Keeping It Safe: Why Wrestling Promotions Need To Enforce Better Security

Keeping It Safe: Why Wrestling Promotions Need To Enforce Better Security

By Ashley Matthew

Wrestler and fan related incidents have been occurring at shows for quite a long time, particularly at independent promotions. However, these types of incidents between wrestlers and fans have recently increased with mainstream promotions. While some promotions mention to their fans that they cannot touch the wrestlers apart from a handshake or a high five, this policy is not always properly enforced, leading to potentially dangerous situations for the wrestlers when fans take things a bit too far.  So how can situations such as fans trying to pick fights with wrestlers, fans touching or grabbing the wrestlers inappropriately, fans jumping the barricades to attack wrestlers and fans throwing items such as chairs and water bottles to the wrestlers be better avoided?

While there is no particular “be all, end all” solution, better security measures can help to better prevent incidents from happening at wrestling shows. For example, had security personnel actually stepped in to intervene like they are supposed to do, Taya Valkyrie could have avoided being spat on by a fan, Scarlett Bordeaux could have avoided being grabbed and almost pulled over the barrier by a fan and The Allure could have avoided the harassment they all received from one fan in particular at a recent show they performed at. Security needs to be properly trained on how to handle situations where fans get out of control. It shouldn’t be a wrestler’s responsibility to step in and take on security’s job by intervening to help their fellow workers out when a fan decides to act inappropriately at a show. Much respect though to the wrestlers that have stepped in to help their fellow workers during any incident that security has failed to assist on!

Although every promotion really needs to have them, barricades are not sufficient enough to prevent incidents from happening as evident by situations such as Eddie Guerrero being pushed off a ladder by a fan and both Bret Hart and Randy Orton being attacked in the ring by fans that decided to jump barricades. While barricades are there to further protect fans and wrestlers, security needs to be trained to act quickly and professionally when an incident arises. With security not being properly prepared or trained for any incident that could arise, the wrestlers and fans are both being put in danger.

For example, Bret Hart being attacked at the Hall Of Fame Ceremony also put Natalya in danger of possibly getting hurt as she was right next to her uncle in the ring at the time of the attack. Additionally, a fan could try to do something foolish and irresponsible, leading them to potentially hurt other fans around them. Not to mention, the fans causing trouble could get hurt themselves if a wrestler has no choice but to defend themselves all because security isn’t doing anything to resolve the matter. Promotions need to be making sure their security is properly trained through certified courses, training seminars and classes on how to handle dangerous situations in a swift manner.

Often, wrestlers need to be in specific areas of the ring or arena at certain times during a match, in order for certain moves they planned out to be executed properly and safely. If a fan chooses to get involved where they aren’t supposed to by either grabbing or attacking a wrestler, that wrestler they grabbed or attacked cannot be in the proper area they need to be for certain spots, further potentially placing any wrestler involved in the match in danger or risk. Fans need to consistently be made aware to not physically interfere in a wrestler’s performance and security needs to step up their game by being alert at all times in case an incident may occur by a fan who chooses to conduct themselves in a disrespectful and misbehaving manner at a show.

In conclusion, fans, please act respectfully and responsibly at wrestling shows. Just like musicians at a concert, actors in a theater play and other entertainers out there in their respective career fields, the wrestlers booked for the show you attend are there to perform for you. They are not there to be harassed or assaulted by you. If you wouldn’t want someone grabbing or touching your child, significant other or a family member close to you in an inappropriate way, please don’t grab or touch wrestlers in that way.

If you want to interact with the wrestlers, it is ok to ask them politely for a photo, high five or autograph. If you are respectful about asking for a high five, autograph or photo, most will be happy to oblige so long as they have the time to do so, meaning they don’t have to rush to make it their job outside of wrestling or to another booked show in time or leave the building to take care of some other important commitment. It is not ok to do something ignorant, illegal and in poor taste towards a wrestler just because you feel you are entitled to do so, because you bought a ticket or to try and get a little bit of attention, popularity or fame. All it will do is make you look bad in the long run.

Security, if you see an incident occurring, please don’t just stand there and do nothing but watch it happen or keep chatting with your friends. Please take your job seriously and be professional enough to actually do the job you are expected to do.  Promoters, please make sure the security at your promotion is doing their jobs properly and please keep your fans aware to act maturely, civilly and dignified at shows. By doing this, we can avoid any more serious incidents from happening because it shouldn’t have to take a more tragic event to happen for promotions to get more serious about enforcing proper safety and security measures at shows.

