Former WWE superstar reveals how she and Paul Heyman had a mutual admiration for each other and explains her obsession to sleep with the wrestling manager back in the day.
In the world of pro wrestling, everybody wants to be in the good books of Paul Heyman. The American executive has helped major talents like Brock Lesnar and CM Punk ascend to the top of the ladder and retrieve the metaphorical “brass ring”. In the wrestling industry, to be a “Paul Heyman guy or gal” means that you have a promising future ahead of you.
Former WWE superstar Shelly Martinez aka Ariel recently spilled a backstage story of her relationship with Paul Heyman in conversation with Wrestling Shoot Interviews. Shelly reflected on her time in the development territory, OVW. She was signed to the promotion in 2005.
Shelly confirmed that she first met Heyman there who was the company’s creative director and producer at the time. During the interview, Shelly stated that Paul Heyman was a “big fan of Shelly’s looks”. The feeling was mutual as Shelly later admitted to having an obsession with Paul Heyman to the point that she would have “slept with him”.
“Most people, first of all, they see my look and automatically think that I just want to be on TV. I’m not sure what [Jim] Cornette’s opinion of me was because I didn’t really have much interaction with him. But with Heyman, I knew he was a big fan of my looks. There was a time when I went through like a huge obsession with Heyman. I would have slept with him at one point, that’s how obsessed I was.”
Shelly’s hots for Heyman didn’t quite last for long after she was talked down upon by the legendary wrestling manager.
Shelly Martinez recalls when she felt downplayed by Paul Heyman
During Shelly’s time in OVW, she feuded with Beth Phoenix and the duo had many matches together. Shelly even competed with Beth Phoenix for the OVW Women’s Championship. During their feud, the former WWE star recalled when Heyman relegated her by implying that she isn’t that great a pro wrestler. The statement made by Paul Heyman disgruntled Shelly.
“There was a time when he [Paul Heyman] talked down to me and that’s what broke my heart because me and Beth Phoenix had a feud going on and we were walking through our match and He goes, ‘No Shelly, she needs to be walked through’ and I was like, ‘What the hell.’ Now Al Snow was my trainer and Al Snow saw how hard I worked. He knew the deal with me, he treated me with respect. I was so upset that Heyman was making it seem like I just didn’t know what I was doing and that Beth was just going to make me look good.
After spending a few years in the company, Shelly Martinez was released in 2007. The former star then made a career competing mostly in Mexico and eventually announced her retirement from wrestling in May 2017.
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