Donne Tempo - Melina
As a journalist, I am often introduced to experiences I might not seek out on my own.
This weekend was one such event as I delved into the world of entertainment wrestling. Video Game Company THQ is launching (November 13) WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, a video game starring the wrestlers of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) group.
Melina Perez is one of those wrestlers, a diminutive woman who is also an American professional wrestler and manager, wrestling for the WWE RAW Brand. Melina is a winner, recording three reigns as a WWE Tag Team Champion and WWE Intercontinental Champion.
I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to speak to Melina and what I found was a wonderful, honest, warmhearted woman who has a
pretty interesting job that she loves.
— Jacquie Kubin (10-28-2007)
This weekend was one such event as I delved into the world of entertainment wrestling. Video Game Company THQ is launching (November 13) WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, a video game starring the wrestlers of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) group.
Melina Perez is one of those wrestlers, a diminutive woman who is also an American professional wrestler and manager, wrestling for the WWE RAW Brand. Melina is a winner, recording three reigns as a WWE Tag Team Champion and WWE Intercontinental Champion.
I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to speak to Melina and what I found was a wonderful, honest, warmhearted woman who has a
pretty interesting job that she loves.
— Jacquie Kubin (10-28-2007)
How did you choose this path?
The weirdest thing is I did not set out to be a wrestler, I was actually doing medical assisting and wanted to be in the medical field, but I was always athletic, always in the gym. My dad was a boxer, mom loved aerobics, and I did track and field and baseball.
After I graduated I never let go of the physical side of me and I always ran. But I was persuing a career in medical assisting. Then my boyfriend at the time submitted me to a modeling contest, which I won. This was something I did not want to do, I have always been afraid to do things like that and I don’t think people should be judged on their appearance, but by their actions.
It is what you do in the world that defines you. It is the person that you are and that you give to the world that defines you. For someone to think that I am pretty or not, that is nothing, it is what I do. It is hurtful to say you are ugly or not good enough because of the way you look, even now people see me as something different, I am everything that society says I should not look like. I am ethnic, my eyes are almond, not big, I am not tall, I am not skinny. And I all these things and those things. So, I did not want to do a modeling contest but he did it and I thought, well, I have never done something like this so why not.
Maybe they saw something in me. My aura. They saw something that was different.
So I kept my medical assisting job and pursued other things, including training for fitness competitions because I could not let that side of me go. That is where my heart is. But the training was expensive and I could not do that anymore then a friend of mine who is a wrestler for the indies (independent leagues) she said why don’t you try wrestling, and I thought that would be good training, it is gymnastics like I was being taught and I thought this was a good way to get money so that I could continue training.
After I graduated I never let go of the physical side of me and I always ran. But I was persuing a career in medical assisting. Then my boyfriend at the time submitted me to a modeling contest, which I won. This was something I did not want to do, I have always been afraid to do things like that and I don’t think people should be judged on their appearance, but by their actions.
It is what you do in the world that defines you. It is the person that you are and that you give to the world that defines you. For someone to think that I am pretty or not, that is nothing, it is what I do. It is hurtful to say you are ugly or not good enough because of the way you look, even now people see me as something different, I am everything that society says I should not look like. I am ethnic, my eyes are almond, not big, I am not tall, I am not skinny. And I all these things and those things. So, I did not want to do a modeling contest but he did it and I thought, well, I have never done something like this so why not.
Maybe they saw something in me. My aura. They saw something that was different.
So I kept my medical assisting job and pursued other things, including training for fitness competitions because I could not let that side of me go. That is where my heart is. But the training was expensive and I could not do that anymore then a friend of mine who is a wrestler for the indies (independent leagues) she said why don’t you try wrestling, and I thought that would be good training, it is gymnastics like I was being taught and I thought this was a good way to get money so that I could continue training.
Is it fun?
It is fun. I love it. You get to be physical and then there is the entertainment part where you get to act. It is not easy. All these things, gymnastics and physical skill, theatrics, entertainment, all rolled into one. It is even harder because you have to think about the person you are in the ring with. I have to be able to guide them and know what their strengths and weaknesses are so that the show is good and safe.
You don’t actually want to hurt each other, do you?
No. We try to protect each other but still make it look real, which is another art in itself. We also need to entertain at the same time, watching the crowd and knowing what they are into. And I think it is even harder for the females because in this business, because we are less experienced, they want us to be choreographed and I don’t learn that way. I prefer to learn the style that the guys do, which is not always perfect, whenever there is a mistake you need to be able to cover it up, or work with it, to make it work out which is a challenge.
You carry a lot of weight as a role model for youngsters?
There are a lot of fears I have when I come to how not only myself, but the company, presents woman. We put out the Playboy issue which I did not particuarly support, and while I am not saying I am against doing Playboy, I don’t want to send the message that that is what girls need to do to be popular or get attention.
There are other goals, other dreams a girl can have and every dream and every goal should be to enrich a person and if Playboy is a goal for one girl and she does that, then congratulations, you did that but this is my goal, my dream and I am going to focus on that.
There are other goals, other dreams a girl can have and every dream and every goal should be to enrich a person and if Playboy is a goal for one girl and she does that, then congratulations, you did that but this is my goal, my dream and I am going to focus on that.
What would you do to help youngsters find their goals?
My family had a good start from the ground up, but not every family does. I would like to reach out to young people, especially girls to let them know that goals can be achieved and that dreams are possible.
I don’t know what specific thing I could do, but if I could I would interact more with the girls. When we have appearance there are always a lot of guys that come forward, but when I see a girl, I really like to take the time to talk to her, to get to know her and encourage her to follow her goals, to make her dreams a reality. So while I do not know how to reach out to young people right now, I would be interested and it is something I want to do.
I don’t know what specific thing I could do, but if I could I would interact more with the girls. When we have appearance there are always a lot of guys that come forward, but when I see a girl, I really like to take the time to talk to her, to get to know her and encourage her to follow her goals, to make her dreams a reality. So while I do not know how to reach out to young people right now, I would be interested and it is something I want to do.
Girlfriends. How important are they to you?
They are with me on the road. I have one very special friend who is no longer with the company, but I talk to her all the time from the road. They are my strength and they understand what I go through and I thank God for them. Girlfriends mean a lot. There are things guys totally cannot understand; they cannot connect to you in same the way your Girlfriends can.
One the road I have Mickey James, Gillian Hall and Maria, but Gillian is my main girl and I don’t know what I would do without her.
One the road I have Mickey James, Gillian Hall and Maria, but Gillian is my main girl and I don’t know what I would do without her.
Do you mind the objectification of the sport?
Yes, very much so. I used to wear a skirt and now I wear tights and there is definitely a transformation from working in the skirt to working in the tights. I am more focused on what I am doing, instead of having to consider the "fluff" of the character. With the tights I am more confident and I am out there to wrestle.