You could tell that she kept true to herself always. She didn’t try to be like other girls. She didn’t look like them, obviously. Something in 10-year-old me resonated with her. Her match with Kaitlyn, Payback, she won that title. Oh, that was the only time I begged my mom to let me buy a WWE pay-per-view. That was the first WWE pay-per-view I ever bought, with my mom’s money, because I had to see AJ, and obviously she won, and 10-year-old me was like, I need that Divas Title. I bought, like, the cheap replica one, like the plastic, because we were broke. AJ, Lee, please come back. That’s all I want to say, please…”
Steel added, “Honestly, if I can’t get that match, give it to Roxanne or Cora or anyone else that grew up loving her as kids.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)
