Roxanne Perez Is The Prodigy! Judgement Day, Training With Booker T, NXT Championship, WWE Main Roster

Roxanne Perez (@roxanne_wwe) is a professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. She sits down with Chris Van Vliet in New Jersey to discuss training at Booker T's Reality of Wrestling at a young age and how it led to WWE, deciding on the Pop Rox as her finisher, getting called up to the main roster and if she thinks she was ready at that point, being the first wrestler younger than SmackDown to wrestle on the show, and more!

Quote I'm thinking about: “We didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” - Winnie The Pooh

On when she knew she wanted to be a wrestler:

"I feel like it was a bunch of moments combined into one. But just everything about wrestling, the storytelling, the athleticism. I was big into sports when I was a kid, and then I loved theater and acting, so seeing them combine the two was really cool to me." 

On the storyline that got her into wrestling:

"I definitely remember one of the biggest storylines that made me really just love wrestling so much was The Rock versus John Cena, that once-in-a-lifetime match. Just the whole story, everything that went into it, all the things that came out of it. The Fruity Pebbles, The Rock going out there and singing songs on a guitar and all of that. It was just so cool to me."

How old were you when you started training with Booker T?

"I was about 16."

Where does school fit into all this?

"I was doing my homework on the bus, so yeah, I'd be with my laptop or all my papers, and then once I got to 17-18 years old, is when I was a senior in high school. So I was also doing college classes at the same time. That was tough, because it was like I was doing an indie show and then finishing my match and running to the back and trying to finish a test online in the back with everybody around me. I'm like, I gotta finish this by 11:59."

On first working with Booker T:

"That was really, really cool. Because I was a big fan of Booker too, and so starting to work with him at 16, and then having Sharmell there too. I love Sharmell. I was still a kid, so going over there and not really knowing anybody, but having Booker and Sharmell, they're basically kind of like my second parents. She always says, 'Yeah, I'm like, your mom.' But yeah, it was awesome. I am really grateful that Booker saw me as a scrawny, 16-year-old kid and was like, okay, I see something in her, and I feel like she's taking this seriously. I'm gonna take her seriously too."

On an early Booker T memory:

"I have a memory of him being really upset at me. So this was a few years back. I think I was probably like 17 or 18, me and my friend Rachel Rose on the Indies. We had a match that night, and we were not at Reality of Wrestling. We were at a different venue, and in that venue, it was closed doors like this, and you couldn't really hear what's going on in the audience or anything. So we had a really hard time planning our match that day for some reason, which was weird, because we wrestled all the time. But we're in the back and I can't multitask, so I'm trying to tie one of my boots, my other boot is off, trying to tie it while also calling the match. And I was like, 'Wait, do you mind checking what match is on right now?' And she's like, 'Yeah, yeah. Let me go check.' She goes, 'Your music's playing', and one boot on. I'm like, 'No way you're lying. You're kidding.' And she's like, 'No, your music's playing right now!' I was like, Oh my God. I can't go out, my boot is not on. It's like every wrestler's worst nightmare, not having your boots on. So I’m like go tell them that I'm not ready. She runs out, and I just hear Booker go, 'What the hell?!' I was like, Oh my God. I'm trying to tie my boot as fast as I can. He slams the door open. He's like, 'What the hell is going on?' I'm like, uh, we were just having a hard time calling the match, and I couldn't get my boot on. He starts screaming, he's walking out the door, and he's like, 'This is what happens when you think you're over!' I was like, what? So then, yeah, Rachel goes out, has to cut a promo while I finish tying my boot, claw clip in my hair, make a path done. Going out there, I'm crying and Sharmell comes in and she's like, 'Don't ever let him talk to you like that ever again.' Then we went out there, wrestled, had a good match. So when we walked to the back, Booker was like, 'Okay, kid, you redeemed yourself.'"

On joining The Judgment Day:

"I think it's the perfect way for me to come into the main roster, especially with the history they have. And I think it's one of the biggest factions in WWE history, they've been able to do so much in such a short amount of time."

On inspiration for her heel persona:

"Eddie Guerrero is probably my top one that I always watch, and just his mannerisms and the way he wrestled, and even in his entrance. It’s like he's not doing much, but he is with his face and so him for sure. CM Punk, he was one of my favorite heels growing up. AJ Lee, Alexa Bliss’ Goddess era, so many but I think those are like my top inspos."

On the pressure with her Prodigy moniker:

"I think now it's good pressure. I think how I said before, it was the pressure of okay, am I the Prodigy? Can I live up to that? Am I as good as I say I am when I'm surrounded by all these people? Now I'm like, Yeah, I am the Prodigy. I've been doing this for 10 years now. I can hang in the ring with Alexa Bliss. I can hang in the ring with Meiko Satomura, with Asuka, with all these women. And I'm like, yeah, I feel like I finally solidified myself as what I say I am."