Finding Growth In The Struggle & Turning Negatives Into Positives

Finding Growth In The Struggle & Turning Negatives Into Positives

Sometimes in life we go through very tough and difficult times whether it be a family tragedy, a health issue, conflict with a co-worker or a friend, financial trouble, struggles finding a job etc. Often these times of trial can discourage, distress or even depress us. However, the difficulties we endure in life often make us stronger in the long run and help us find the courage we didn’t know we had, the courage to go on despite the difficulties, the courage to overcome these trials we are faced with.

The trick is finding the blessing in the difficulty. Sometimes that isn’t easy and sometimes we may not realize the blessing right away, sometimes not even until the problem has been resolved and we look back on everything we faced regarding it, learning from the experience. So how do we find the blessing? First, we can be grateful for the good things we still have in life while facing these trials and also remembering that things could be a lot worse and that others are facing bigger problems in the world than we are. Not only does that keep us humble and grateful but it often can even help us reflect to where we can possibly even find a solution to the current problem we face.

Of course, it is also perfectly ok to ask for help or advice from a trusted individual such as a friend or family member. If they are able to assist you with the problem, remember to thank them. If they aren’t able to assist you, do not hold a grudge against them for not helping especially if the matter regards financial trouble.

Translation: If you ask to borrow money from them and they tell you they can’t give you any, please try to be understanding. Perhaps they are not in a place where they can help financially for they may possibly be struggling with finances themselves and just not disclosing that information to anyone. Not everyone is comfortable with sharing their problems to the world after all and some people try to tackle on problems without other’s help or knowledge of the matter so if someone tells you the only way they can help is through prayer, please be appreciative of that because they are choosing to pray for you because they care for you and please don’t try to guilt trip them for not being able to do more than that for that may be the only way they can help right now.

Sometimes we go through things that really can’t be helped by anyone else but ourselves. In matters like these, we sometimes realize that if a situation cannot be controlled, there’s no point in exhausting ourselves and stressing ourselves out by fighting the situation. Sometimes it’s just something we have to embrace and by doing so, we can often turn a negative situation into a positive one by finding the way we ourselves can grow through our struggle.

A situation out of my control is something that has affected me in the past and continues to do so today. Through a lot of self-reflection, I came to realize that perhaps God had me go through what I went through in order to grow as a person in a variety of different ways through my life and career. I came to realize that perhaps these changes in my life are leading me to something bigger and greater in my life that I need to embrace rather than try to fight off and that it’s only a matter of time before I see the benefits from it. I have had to acknowledge that what I went though may be helping me to blossom into the person that God wants me to be and to develop my life and career into how he wants it to be. I had to find the positive in the negative by embracing it as an opportunity for growth and transformation in many areas of my life.

Therefore, I encourage you to do your best to find the silver lining in negative experiences and moments of hardship. Do what you have to in order to find a way to grow and become stronger from what you are enduring, even if it takes a while to do so. Keep a heart full of hope, a soul full of gratitude and a spirit of perseverance. I wish you all the best!

Sinful Storybooks: The Seven Deadly Sins In Fairy Tales

Sinful Storybooks: The Seven Deadly Sins In Fairy Tales

Fairy tales have been around for centuries. Often, they are some of the first stories we are introduced to during our childhood. While at the age of a child, we found these stories to be entertaining due to something magical being featured in them such as an enchanted castle, a mermaid or fairy godmothers that could make a person’s wishes come true, these stories actually contained very important morals and lessons such as being wary of talking to strangers or the importance of working hard and staying humble. However, did you ever realize that many old fairy tales contain themes of the seven deadly sins in them? While many fairy tales contain multiple sins, I am going to focus on seven fairy tales that focus on each of the seven deadly sins in a major way and the lessons it taught in the story through featuring those sins.

Little Red Riding Hood (Lust):

Little Red Riding Hood is a story that contains undertones of lust, especially through the symbolism of what the red hooded cape is meant to represent in regards to Red’s maturity as a young woman and what the wolf is supposed to represent symbolically as the predator in this tale. When Red is told by her mother to go visit her ill grandmother and bring her food to help ail her, she is informed to stay on the path. On her way to her grandmother’s home in the forest, she is approached by a wolf, who inquires to where she is headed. Innocently assuming that the wolf means no harm, she tells him she is headed to her grandmother’s home in the forest. The wolf, who lusts after Red as a meal tells her she should pick some flowers for her grandmother, which causes Red to stray from the path her mother urged her to stay on.

