Pro-wrestling star and former Knockouts champion Taya Valkyrie recently joined Comedy Store Wrestling for a discussion about all things pro-wrestling, which included her time reflecting on her short stint in WWE NXT, where she went under the name Frankie Monet. That and more can be found in the highlights below.
Says she was almost called Paris during her time in WWE:
I think that it also just goes through phases when it’s okay to keep your name (in WWE). Recently, a bunch of people who were using their real, actual names have to get renamed for example. That was a whole thing. So I don’t know. So I just started writing stuff down and I mean, I was almost named ‘Paris’ at one point.
How she’s still focused on doing acting projects outside of wrestling:
Oh, 100 percent (I can tell that casting directors view me as the ‘wrestler girl’ when I do auditions) … It’s hard because you kind of get people just look at you and get put in a box and a stereotype. It’s also why I grew out the side of my head because remember I had a side shave for five years almost and I was like, listen, I’m getting auditions to be a criminal, a criminal, an army person (she laughed) … I think I’m a good actress and I’m working on it and getting better and I would just love to be doing different roles and different parts and stuff but, it has definitely helped get in the door and definitely helps people go, ‘Oh, that’s that girl’ kind of thing. But, it can hurt me just because people assume that I’m just one thing.
(H/T and transcribed by Post Wrestling)