In an exclusive interview on WrestlingNews.co’s “The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val,” former WWE Women’s Champion Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria) shared a difficult story from her early days in the company, revealing she was kicked out of the women’s locker room and forced to change in a janitor’s closet.
An Unwelcoming Environment
Varon explained that the incident happened shortly after she transitioned from her role as one of The Godfather’s associates to a contracted in-ring competitor. The other women on the roster were not aware she had been signed to a deal. “I rolled my stuff in the locker room… and I came back after going to go say hi to everybody… and my stuff was out,” she recalled. “And one of the girls came out and said, ‘Hey, this is for contracted girls only.'”
Forced into a Janitor’s Closet
The rejection was a difficult moment for the newcomer, who was trying to find her place in a new and intimidating environment. “I was like, ‘Wow.’ You know, I was like, ‘Be strong. Be strong. Be strong.’ And I go, ‘Oh, okay.’ And I just grabbed [my stuff],” she said. “And I got dressed in a janitor’s closet.”
The Reason Behind the Hazing
Varon later learned the reason for the hostility, though it wasn’t explained to her at the time. “I found out later, some of the Godfather girls that were brought in were from strip clubs, and they would come back and things were stolen from their luggage or their purse,” she explained. “But that wasn’t explained to me… I wish it was explained to me… I wouldn’t have said anything.”
Ivory to the Rescue
She credited WWE Hall of Famer Ivory (Lisa Moretti) as the person who ultimately took her under her wing and helped her navigate the difficult road life. “Ivory… she took me under her wing and like, ‘Hey, do you want me to travel with you? You guys don’t know where to go eat and, like, check in, like how the road works,'” Varon remembered. “And she… rode with us… without her, like that woman, right? Is super important, too.”
Paying It Forward
The negative experience on her first day and the positive influence of Ivory shaped how Varon treated new talent for the rest of her career. “I learned from her that every new girl that came in, ‘would you like to ride with me?'” she said. “I don’t care if they’re there for a day… we can become friends for life.”
The full exclusive interview with SoCal Val can be seen on the “Velvet Ropes” YouTube channel, an exclusive to WrestlingNews.co.
This interview is exclusive to WrestlingNews.co. If you use these quotes, please include a link back to this page.
