CJ Perry, best known to WWE fans as Lana, spent much of her tenure acting as a manager for her husband Rusev. While her in-ring career is not often highlighted by fans, she recently reflected on her first televised singles match during an appearance on “Ring The Belle.”
Perry discussed her Money in the Bank 2017 title match against Naomi, noting that while it was not her first singles bout ever, it was her first singles match on television outside of NXT.
“It was really nerve-wracking because the best – the way to learn is by getting out there and doing it,” Perry said. “It wasn’t my first singles ever, it was my first singles on TV. So it’s crazy that they decided to give me a title match, and Vince was really excited about this story! He’s like: ‘You’re gonna lose, and you’re gonna lose, and you’re gonna lose, and then you’re gonna become Tamina’s manager!’”
Perry explained that Vince McMahon believed she was not fully ready to wrestle at that stage. She agreed that she needed more time to develop. She also mentioned her appearance at WrestleMania 32 on the kickoff show, which she clarified was actually her first match in front of a live audience.
“I never even had a live event match before that!” Perry said.
Interestingly, Perry ended up receiving more than one SmackDown Women’s Championship opportunity against Naomi. According to her, that decision came directly from McMahon.
“So I was actually supposed to only have one title match against Naomi,” she recalled. “And then Vince was like: ‘I loved that! Let’s do another one!’ So, you know, we do another one and then, you know, Lana – just being a heel – her shoulder wasn’t fully pinned…”
Perry later referenced the finish on X by tagging then General Manager Shane McMahon and pointing out that her shoulder was not fully down. She insisted she was not trying to overstep creative boundaries.
“Creative didn’t like that; they thought I went into business for myself, and I genuinely didn’t! I just thought … I wasn’t trying to get a rematch; I didn’t think they’d give me a rematch for real!” she said. “I got a text from the head showrunner and like: ‘You can’t do that’ and ‘Vince thought you were doing that intentionally’ and I was like: ‘No! I’m not!’ I explained myself to Vince, of course. He’s like: ‘It’s fine, it’s fine, just clear those things first.’”
While Perry’s in-ring tenure was brief compared to her managerial run, her reflection highlights the pressure of being placed in a championship spotlight early in her wrestling development.