While Red picks flowers, the wolf rushes to Red’s grandmother’s home and gobbles the grandmother up. He then puts on Red’s grandmother’s clothing and gets into the grandmother’s bed in order to trick Red into thinking he is her grandmother upon Red’s arrival to the home. Once Red arrives, the wolf lures Red into the bed with him. Red notices how strange her “grandmother” looks citing how deep the wolf’s voice is and how big the wolf’s ears, eyes, hands and mouth are.  The wolf then eats Red.

Eventually, a huntsman comes along and cuts the wolf open with an axe, saving Red and her grandmother who are miraculously still alive and unharmed inside of the wolf. They then fill the wolf’s stomach with heavy stones. When the wolf awakens and attempts to escape, he falls over from the heavy stones inside his body and perishes.

Cinderella (Envy):

Envy is featured in the tale of Cinderella. Cinderella is a kind and hardworking girl who lives with her stepmother and stepsisters. Jealous of Cinderella’s natural beauty, good heart and charm, the stepmother and stepsisters are often very cruel and mean to Cinderella, treating her as a servant than as a family member. Cinderella is forced to do all of the housework and sleep by the fireplace. Her stepmother and stepsisters even make Cinderella dress in rags to try and diminish some of her natural beauty from shining through.

Despite the way her stepfamily tortures her, Cinderella remains kindhearted and even goes to her mother’s grave daily to pray that her life would improve. One day, the king decides to host a royal ball in honor of his son. Cinderella wants to attend but her stepmother forbids her, out of fear that Cinderella will ruin her daughter’s prospects of ending up married to the prince who is looking for a bride. On the night of the ball, she goes to her mother’s grave and prays she could still go to the ball. Her prayers are answered when she is granted with a beautiful dress and shoes.

Cinderella goes to the ball and wins the prince’s heart but leaves her shoe behind at the ball before leaving. The prince becomes determined to find the maiden who fits the slipper. He searches throughout the kingdom and eventually arrives at Cinderella’s home. Determined to fit into the slipper, Cinderella’s stepsisters cut off part of the heels of their foot but it is to no avail as the blood on their feet gives away their wicked scheme.

Cinderella asks to try the slipper on but is ridiculed by her stepfamily for asking. Nonetheless, she tries the shoe on and it fits her perfectly and she ends up marrying the prince. As for Cinderella’s stepsisters, they try to win over Cinderella’s favor but as punishment for how they have mistreated and abused Cinderella over the years, they become blind when their eyes are pecked at by birds.

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (Vanity):

While envy could be featured in this fairy tale to an extent, this story focuses also a lot on vanity. The Evil Queen is the stepmother of Snow White. The Evil Queen is known for being very superficial particularly regarding her physical appearance as she desires to be the most beautiful woman, or as it is worded in the story, “The Fairest Of Them All.” The Evil Queen constantly is gazing into her magic mirror asking it if she is indeed “ The Fairest Of Them All”. Usually, she gets just the reply she typically wants, confirming her outer beauty.

However, when the magic mirror tells the Evil Queen that Snow White has surpassed her in beauty and fairness, the Evil Queen lets her vanity get to her head and becomes jealous of Snow White, ordering the Huntsman to kill the young  and innocent princess. The huntsman cannot bring himself to kill Snow White and tells her to run away. Snow White runs away to a cottage in the forest where seven dwarfs live. Eventually, the Evil Queen discovers through her magic mirror that Snow White is still alive, meaning the Evil Queen is still not “The Fairest Of Them All”. Desperate to be the most beautiful in all of the land, the Evil Queen attempts to kill Snow White herself three times by the use of a very tightly laced bodice, a poisoned comb and a poisoned apple.

Snow White miraculously survives all of these attempts on her life and ends up marrying a prince. When The Evil Queen asks her mirror who the fairest of the land is again, the mirror tells her the prince’s bride to be. The Evil Queen investigates and discovers Snow White is alive and engaged to the prince. The Evil Queen lets her vanity overpower her again as she attempts to sabotage the prince and Snow White’s wedding. However, as punishment, the Evil Queen is forced to dance in red-hot iron shoes until she dies.

Hansel And Gretel (Gluttony):

The sin of gluttony can be found in the tale of Hansel and Gretel. When Hansel and Gretel end up abandoned by their stepmother and become lost in the woods, they come across a sugary sweet cottage made of gingerbread, cakes and candy. Starving, the two children begin to eat away at the cottage until an old hag opens the door and invites them in, promising them comfort and warmth. The children are unaware that the hag is actually a cannabilistic witch with a desire to cook the children and eat them. The witch throws Hansel into a cage and makes Gretel her servant, ordering her to fatten her brother up with sweets.

