![Lina Fanene [FKA Nia Jax In WWE] On The Wives Of Wrestling Podcast Recap](https://i0.wp.com/featuresofwrestling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/nia-jax-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1)
Former WWE Raw and Women’s Tag Team Champion Nia Jax was a recent guest on The Wives of Wrestling Podcast. Jon Alba, Giovanna Angle and Kim Orton discussed Nia Jax’s memorable career in WWE, which included winning the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania and appearing in both the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches. They also discussed life after wrestling and much more:
On Nia Jax’s representation in WWE:
Well, you know when you’re in it, you’re just kind of doing your thing. I went out every night and wrestled, had a good time and listened to the old timers and made sure like I was doing the correct thing. But when I got to step back for a little bit and realising like wow, they really didn’t have a woman like me represented for a very long time, and when that was, she wasn’t represented for a long time, or even in the light that I was represented as. Like I really got some cool you know, bookings and you know, being champ and different storylines and working with certain people and, and getting to work with the guys you know, getting RKO’d and 619’d and all that. So, it was a pretty cool thing. Like I when I got back to my release, I sat back and it was a crazy day, but I was pretty relieved because in the short period of time that I feel as though like I’d had a wrestling career, I had a great career. You know, there were so many amazing things I got to do and I’m very proud of that and proud that I was able to be that for women and for women like me.
On finding out about the 2019 Royal Rumble entry:
So we were, before the show, you know how we all get in the ring and we run through it. so I was running through the girls Rumble match, and my number kept getting changed in that match. I wasn’t sure like they wanted me out earlier and then later and then there was some stuff with Becky and Charlotte I had to get involved in. So like I was up there rehearsing up until the doors were opening. And so I’m walking back and then Johnny [Ace], he’s like ‘Hey kid.’ And I was like, what’s up? He’s like, ‘Oh, just so you know. Vince and I, we talked about it. You’re gonna be in the men’s rumble tonight.’ And I was like I just was like, Haha, like he was joking with me like whatever like, I didn’t even get a chance to rehearse it, the doors are opening there’s no way you’re throwing me in a Men’s Rumble. And he was like ‘Yeah, we’re gonna rehearse the part with Truth real quick before the doors open up’. And I was like ‘You’re serious?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna replace truth at number 30.’ I was like uhh…
On being nervous about taking a 619 and an RKO:
I mean, I was freaking out. Well first I was like super irritated with the girls match, I’m not going to get into it. So that put me in a better mood. But I was freaking out and I was like there’s no way. We rehearse this stuff with Truth and of course Truth being the amazing professional that Truth is, it was just easy. And then he [Johnny Ace] was like yeah, you’re in there, you’re gonna be with Rey you’re gonna be with Dolph gonna be with Randy and you’re gonna be with Andrade Like, what the actual f*ck. There’s no way. And so then the guys were in a room and they were talking about it and I was getting ready for the girls match because we were out first. So I run in there and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, I’m about to, you know, go on the girls match, but I don’t know what I’m doing.’ And they were just so cool. It was Randy and Rey and they were just like ‘Don’t worry about it. We have it all done.’ They ran me through what was gonna happen and I just remember having like chills on my on my back and I said I have never taken the RKO, I’ve never taken the 619, I don’t want to f*ck this up. Are you kidding me? Like these are some of the biggest moves in wrestling history. And I’m about to take this live and I’ve never taken it before and I just remember saying, ‘Randy, I don’t want to fuck this up. Should we walk through it? Do you want to RKO me in the hallway?’ Like I was freaking out. And he was just like ‘Kid Don’t worry. He’s like, just turn to the left and just ride with me’. So just imagine me like I’m about to go out to the women’s match and have to remember that.
On Randy Orton bumping for Nia Jax:
What was even crazier was that I did not know this was going to happen and I almost peed myself, when I gave Randy a shoulder tackle and he bumped for me. I legit I looked down like holy f*ck, did Randy just bump for me? He wasn’t gonna bump, you know we didn’t talk about that, it was just gonna be like a shoulder [tackle], he was gonna go away and he bumped for me. Like people who are in the business and you guys know like that is huge. Especially for Randy Orton on his pedestal you know he’s just incredible and then for a woman to get in there with him and he bumped for me it was like [gasps]. It was literally a moment where like everything kind of stopped for a second.
