Women’s History Month has passed, but its spirit continues to linger throughout the pro wrestling community.
In the case of two-time IWC Women’s Champion Ray Lyn, much of her empowerment comes from the “Hardcore Country” legend Mickie James. Mere months into her respective career, Lyn shared the ring with James, a 15-year veteran at that point. Still, Lyn recalls James extending her nothing but grace — something she will never forget.
“Mickie James, obsessed. I don’t know who isn’t,” Ray Lyn told WrestleZone’s Ella Jay. “Mickie James is amazing. I wrestled her, I had been wrestling for 6 months. I was so green, but she treated me with so much respect, and I watch her treat everyone with the same respect.
“Mickie understands you’re only going to be the top for so long, then you might come down a little bit, and then you’ll go back up. You’re never always at the top of the mountain. It’s going to be high, low high, low. That’s not just in wrestling, that’s just in life,” Lyn continued. “But Mickie treats everybody with respect, and she’s so good. She could wrestle a broomstick and make it look good. That’s someone that’s always inspired me in wrestling.”
Currently, James serves as a coach on season one of WWE LFG, a show in which rising talents vie for a WWE NXT contract. Meanwhile, Lyn, now a 12-year veteran, continues to build her name on the independent circuit, with notable appearances at WrestleRave, ICW, and MCW, the latter in which James spent much of her early career.
Ray Lyn Takes Inspiration From Her Mother Too
Outside of the wrestling world, Ray Lyn finds inspiration in the actions of her mother as well, especially during some of the darker days.
“My mom, she’s just such a good ball of energy. She’s a good vibe,” Lyn said. “Even if she’s not having the best day, she’ll be like ‘Okay I’m going to go sit outside. I’m going to let the sun hit my skin and then we’re going to start this over.’ So if I’m having a bad day, I take on that same thing.
“I’m like ‘Okay, so a couple things that happened that I didn’t really like. We’re going to go take a walk outside. We’re going to clear our head and we’re going to go back to the day and hit it harder than ever.’
Watch our full interview with Ray Lyn below:
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