Hansel tricks the blind witch by using a stick to make her think he is not gaining any weight. Eventually, the witch grows restless and overwhelmed with hunger and decides she is going to eat Hansel and Gretel regardless if they had become fatter. In an effort to save her brother, Gretel tricks the gluttonous witch and ends up pushing her into the oven. She unlocks Hansel from his cage, take treasures from the witch’s cottage and return home to their father who is rejoiced to see them.

The Tortoise And The Hare (Sloth):

You might be wondering exactly how sloth is featured in this fairy tale. Sloth is featured when the very egotistical hare challenges the tortoise to a race. Thinking he is the fastest and that the tortoise will never catch up to him, the hare decides to get a bit lazy, hence where the sloth comes into play.

 The hare lets his conceitedness get to his head as he chooses to take a nap. However, when he awakens, he discovers the tortoise has already passed by him. As he struggles to catch up to the tortoise, it is far too late as the tortoise ultimately wins the race, proving hard work and dedication pays off as opposed to sloth and egotism, which does not.

King Midas And The Golden Touch (Greed):

King Midas shows how greed gets the better of him when he is granted with the power to have anything he touches be transformed into gold. This new ability begins to make him power-hungry, even to the point where he makes all of the furniture in his palace and all of the roses in his garden turn into gold. However, this power soon becomes a curse when he is unable to eat or drink anything without it turning into gold and when he ends up turning his own daughter into gold when he goes to hug her. Remorseful and regretful of his wish, he prays to be rid of his golden power, realizing there are things far more important than gold.

King Midas is commanded to go to a river to wash his hands. Once doing so, he is rid of his power and upon returning home, discovers everything that was once gold is back to normal, including his daughter who he is overjoyed to see. Having learned that riches are not everything, King Midas, now humbled generously shares his fortunes with the people of his kingdom.

Bluebeard (Wrath):

This fairy tale tells the story of a wealthy yet violent man who becomes a serial killer after murdering every woman he chooses to wed. However, when he chooses to marry once more, he fails to murder his new bride, who was ultimately forced to marry him. When Bluebeard has to depart from their home, he gives his wife a key to all of the doors in the house except for an underground chamber he forbids her from entering unless she wants to suffer his wrath. During a party with her family at the house, she sneaks into the chamber, curious as to why she was forbidden from entering it. Horrifed, she discovers the corpses of Bluebeard’s former wives.

She drops the key and unfortunately is unable to wash the blood off of it due to the key being magical.  When Bluebeard returns and discovers she went into the chamber, he has a fit of anger and attempts to kill his wife. However, before Bluebeard can kill her, the wife’s family save her, killing Bluebeard in the process. The wife inherits the castle and all of Bluebeard’s fortunes. She has all of Bluebeard’s former wives buried, ends up getting remarried herself and helps her family with the fortunes she has acquired.

Look To The Books: 11 Books To Enjoy Reading This Summer

Look To The Books: 11 Books To Enjoy Reading This Summer

Looking for some books to read during your summer vacation? Perhaps you need a book to read while you are relaxing poolside or at the beach? Check out some of these interesting books to read!

“The Last Black Unicorn” is an autobiography by comedian, Tiffany Haddish. This book focuses on how Tiffany Haddish found strength through her struggles throughout her life which include a childhood where she was bullied, marital issues, romantic relationships she once had with former co-workers, health problems, troubles she's had with her parents and finding her place in the world of comedy. This book is full of emotion and Tiffany’s stories in this book will certainly have you either laughing or crying.

Another autobiography you can check out is “We’re Going To Need More Wine” by actress, Gabrielle Union. This is another book filled with emotional stories that will either have you laughing or crying. In this book, Gabrielle Union discusses starring in the film, “Bring It On”, dealing with a stalker, being raped, her ex-husband, being a stepmother and finding love again after her divorce from her first husband.

“The Redheaded Princess” by Ann Rinaldi tells the story of Elizabeth I of England and how she went from a young princess to a strong and powerful queen. The novel focuses on her relationships with her family including her sister, Mary I. The novel also details her relationships with her tutors who helped strengthen her into the queen she was destined to become.

“Red Riding Hood” by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright is based on the film starring Amanda Seyfried, Billy Burke and Gary Oldman. The story focuses on a young lady named Valerie who is in love with a rebellious woodcutter named Peter. However, her family arranges her to marry, Henry, a wealthy blacksmith in town. While struggling to be engaged to a man she doesn’t love, Valerie also has to mourn the loss of her sister who is killed by a werewolf that haunts her village. Eventually, the mysterious werewolf comes for Valerie and she must make the difficult decision to either leave her loved ones behind and flee the village with the werewolf or fight the werewolf in order to protect her loved ones and possibly rid the village of the creature that has frightened them for decades.

