Instinct Culture by Denise Salcedo had an in-depth interview with former WWE Superstar Melina Perez. During this conversation, Melina opens up about her time in WWE, and the real feelings and emotions she went through from feeling that the people/fans disliked her to feeling isolated. She also shares her thoughts on the Women’s Evolution, whether or not she would return to WWE, thoughts on the future of the NWA, the Speaking Out Movement, and more.
Denise Salcedo sent the following highlights to WrestleZone:
Melina Perez Opens Up About The Rumors That Circulated Around Her, How Kayfabe Caused Her To Feel Isolated and Depressed
It was a weird time for me where saying my name was never a good thing. It’s also associated with the heel character and the rumors and all this stuff…because I was such a private person, people wanted to know about me, they were intrigued, but they didn’t see anything except the character. So rumors get created and all this stuff and I was raised to never talk about your personal life, and it’s okay as long you know the truth which are all great things to say and to believe in but the reality is if you don’t educate people on who you are they are left to believe whatever they want to believe. And 15 years later, I hope people see who I actually am as a person. But it’s been tough. It was hard for me to show people who I was, I was raised like a ”normal life,” family and friends, and to go from that to being the most hated person it was like, ‘where can I connect?’ I wanna hug people, I wanted my fans to be family and hug them and thank them but you have kayfabe and kayfabe is like no you can’t be nice to people and it was so isolating that it just became depressing for me. I couldn’t talk to anybody, I couldn’t show love. And I was just Melina the heel character. And sometimes my co-workers believed it too because I never talked, I was shy…. I couldn’t tell my family because I didn’t want them to worry, so in my mind it was all about the work, focus on the work…
Melina Perez Says That Throughout Her Career She Thought Everyone Hated Her And That She Wanted To Do More Charity Work In WWE But Her Heel Persona Got In The Way
From the experience I had then, I thought ‘Oh, my god everyone hates me,’ the depression happened more so because when I was a little kid I wanted to be a doctor, my heart was like I want to save the world, I want to help people…but when I felt like nothing I was doing was right, that’s the way I felt, I thought everybody hated me, that I wasn’t touching people lives, I wasn’t making a difference in this world. I wanted to be a part of charities, when I saw people doing all the charity stuff in WWE, I wanted to be a part of that but because I was a heel I couldn’t so it felt like I wasn’t doing anything… Years after when I started doing appearances everybody started telling me about how I touched their life… and the stories I would hear were more about the strength that she {Melina character} had, the ability to stand up for what she believes in as well as the fashion and what not. It was just amazing and beautiful to see that. I thought okay, higher power God, whatever is out there, thank you for this because this is what I needed to know, what I needed to hear. Because when I got that championship I didn’t believe I was supposed{to have it}, I didn’t want it, I didn’t want it. It’s like I didn’t pay my dues yet, I didn’t have matches I wanted to yet, I am not on the level I believe I should be to have this honor. And then when they gave it to me anyway, I thought, I don’t deserve it but I am gonna fight and work my hardest to be able to live up to this standard.
Melina Perez Says She Knew She Would Never See A Change In The Women’s Division During Her Time w/ The Company
I feel we {WWE Divas} did a great job in the ring, of course, there were moments when we did like a bra and panties match. I did one pudding match but that was one or two times out of a span of 6 years or 7 years and everybody wants to think that those 7 years were nothing but bra and panties matches when they weren’t. And every time we {the women} got the opportunity to go out there and try our hardest, even if it was for 2 minutes, we did it…and every time we went out there it was in hopes that one day we’ll get an opportunity, we were trying to prove to them that we deserve an opportunity to do more… But I knew in my heart that I was never gonna see {the change}, I knew I was never gonna see it during my time but that didn’t mean that I wasn’t gonna try every single time I am there. It has to start somewhere…
Melina Perez Says If The Opportunity Came Along She Would Work With WWE Again
I always say everything will happen if it’s meant to happen. If an opportunity shows up, of course, like who wouldn’t? But if there’s never an opportunity I am okay with that too, I am thankful for what I’ve been able to do, because I didn’t even think I would be able to do that. I never in my wildest dreams, ever thought that I would be on TV or that I would have a video game or an action figure, or be in magazines in England, Australia, Mexico and different parts of other countries… I never thought I could do that, that that would be me. So all this, I am happy, I am very grateful.
Melina Perez On The Future of The NWA
…With one person{reference to David Lagana}, it doesn’t have to hit the whole entire company. Whatever everybody chooses, I stand behind it and I understand but I have faith and I know what NWA is capable of. I know that the fans will be supportive, that the wrestlers will be supportive. And as long as we all have each other that’s all that matters….
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