Indi Hartwell: 18 Things We Learned From Her Interview With Chris Van Vliet

Here are 18 things we learned from Indi Hartwell’s interview with Chris Van Vliet:

1. Unexpected WWE Release Timing: Indi Hartwell was released from WWE in November of the previous year. She felt comfortable in her role for the first time only in her last two weeks (after participating in a Netflix shoot), making the release unexpected at that moment.
2. Retained Her Wrestling Name: She successfully negotiated to keep her well-known wrestling name “Indi Hartwell” after her WWE release. This was significant because she had previously sold the rights to the name to WWE during the NXT 2.0 era.
3. “Porn Star Method” for Name Origin: Her wrestling name “Indi Hartwell” was conceived years before she started wrestling, using what she humorously calls the “porn star name method”: it was her friend’s dog’s name (“Indi”) combined with her friend’s street name (“Hartwell”).
4. Emotional Journey Post-Release: Following her WWE release, Indi experienced an emotional rollercoaster, feeling grateful the first week, then frustrated and mad the second, followed by sadness in the third week, before eventually feeling fine and excited about new opportunities.
5. Green Card Secured via WWE: WWE assisted her in obtaining her green card and covered the associated costs a few years before her release. She considers getting her green card the best day of her life due to the relief it provided.
6. Inspired by Bayley vs. Sasha Banks: The NXT TakeOver Brooklyn 2015 match between Bayley and Sasha Banks was the pivotal moment that inspired her to immediately sign up for wrestling school.
7. Persistent Path to WWE Signing: After an early unsuccessful NXT tryout in Australia (the same one Rhea Ripley was signed from), Indi Hartwell persistently emailed WWE recruiters like Canyon Ceman with updates on her progress every 6-12 months for years. She was eventually signed after William Regal and Ceman saw her wrestle at an independent show during WrestleMania week in New York in 2019.
8. Shocking NXT Women’s Title Win: She was completely surprised to win the NXT Women’s Championship. She wasn’t initially booked in the ladder match, only got in via a last-chance qualifier, and Shawn Michaels informed the participants she was winning just the night before the match.
9. Injured During NXT Title Match: Indi severely injured her ankle and tore her meniscus during the NXT Women’s Championship ladder match (which she won/defended). Despite the pain and thinking her ankle was shattered, she courageously returned to the ring to finish the match.
10. Surprise Main Roster Draft: While still injured, she found out she was being drafted to the WWE main roster at the same time as the public, while she was attending a draft watch party at the WWE Performance Center.
11. Nervous Match with Becky Lynch: She had one of her few main roster singles matches against Becky Lynch, an experience that made her extremely nervous but for which she was very grateful, especially since Becky had specifically asked to work with her and other talents.
12. Early Fan Encounters with Future Colleagues: Years before becoming a wrestler, Indi met Rhea Ripley at an airport when both were fans trying to meet wrestlers. She also had full-circle moments later working with Bayley, Mercedes Moné, and CM Punk, all of whom she had previously met as a fan.
13. Initial Doubts About Continuing Wrestling: The night she was released from WWE, she confided in Bayley that she was unsure if she even wanted to continue wrestling, partly due to a loss of confidence from not being utilized much in the preceding year or two.
14. Motivation for Joining TNA: She signed with TNA because she grew up as a genuine fan of the company and its Knockouts division. She believes TNA is where she can thrive and is not viewing it primarily as a stepping stone back to WWE.
15. Independent YouTube Content Creator: After her WWE release, Indi started her own YouTube channel, something she had wanted to do for a while. She edits all her videos herself, often just using her phone, to give fans a glimpse into her life.
16. “Index” Storyline Serendipity: The popular “Index” storyline with Dexter Lumis in NXT originated from a comedic, unplanned moment in rehearsal where Indi bumped into the ring post. The positive reaction led to it being incorporated into a match, and the storyline organically grew from there.
17. New TNA Theme Song by Downstait: Her new theme song in TNA was created by the popular wrestling theme band Downstait. Chelsea Green facilitated the connection, and Indi requested a Limp Bizkit-style vibe for the track.
18. Her Three Points of Gratitude: When asked what three things she is grateful for, Indi Hartwell listed: 1. Her girlfriend and her family (for their support), 2. Her health, and 3. Her green card.