“Ash Princess” is the debut novel by Laura Sebastian. It tells the story of a young Astrean princess named Theodosia who loses her kingdom after a ruthless Kaiser and his Kalovaxian army invades her family’s country, murder her mother and imprison Theodosia. Throughout the years, Theodosia is bullied, harassed and beaten. When the Kaiser forces Theodosia to murder her own father, Theodosia finally makes the decision to seek revenge on the Kaiser and his army and with the assistance from a few loyal followers, devises a plan to reclaim her throne and her kingdom.

“Memoirs Of A Geisha” by Arthur Golden takes place in Japan and tells the story of a little girl named Chiyo, who is sold off to a geisha house after her mother becomes gravely ill and her father can no longer provide for her and her sister, Satsu. The geisha house chooses to keep Chiyo but unfortunately, not her sister so Chiyo and Satsu are separated from each other. After a failed escape attempt, Chiyo loses hope of ever having a happy life again. This changes, however, when a Chairman shows her a bit of kindness. Chiyo then begins to see the life of a geisha as a positive thing and strives to become one so she can someday be reunited with the Chairman.

As the years go by, Chiyo eventually begins her geisha training with a famous geisha named Mameha. She ventures on to become one of the most successful geishas herself under a new name, Sayuri. However, her life still has its troubles as she must deal with her sudden success as a geisha potentially being sabotaged by a rival geisha that she lives with, Hatsumomo who has been envious of Sayuri since childhood due to her exquisite beauty.

“Fallen Grace” by Mary Hooper takes place in Victorian London and focuses on an orphan named Grace Parkes and her sister. While Grace and her sister struggle to survive on the streets of London, Grace becomes pregnant, eventually giving birth to a stillborn. The baby’s death leads Grace and her sister down a path where they find themselves associated with wealthy, powerful people. Upon discovering a fraud that has been placed upon them, Grace and her sister strive to claim the legacy they were meant to have.

“Close To Famous” by Joan Bauer focuses on a group of people living with big dreams in a small town. Foster McFee desires to have her own cooking show like celebrity chef, Sonny Kroll. Meanwhile, Macon Dillard wishes to be a documentary filmmaker. Miss Charleena dreams of making a Hollywood comeback while Foster’s mother hopes to become a headliner instead of a backup singer. When unexpected events occur in their small town, everyone’s aspirations will be put to the test.

“Rio” by Georgina Gentry focuses on a cowboy named Rio who has fallen in love with a woman named Turquoise Sanchez. However, the Senator of Texas, who is used to getting everything he desires, is also interested in Turquoise. Turquoise is faced with the decision to either marry the Senator for a comfortable life or follow her heart and be with her cowboy.

“Anya’s War” by Andrea Alban is based on a true story. It focuses on a girl named Anya Rosen. Anya and her family move from Odessa to Shanghai, in the hopes that China will be safer from Adolf Hitler. Life for Anya in Shanghai is comfortable until Anya finds out her hero, Amelia Earhart has disappeared. Along with this, Anya discovers an abandoned newborn and eventually realizes that no place is fully safe.

“Icebreaker” by Deirdre Martin focuses on a man named Adam Perry, who has become the newest hockey player for the New York Blades. When Adam is charged with assault on another player, he hires an attorney named Sinead O’Brian. Torn between Adam’s struggles to help his team win the Stanley Cup and Sinead’s rule about not dating her clients, the pair never expected that they would fall in love.

Book Review: "Ash Princess" by Laura Sebastian

Book Review: “Ash Princess” By Laura Sebastian

            “Ash Princess”, which was released on April 24^th, 2018 is the debut novel from author Laura Sebastian. This fantasy novel is the first book in the series and tells the story of a young princess named Theodosia (Also known as Thora or Theo throughout the novel) whose country known as Astrea was invaded when she was only six years old by a wicked Kaiser and his Kalovaxian army. Theodosia’s kindhearted mother was murdered during Astrea’s invasion but the Kaiser spared Theodosia’s life. However, Theodosia’s life was not easy as the Kaiser made her his prisoner, doing everything in his power to both humiliate and torture her on a daily basis. Ten years after the invasion, the cruel Kaiser forces Theodosia to kill her own father, which further sparks a desire for vengeance within her along with the will to take her country and throne back from the Kaiser.

