Tatum Paxley initially burst onto the “WWE NXT” scene in 2022. It wasn’t until 2024, however, that she felt fans viewed her as a legitimate in-ring competitor.
During an interview with “TMZ’s Inside The Ring,” Paxley pointed to the triple-threat NXT Women’s Championship match against Roxanne Perez and Lyra Valkyria from 2024’s “NXT: Spring Breakin” as a major turning point in her wrestling career. According to Paxley, she wasn’t just elevated in terms of audience perception, but also that of “NXT” head booker Shawn Michaels.
“After that match was done, we go to Gorilla, I say thank you to everybody, and I go about my way. I’m like, ‘Okay, I think everything went pretty well. I had fun,”” she recalled. “Shawn Michaels pulled me back into Gorilla. This was one of the first times that I got to have a real true conversation with Shawn after a match. He was just really putting me over. He was like, ‘You are one of my girls now. You are one of mine.’ I remember at first I was looking down as he was talking to me and he made sure I looked into his eyes while he was telling me. He was also telling me ‘If you’re getting any hate online, you better ignore that.’ And he just kept saying, ‘You’re one of my girls now.’ It meant everything to me to have Shawn Michaels tell me that.”
With Michaels’ official nod of approval, Paxley felt an immediate boost of confidence and validation that her pro wrestling journey, which started with a WWE tryout in 2021, was indeed a promising one. Looking back on the moment now, Paxley further noted that she would never forget it as it marked the first time she truly spoke eye-to-eye with Michaels, who also resides in WWE’s Hall of Famer.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “TMZ’s Inside The Ring” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Read the full article here