On Pop Rox becoming her finisher:

"So it was actually a name that Shawn Michaels and Matt Bloom came up with, with me. So the very first match that I had, I think I was doing a Level Up match against Sloane Jacobs, and they were like, 'Okay, we need a finish for you.' So at first I did the code red, and then I transitioned into doing the old education, you land like a sit out. So I was like, 'Oh, what about this?' And I tried it, and they were like, 'Well, you can't do that to everybody. So no, we don't like that.' I'm like, okay, yeah, that's true. I can't pick up like Nia Jax or Jade Cargill, so that's out of the picture. And then I said, 'Oh, I used to do the code red on the Indies.' And they were like, 'Yep, that's perfect. You use that. Do you have a name for it?' I was like, 'No, I don't. Code Rox?' They were like, no. So we're sitting there trying to come up with names, and Shawn says 'Pop Rocks', and we were all laughing, we thought he was joking. And then we were like, Wait, that's actually kind of cool. I was a babyface at the time, so it was like, yeah, that works."

So what happens now? Zelina uses Code Red.

"So, I mean, we've kind of talked about it, and it's kind of okay. Let's say if I'm on SmackDown, I won't use it if she's gonna use it. If she's on Raw, she probably won't use it if I'm gonna use it." 

On making history:

"I think someone said that I was the first person to be younger than SmackDown to wrestle on SmackDown. I feel so weird telling people yeah, I grew up watching you, because then I make them feel bad because they're like, You're calling me old? I'm like, no, no, no."

On Booker T having a direct line to WWE:

"Yeah, but it wasn't like he couldn't necessarily get me into WWE, which a lot of people may think that. But it was like he was gonna have me work for it, just like everybody else has to work for it. So that's what I did. I did Reality of Wrestling. I became their youngest champion, the youngest Diamond Champion, and then I got noticed by Ring of Honor. I went to Ring of Honor, and they had a whole tournament that they did end up doing once COVID kind of died down a little bit. And I did that, and I ended up winning the Ring of Honor women's tournament and becoming the inaugural Ring of Honor Women's Champion, and I think that that got me more noticed by WWE, and then Ring of Honor went out of business. So I remember getting that call and being like, yeah, sorry, you guys are let go. We're letting everybody go early, because I think my contract ended in December or January, and that was in September."

Was that scary?

"It definitely was scary. Because I was getting paid by them, and then it was like, Okay, well, I don't know if WWE has fully seen everything I can do yet. I don't know if they're super interested in me yet, and now it's kind of like, where do I go from here? But I knew that everything would work out regardless. I just had to figure it out. I remember the very last taping of Ring of Honor. We were all sitting in one of the rooms watching the monitor, and I got a random call. I answer it, and I just hear, 'Is this Rok?' And I was like, I'm sorry. He's like, 'Is this Rok? This is William Regal with the WWE.' And I was like, oh, yeah, sure, this is Rok. And he's like, 'You know, we've seen a lot of your work, and we would love to have you down here for a tryout.' And that was crazy. I literally just started crying immediately, because I was like, oh my God, this is the call that I've always dreamt of, and it's on the last taping of Ring of Honor. Who would have thought, you know, it was perfect timing. I was like, yes, absolutely, I would be there. I called my mom, and she was crying too. She was like, Oh my gosh, this is amazing. So yeah, my tryout was in December, like, two months after that."

On not getting called up to main roster last year:

"Last year, obviously, I wanted to get called up in the draft so bad. Part of me thought it would happen, and it didn't. I was like, oh, like, I could have let it just make me really upset and and just kind of not fully give up, but just make me not as driven but I feel like it made me even more driven, because I was like, I'm gonna work on my promos. I'm gonna become the best heel that I could ever be. Because people thought that I couldn't be a heel, and a year later, I was called up."

Did you think you were ready at that time? 

"I thought I was ready as a babyface. But now that I think of it, I feel like I wasn't as ready as I was when they called me. I feel like I could have been ready at any point. I could have gone and just executed what they wanted me to execute. But I wasn't at my full potential, my full character, the Prodigy character, and it was different being the Prodigy as a babyface. Calling yourself the Prodigy when you're like a good guy, then calling yourself a prodigy when you're a bad guy is more fun. You got to tell people like, I'm super young and I'm really good. What are you gonna do about it?" 

What is Roxanne Perez grateful for?

"A roof over my head and food on the table, this job and my loving boyfriend." 

Please support our sponsors!
PURE PLANK: The future of core fitness! Use the code CVV to save 10% on Pure Plank designed by Adam Copeland & Christian: https://gopureplank.com/?ref=tibcloux

SUPERPOWER: Go to https://Superpower.com and use code CVV to get $50 Off your annual Superpower subscription. Live up to your 100-Year potential. #superpowerpod

SEAT GEEK: Use my code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/CVV2025 Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount

PRIZEPICKS: Download the app today and use code INSIGHT to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup!

TIMELINE: Go to https://timeline.com/insight to get 20% off your order of Mitopure!

VUORI: Get 20% off your first purchase! Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet at https://vuori.com/cvv

ROCKET MONEY: Join Rocket Money today and reach your financial goals faster: https://rocketmoney.com/cvv

MIRACLE MADE: Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made! Go to https://trymiracle.com/CVV and use the code CVV to claim your FREE 3 PIECE TOWEL SET and SAVE over 40% OFF

ZOCDOC: Instantly book a top-rated doctor today at https://zocdoc.com/insight

BONCHARGE: Use the code CVV to save 15% off your infrared sauna blanket at https://boncharge.com/cvv

BLUECHEW: Get your first month of BlueChew for free with the code CVV at https://bluechew.com