            This well-written book is very detailed and the story definitely sucks you in. It was a book I myself just couldn’t put down. I loved the character development with Theodosia as she goes from a broken, abused and shamed girl to a strong, brave and fearless woman. Theodosia is definitely my favorite character in this book as well as Heron, who is one of the few loyal and magical allies helping Theodosia reclaim her kingdom.

Another favorite character is Soren, who is the Kaiser’s son but unlike the Kaiser, is compassionate and kind.  As for the Kaiser, he is definitely a character you can easily dislike, especially when he treats Theodosia with ridicule, harassment and cruelty every time he sees her. Cress is a character that is likable at first, due to the kindness she first shows with Theodosia but soon becomes a character you grow to dislike after her true colors begin to show and she starts to treat Theodosia less as a friend and more like a possession simply due to envy and her own desire to become a princess herself.

“Ash Princess” is truly an empowering story about how a young girl, who once felt defeated and hopeless, finds her strength, discovers her courage and becomes her own heroine. The book will cause you to keep turning the pages as it is full of depth and emotion plus the ending leaves you with a surprising cliffhanger involving Theodosia and the mother of her ally, Artemesia. I should warn that there are some darker parts in the book where graphic violence is expressed, due to the themes of slavery and punishments that are in this book. However, I would definitely recommend this book especially if you like to read about rebellion, royals, magic, love triangles or powerful women.  I am very much looking forward to reading the second novel in this series, “Lady Smoke”, which is set to be released in Spring 2019.

Jessica Jean Fan Q&A: Part 2

Jessica Jean Fan Q&A: Part 2

Q: What do you love most about being a professional wrestler?

A:  Besides working with some great and talented workers in the business, the thing I love most about being a professional wrestler is getting to empower and inspire little girls and young women by showing them it’s ok to be ambitious, confident, brave, strong, successful and smart regardless of what anyone else says or thinks. I want to continue to show young girls and women that they can be anything that they want to be in life and that whatever dream they have, whether it’s to be a professional wrestler or whatever else their heart desires, they can achieve it if they just believe in themselves and go for it.

Q: Have you ever been recognized in public by fans?

A: I actually did get recognized by a fan from Tuff Pro Wrestling while grocery shopping at Kroger in Fairfield, Ohio.

Q: How do you deal with constant criticism from fans or other women wrestlers?

A: If it is constructive criticism as in telling me something I can improve on in the ring specifically, I will take it and thank my fellow worker for their input on how I can better myself as a wrestler or manager because improvement is something I always strive towards achieving. However, if a fan or fellow worker is just spreading negative talk or just bashing where it serves no constructive purpose at all, I ignore it. If it doesn’t help me grow as a wrestler or manager, it isn’t worth listening to and most likely that type of negative talk is coming from that person’s own insecurities with themselves.

For fans who try to slander me, legitimately wish bodily harm for me,  threaten me, constantly criticize or try to put me down over every single little detail, from something personal such as the way I look or something wrestling-related such as whatever I am doing  ringside or in the actual ring, I just forgive them and pray for them because they obviously have their own personal issues in their lives that they need to sort out if they feel the need to constantly try to belittle and bully others for any little thing they possibly can think of belittling or bullying someone for.  I then remind myself that their opinions and hateful, negative words don’t matter because when it comes down to it, they don’t understand me as a worker in the business or as a person in general and they don’t understand my own specific plan for my career , my own specific goals or what I personally define as success. I also remind myself that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength and I remind myself that God wouldn’t have led me to all of the opportunities I have had in my career thus far and that he wouldn’t have led me to following my childhood dream of being a professional wrestler in the first place if it wasn’t something I wasn’t meant to be doing.

Q: What books have you currently read this year?

A: I have read “Red Riding Hood” by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright.  I am currently in the process of reading “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen, “Where The Heart Is” by Billie Letts and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte.

Q: What are some of your dream matches you would like to accomplish at some point during your wrestling career?

A: I would love to wrestle a match at an outdoor wrestling event and I would love to participate in a Women’s Royal Rumble match. I think it would be fantastic to see a huge Women’s Royal Rumble match on the independent scene.

Q: How do you deal with body shaming from fans or other women wrestlers?

A: Thankfully, I haven’t dealt with body shaming from other women wrestlers. As for fans body shaming me, that is something I have dealt with. I just have to remember that God made me the way I am for a reason and it is beautiful.  I also have to remember that when fans body shame me, they are just speaking from an insecure place from within them and that the problem is not me or my looks but something they are personally dealing with that they are choosing to just take out on me instead of them handling whatever that problem they have in a more positive and productive manner.

