In an exclusive interview with SoCal Val for WrestlingNews.co, Lisa Marie Varon (fka Victoria) detailed the origin of her famous “psycho” gimmick in WWE, revealing that her original character was supposed to be a “Valley Girl” and that Trish Stratus and Fit Finlay were instrumental in creating the persona that made her a star.
A Scrapped “Valley Girl” Gimmick
Before she ever appeared on WWE television as the unhinged Victoria, the company had a completely different idea for her character. Varon explained that WWE creative initially saw her as something much different, a plan that was ultimately abandoned before it ever made it to television. “I had several message calls to come to TV, and I would get to Louisville airport or Kentucky airport, and they were like, ‘Hey, we changed our mind.’ I was supposed to be a valley girl,” she recalled. “And I’m like, I’m from California. But I don’t think I fit the stereotype when you picture a valley girl is the blonde, the ditzy, you know, that kind of thing. And I was like, they changed their mind. Thank God.”
Trish Stratus’s Request
Varon explained that her big break came thanks to her longtime friend and rival, Trish Stratus, who had been watching her work in the developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). Stratus, who was already one of the top stars in the women’s division, saw potential in Varon and requested to work with her on the main roster. “Me coming back as a crazy, psychotic girl… Trish was watching a lot of my work in OVW,” Varon said. “And, you know, we knew each other from the fitness days. And she was the one like ‘I want to when, when she comes up here, I want to face her.'”
Fit Finlay’s Vision
The credit for the specific “psycho” character trait, however, goes to legendary wrestler and producer, Fit Finlay, who saw something unique in her intense in-ring style. His observation gave birth to the entire gimmick. “And Fit was the one… to come up with the psycho gimmick. He goes, ‘Wow, you really… wrestle crazy,'” she remembered. “And I go, ‘I do Memphis style. I’m very exaggerated’… And I was like, ‘let’s just go with it.’ And I was like, ‘I’m so happy I got that character.'”
The “Goliath” of the Division
Varon stated that the character worked so well because she was physically different from most of the other women on the roster at the time, which allowed her to be a believable and intimidating heel. “Most of the girls that were there were tiny, itsy, bitsy things. And for me to be like the Goliath, you know, like the giant, it’s bullying the little kids, you know? I mean, it’s more believable,” she explained. “And I always love being a heel, which is totally opposite than I am in real life.”
The creation of the “psycho” gimmick led to a Hall of Fame-worthy career for Victoria, including multiple WWE Women’s Championship reigns and some of the most memorable matches of the era. The full exclusive interview can be seen on the “Velvet Ropes” YouTube channel.
This interview is exclusive to WrestlingNews.co. If you use these quotes, please include a link back to this page.