On Nia Jax’s relationship with Vince McMahon:
Well, I’ve always just been, I call myself a Vince girl. Whatever he wants to, whatever match he wants to put me in, whatever opponent, whatever kind of weird gimmick he wants me to do. I’m just like, Yeah, whatever you want, like, it’s my job, you know. I was like, yo, whatever you like. And I think they were just wanting to spice up this rumble, you know, make it different. And Johnny said he suggested it to Vince and Vince loved it. And, I mean, you know, that was crazy, because it wasn’t just like being in the men’s match, I was in both rumbles in the same night. You know and somebody said that to me that night. I got obliterated that night in the hotel, and everybody was buying me a shot and I was like hammered. Rey was freaking getting me wasted, so awesome. Shane McMahon, oh man. Anyways, we were just, we were sloppy messes. And somebody was like, did you know you were in both [Rumbles] tonight? And I was like, Ah, I was, sh*t that’s huge. You know when you are in it, it’s like, it’s just a cool moment. And like, you’re just trying to soak it all in and, and then when you get past it, you’re, you know, you’re honoured that they thought of you to be in that position. You know what I mean? Like, I always had a good relationship with Vince, like, we chatted and laughed, we joked and so I even went up to him and just said ‘I’m very grateful that you thought of me for this.’ And he was going ‘Of course, of course, I want to see you get your ass kicked.’ You know, jokingly, how Vince is. But it is a huge opportunity. Because if you don’t get put in that positions, you know, that’s it, you’re easily forgettable, you know, people, you can go up and be on the main roster and have a couple of matches here and there. But if you don’t get put into some seriously cool storylines or matches like that, you kind of get forgotten. So it was a super super cool moment, and I was super honoured.
On the male finisher Nia Jax wants to take:
Oh, of course Stone Cold Steve Austin. You want to get the Stunner because you want to do the sell, the crazy sell. Of course Stone Cold, I felt like that’s just number one for me. I’ve always wanted to be like, picked up. Like legit picked up and slammed, like a Brock [Lesnar slam]. I was like, dude, I’ll go get thrown around by Brock, how fun would that be? Just because I didn’t throw them around, I did the picking up right? Yeah, like, it happened once, you know, Tamina picked me up and Charlotte picked me up. It’s just, but you know, never like thrown around. Of course. I’m a bigger girl, I’m super heavy. It would have take somebody extremely strong, but I’m like Brock could friggin toss me around like I’m nothing. Let’s go.
On the WrestleMania 34 match with Alexa Bliss:
Well, it was really cool, because it was something that Alexei and I, like, you know, we were able to collaborate together on it. And it was so funny, because she would get so evil and people were like, how dare they make fun of [Nia]. If anybody knows Vince, like Vince loves to, like make the obvious, like, just an expanded like, you know, like making there was a there was a promo where they were like making Mickey and her were just making fun of the way I looked and like, you know, my size and people just went nuts on Twitter. And so to me, it was like, making it more real made it better with everybody. People were like, Fuck Alexa, f*ck Mickie! They were really behind me, Like the only time anybody was behind me in the company, but they were really behind me. And it was such a cool story because I have a niece and she’s a tall girl. She’s taller than everybody. You know, she looks just like me, and I’m like, oh man, she’s gonna be able to grow up and be like ‘My aunt is a badass like got to go in there and she looks so good. She won that title and frickin, she was a champ and she beat her bully.’ It was a super cool thing because not only did I get to do that for my own family, but I saw so many girls, I met so many girls, I talked to so many women about how that really helped them in their own personal life. And so it was, it was just, especially winning it, like I didn’t think I would win. At that point I never really want anything and it always be like, Nia is going to put this person over now. Like cool, whatever. But then they were like, you’re actually like getting the title. I’m like yeah, right, I will believe it the night of when they actually like [confirm it], cuz you know, sh*t changes all the time.
On appearing on Total Divas:
I forgot who asked me, It was Mark Carrano [who] pulled me in and he was just like, yeah they’d like to put you on the Total Divas, because I think when they were running it and like I would pull pranks backstage, you know me like, I don’t give a sh*t. I just talk sh*t and pull pranks and have fun. And Russell, the producer was like, Oh, I’d love to see her on [Total Divas]. Plus, like, and they always try to push it like, oh, maybe we can try to get her family on it, stuff like that. And so when they approached me, I was like, Ah, I don’t know. I’ve never really been a big fan of reality TV. I love watching it, but I don’t know, my life isn’t too exciting, you know, I work and I go home. So but I just was like, alright, let’s see how it goes. You know, a little bit of extra pay, not much, trust me not much. And, and so yeah, I mean, it was okay, I wouldn’t do it again. Now, but saying that I’m doing something like I’m filming something later this year in a couple of months for Total Divas, but it’s for Nikki Bella’s like bachelorette party. So something different but yeah, but I wouldn’t do it again.
On possibly wrestling again:
You know, I always thought I would never wrestle again. I don’t think I’d go back to full time wrestling because it was, it’s crazy, now they have it different, but it just took a lot. It took a toll on me. But I wouldn’t mind going back and doing like a fun little story and, you know, putting somebody over whatever, like something like that. But like, I think, you know, I gave it a good amount of time and now I’m like, prefer to just God willing, get married and have kids, you know. [asked about modelling] Yeah, so I do I model every year every now and then. And the good thing about being in WWE was I was smart enough to save. So I saved a lot of my money. I built it to just do what I want and help take care of my nephew. I’m very, very lucky.
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