Q: Why do you feel education is so important in society?

A: I think education is so important in society because no matter your age, you are always learning something new. You never stop learning throughout life whether you are in school or not. However, I do think that every person all over the world, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, political beliefs, financial income etc., deserves a good education and the right to learn and go to school if they want to do so. I believe students in school should have access to excellent school supplies which includes properly working computers in classrooms along with a vast, informative selection of books in school libraries.

Q: If money were no issue, what would be the top 3 cities outside of the U.S. you would travel on vacation to?

A: I would want to travel to Paris, France as well as Verona, Italy and London, England.

Q: Which independent women wrestlers would you like to see signed with WWE within the next 5-10 years?

A:  I would love to see Aja Perera make it to the WWE. I’m not sure if that is one of her dreams with her career or not but I think she would be a great addition to the women’s division in the WWE. While I have never worked with Aja Perera in the ring personally, I have watched matches of hers and she is definitely a very talented, hardworking young lady. She has been accomplishing many good things with her career including getting the incredible opportunity to wrestle in Japan. I would love to see her make it to WWE to work with women like Alicia Fox, Asuka, Nia Jax, Ember Moon, Alexa Bliss, Bayley and Kairi Sane.

 I also think Kaela would be a nice addition to the women’s division in the WWE. Again, while I have never worked with Kaela in the ring personally either, she is a very talented and hardworking lady wrestler also, as I have had the opportunity to see her wrestle live against Mary Elizabeth Monroe at an LSC show back in the summer of 2014, shortly before I got into the wrestling industry myself.

Q: You used to go by the ring name of JJ Sparxx. How did you get that ring name, why did you change it and would you ever go back to using that ring name in the future?

A: I actually got the ring name from my first trainer, Dennis Page. I told him I wanted to go by Jessica Jean, which is my sister’s name and my mother’s middle name, as a way to honor both of them. He came up with the idea to shorten the name to JJ and then add Sparxx to it. The original idea was for me to come out as a face with an All-American Girl gimmick which would have consisted of very patriotic clothing and sparklers. However, while that idea fell through as I was put into a heel role first, the name JJ Sparxx was used for my ring name.

I was hesitant to use the name of JJ Sparxx, due to another female wrestler near that area having a similar ring name and I did let my trainer know this but I was told by other workers in the business that it would be fine and at that point felt like I really didn’t have much say in the matter as I didn’t want to show disrespect to my trainer either by refusing to go along with his ideas for my ring name and gimmick. I still had a strong feeling it would come back to haunt me and of course, I was right as it did get pointed out online by another worker in the business later on that it was similar to this other female wrestler’s name. At that time, Dennis Page was no longer my trainer plus I was starting to get a little bit more creative control over my gimmick so I decided to change the ring name to what I originally wanted it to be, Jessica Jean . As for ever going back to that ring name, I have been asked by promoters to go back to using that ring name but I have explained the situation to them and explained that I don’t want to use a name similar to another woman’s ring name, out of respect for that woman wrestler and what she has accomplished in her magnificent career thus far especially when it was a woman wrestler whose matches I watched at live events on Tuesday nights during my years in high school when I was still dreaming of being in the wrestling business.

Q: What are the most important things that you would want fans to identify with you when they see you at a wrestling event as a manager or wrestler?

A: The most important things I would want fans to identity with me when I am performing at an event as a manger or wrestler would be the ability to see a girl who absolutely loves the wrestling industry, who has fun with it and has a lot of heart for it. I also would want them to see me as a woman who tries my best to empower the little girls and young women in the audience by showing them they can be anything they want to be in life and that whatever they decide to be in life is a beautiful thing because it’s their choice and it’s their dream they are following, regardless if that dream is to become a professional wrestler or something else completely outside of the wrestling industry.

Q: Favorite fan interaction you have ever had?

A: My favorite interaction with a fan so far was with a little girl at an IWA show.  I believe she was around 4-6 years old. I was told she missed getting the chance to give me a high five when I was out there for my match with Tragedy Ann earlier so I came out during the event’s intermission to meet her personally. She seemed a little shy at first but I broke the ice after complimenting her sparkly shoes. After that, I talked to her for a good while and then gave her a big hug before going to greet other fans.

Jessica Jean Fan Q&A: Part 1

Jessica Jean Fan Q&A: Part 1

Q: What have been your favorite outfits to wear while managing?

