At just 22 years old, Roxanne Perez has already accomplished more in WWE than she has in her entire career. “The Prodigy” is currently the reigning WWE NXT Women's Champion, and Perez has had impressive run of success defending the title against the likes of Chelsea Green, Natalya, Lola Vice, Lyra Valkyria, and even TNA's Jordynne Grace.
As the brand's show prepares to move to The CW on October 1, this incredible talent continues to grow more confident with every appearance. Perez is hoping to win the landmark event – and the only person standing in her way is Jada Parker. The rising superstar has her sights set on capturing the title at No Mercy on September 1. Here, Perez talks about Parker, learning under CM Punk and wanting to build her own legacy.
When you're playing a villain on TV, who are you playing?
Roxane Perez: So many people. The Rock when he was a heel, CM Punk, AJ Lee, Alexa Bliss, Eddie Guerrero, so many others. I've been watching wrestling my whole life. I've seen the greats.
How did your family react?
They've seen a little bit of this side come out every now and then, so they're like, “We've seen a little bit of this before.” Just kidding, but they enjoy watching me.
What did you think of the news that NXT is moving to the CW in October?
I was really excited. I think you can expect some really cool and different stuff. NXT is a developing brand, but we feel like we can level up a lot and stand on our own. We are our own brand. I think when NXT 2.0 started, everyone was a little skeptical. Nobody knew what to expect, but I think we proved it was something really cool. We released NXT 2.0, which is the best selling one to date. Stand & Delivery She's the best of all time, so it's proof that we're doing something right. It's proof that Shawn Michaels is doing something right. What I think is so great is that the women's division is being promoted so much in NXT. It's not just one or two matches. There are a ton of women on the whole show. It just goes to show that our women's division is the best women's division in the world.
You’ll be going out with CM Punk at the CW’s first ever NXT in Chicago, what’s it been like getting to know him?
He's a really inspirational guy. I grew up watching him. So now I'm happy to be able to learn under his tutelage and get a lot of advice from him. He always stops by NXT. [premium live events] He sits down and watches the whole show and gives us all advice after the game, but it's not something he has to do. He just does it. I'm so grateful for him. He's so amazing. I've learned so much from him already and I can't wait to continue learning from him.
Social media has been rife with speculation about who could be the next Four Horsewomen to follow in the footsteps of Bayley, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair, with Bayley herself even putting herself forward as a candidate. What are your guesses?
That's a tough question, but I'd choose myself, Cora Jade, Indi Hartwell and Lyra Valkyria. All of us have wanted to do this our whole lives. We've been chasing this dream. All of us really want it. All of us were able to show why we could be the next Four Horsewomen. I think we're a great group of talented individuals.
You mentioned The Rock earlier as an inspiration. Have you had any interaction with him? [his daughter] Can Ava set up a meeting?
I haven't met The Rock yet, but I will soon, and I'll be able to ask him a few questions.
What's the first question you'd ask him?
What's his best advice to stay as great for as long as he was at the top? I feel like the legacy that he's built. That's my goal. I want to be remembered. I want to build a legacy. I want every man and woman to come up to me and say, 'Hey, I'm a WWE wrestler because you made me feel that way when I was a kid.' I hope I can do that for other people too.
NXT talent has appeared on the following shows: Main Event, raw, and smack downYou've been there a few times. What's the atmosphere like?
It's awesome. I love the environment. Every time I go there, it makes me want to go there someday. It's awesome. It's amazing to be surrounded by people that I looked up to. It's only natural for me to be surrounded by people that I looked up to, but I feel like this is where I belong and where I was meant to be. It feels amazing.
You're very young, but you've been in the business for a long time. What's it like being a veteran mentoring a young talent that's just starting out? Jada Parker would fall into that category. No mercy In this category.
I think it's cool to be 22 and play a veteran. Jada is amazing. She's only been here a year or so. Her growth and how far she's come in a year is amazing. I wasn't in WWE. [premium live event] She's been wrestling for less than a year now. I respect her. I look forward to wrestling her. Sorry, Jada, it's not your time yet. You will be a champion in the future. She has the confidence and the aura. She has it all. But she is not a “phenom”.
Everyone has an opinion on whether or not WWE should have an all-female show again, what do you think?
That's great. I've been waiting for that for a long time. Evolution II I think I might be a part of that for quite some time. The first time I saw it, I was probably 15 or 16 years old, watching it on my couch, and I've always wanted to be a part of that. Yeah, I hope they put it together. Evolution IIMaybe me vs Bailey?
To be precise, your WWE debut was… Total Diva As a young fan, years from now, if a show like this were to come back, would you be on a reality TV show?
Yeah. I'd welcome that. I think that would be pretty cool. In fact, they've been talking about it from time to time. So now it's just a matter of whether it will happen. You never know what's going to happen.
Lastly, have you watched any good TV lately?
I'm a bit of a nerd, so honestly I watch wrestling all the time. Office and friendThose are feel-good shows for me. I go back and forth wrestling with them.
WWE NXTTuesday, 8pm/7pm ET, USA Network
WWE No mercySept. 1, 7/6c, The Peacock