Lisa Marie Varon had the distinct honor of inducting her close friend Mickie James into the TNA Hall of Fame at Bound For Glory. In a new exclusive interview on “The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val,” Varon opened up about the entire experience, from the initial shock of being asked to the intense nerves she felt leading up to the speech, and even needing to get approval from WWE.
Varon explained how she first heard the news from TNA’s Tommy Dreamer. “Tommy Dreamer sent me a text message, ‘Hey, crazy lady, Mickie’s gonna get inducted [into the] TNA [Hall of Fame], and she wants you to induct her.‘ And I was like, Oh my god,” Varon recalled. Given her WWE Legends contract, her first step was to ensure her appearance was cleared by her contracted company.
“Since I have the WWE legends contract, I immediately called WWE, ‘Is it okay that I induct her?‘ And they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, congratulations. That’s amazing.‘ And they were so open arms,” she stated, highlighting the positive working relationship between the promotions.
The short notice, however, created immediate stress. “They called me like maybe eight days before, which I don’t have a dress, I don’t have shoes,” Varon said, detailing a frantic last-minute shopping trip involving homecoming dresses and multiple cowboy hats. Compounded by late travel and minimal sleep after arriving the night before, the pressure mounted.
Varon admitted the nerves were almost overwhelming. “I am a nervous wreck,” she confessed. “You know me not to be graphic or anything. I did throw up a couple times because I was just so, so nervous… Give me a wrestling match. I’m still nervous on that, but it’s much easier than speaking.“
Despite having notes, Varon chose to speak from the heart, avoiding reading directly from paper which she feels can seem insincere. “I just wanted to speak from the heart. And you know me, I am a mush, and I cry,” she said. The experience, while nerve-wracking, was ultimately a deeply emotional and rewarding one, celebrating her friend’s storied career. Click below to watch Val and Lisa Marie talk about the TNA Hall of Fame and lots more.Â