A: One outfit I loved wearing was black thigh high leg flares I bought from a seller on Etsy with black Refuse To Be Usual leather shorts I bought on EBay, black lowtop Converse sneakers and a black wife beater top that said “Sinner” on it. Another outfit I loved wearing was a black and pink snapback cap from Beautiful Disaster Clothing with denim cuffed shorts, Converse low top sneakers, pink lace fingerless gloves from Claire’s Boutique and a black wife beater top that said “Adorably Evil” on it. I bought the top on Redbubble and the design on the shirt was similar to the hat’s design.  

I also liked wearing a red plaid skirt with red plaid ring shorts underneath, a black “S.O.M.” shirt and a black headband with my Converse boots. Another outfit I loved wearing was a black “S.O.M.” tank top with a pair of denim Banana Republic jeans with black thigh high Jessica Simpson boots that I paired with a black lace duster jacket, which I later changed to a black Joker hoodie I bought at Meijer when S.O.M. came out again that night at the show. Another outfit was a black vintage velvet capelet from the 1800’s with a black wife beater top, black Converse low top sneakers, a black headband and black pants.

Q: What has been your favorite outfit to wear for a championship photo shoot?

A:  The outfits in the two photos below.

Q: What are some of your goals you still want to accomplish in your wrestling career?

A: I would love to work as a general manager at some point during my career. I would also love to do guest commentary for a match.

Q: What were your thoughts on the first ever WWE Women’s Elimination Chamber Match?

A: I think it’s amazing that women in the WWE are getting more opportunities to showcase their skills through big matches like the Elimination Chamber Match. While I personally was hoping Mickie James would win, I am still content with the outcome of the match. Every single woman competing in that match should be proud of themselves for all of the hard work they have done and for continuing to make history for the Women’s Division in the WWE.

Q: Would you like to get involved with the promoting and matchmaking side of wrestling one day?

A: Possibly, if the opportunity is ever presented to me in the future.

Q: Do you get fans asking you for autographs when you are in a mall/ restaurant?

A: So far, I have only had fans ask me for my autograph through messages online and at actual wrestling events. Currently, I do not have an online shop for my merchandise, which includes shirts and signed photos so I am only able to sell my merchandise at actual wrestling events for now.

Q: Do you think celebrities have a responsibility to be positive role models?

A: I think everyone has a responsibility to be a positive role model, whether they are a celebrity or not. You don’t always know if a friend, family member or someone else around you in your life may be looking up to you as an inspiration and if they are, you should want to be the best positive role model that you can be for them.

Q: Do you think social media helps or hurts society?

A: I honestly think it can do both. It really depends on if a person is using it in a negative or positive way. For example, if a person decides to use social media to promote an important cause or charity, then that is a positive way it can help society because they are getting important information out there that can help others and make a positive impact on a person’s life. However, if a person decides to use social media to bully someone, then that is negatively impacting society because it is promoting cruelty and hatred towards another living being, which is never ok.

Q: Other than your mother, what woman has had the biggest impact on your life?

A: My grandmother on my mother’s side has always had a big impact on my life. She was a very devout Christian and was one of the kindest women I ever knew. If someone was struggling to get by in life and needed help, she would do anything she could to help them, even if it meant opening up her home for them to stay at. She inspired me by what she taught me growing up which is to be kind, caring and forgiving to others, no matter how they may treat you in return.

Q: What accomplishments in both your personal life and your wrestling career are you most proud of?

A: So far, the accomplishment in my personal life that I am most proud of is earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cedarville University. I majored in Journalism and minored in both Bible and Creative Writing. The accomplishment I am most proud of in my wrestling career so far is simply getting to meet and work with so many awesome and talented workers in the business such as Tragedy Ann and Arella Angel.

Q: What do you think makes a person beautiful?

A: I think it is how an individual treats others that makes them beautiful. If you are kind, forgiving, positive, encouraging and caring to others, it definitely makes you beautiful. To me, inner beauty is so much more important and precious than outer beauty.

Q: What is your favorite memory from your wrestling career so far?

A: My favorite memory from my wrestling career so far is a road trip taken to a wrestling event for Life Line Wrestling in Indiana with Rayne Ravage, Nicholas Davidson and Rob Fatone. It was my first wrestling road trip and my first wrestling event I have been to out of the state of Ohio. I had lots of fun and my friends worked hard that day and did a wonderful job so I was very proud of them.

Q: What are your favorite matches in your career so far?

A: My two matches with Tragedy Ann have been my favorite matches in my career so far. She is a very tough, strong opponent and talented athlete who has pushed me to work hard and challenge myself in the ring. It has been a complete honor to be able to work with a wonderful wrestler like her and I hope I get the opportunity to work with her in the ring more in the future.