In a new exclusive interview on “The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val,” TNA Hall of Famer Traci Brooks opened up about the emotional moment she watched her husband, Frankie Kazarian, finally win the TNA World Championship.
Brooks admitted that after being in the wrestling business for decades, it is easy to become “jaded” about championships, but this victory hit differently. “When he won it, I realized how much it meant. Like, I could cry right now,” Brooks said. “I thought, ‘Oh, he wins the belt, okay,’ but… watching with my son Rebel… we didn’t tell him he was winning”.
She described the win as a long-overdue validation for Kazarian, who has been a pillar of the company for over 20 years. “It’s just like, finally, finally, he gets his reward. He gets his flowers,” she explained. She noted that Kazarian is often the wrestler relied upon to make others look good or lead the locker room, sometimes at the expense of his own spotlight. “Everybody knows you step into the ring [with him], you’re going to have that amazing match… But for him to actually get his flowers like that… It really meant a lot to me”.
The celebration continued at home, where Brooks and their 13-year-old son, Rebel, created a special tribute to Kazarian’s career. “We actually, that night, started to plan a whole Frankie Kazarian ‘This Is Your Life’ TNA table,” Brooks revealed. “We started from his very first appearance at TNA… and then each time he won the X Division Championship… all the way to the champion”.
Brooks also shared that her son Rebel, who used to “hate” wrestling, has done a complete 180 and now aspires to follow in his father’s footsteps. “He wants to be a six-time X Division champion, because Frankie was five… He wants to be the youngest X Division champion,” she said.
Check out the entire interview below.
