Alicia Atout is currently one of the faces of MLW, as she’s regularly featured on the company’s programming lineup as an interviewer and on-screen personality. But at one point in time, she worked for AEW in the early days of the company.
In an interview with Cageside Seats’ Shakiel Mahjouri, Atout looked back on the end of her brief run with AEW and her subsequent decision to sign with MLW. She explained that AEW’s interest in her “went a little cold”, but she found other opportunities that allowed her to ultimately thrive in MLW.
“I had done All In and then Double or Nothing, the first two events, and I thought there was interest and then at some point, things went a little cold,” said Atout. “Then I had interest coming in from other companies and brands and it just got to the point where — yes, anyone who signs there it’s a great opportunity — other things started coming my way. I was at a crossroads where do you wait for who knows how long or do you grab life by the horns and go for it. I ended up doing a couple of other things, a couple of other collaborations.
“Shortly after, MLW reached out. As soon as I got into that locker room, it just felt right. I’ve been in many locker rooms in the past and this is the only one I’ve ever felt completely comfortable in. Just 100 percent. I’ll always be thankful to The Bucks and Cody for those opportunities and I’ll still Cody to this day when something cool happens to him or Brandi, but I’m happy with how everything did work out.”
In hindsight, Atout described how making the jump to MLW was just a matter of trusting her gut because her fit with the company felt “right.” This gamble worked off, and she stated that she’s happy in her role with the company.
“It’s a big gut intuition thing,” said Atout. “Especially after a couple of things that have happened in my life over the past couple of years, I’ve realized to just go with your gut if something at all feels a little off,” she says. “It got to the point with certain other companies where if someone is waiting for that long, it always feels good to feel wanted and know your worth in any aspect of life, really. As cheesy as that sounds.
“When MLW came around and they were so hungry and shocked that I wasn’t signed anywhere else, it just felt right. I remember walking into that first New York show and seeing so many friends in there thinking, ‘Wow, this could be happening every single month? This is awesome.’ It was a complete gut thing and I’m happy I went with it.”
Transcription credit of Cageside Seats’ Shakiel Mahjouri.
The full interview is available here:
