[MEDIA] Miami Herald 8.14.08 SoCal Val enjoys her work so much
Evad Seltzer
SoCal Val enjoys her work so much
Thu, Aug. 14, 2008
BY JIM VARSALLONE
jvars...@MiamiHerald.com
SoCal Val is a modern day version of Miss Elizabeth -- the looks, the
legs, the wholesome goodness. She also stands along side her own Macho
Man -- Black Machismo Jay Lethal in TNA.
''I would never compare myself to Miss Elizabeth,'' said Val, whose
middle name is Elizabeth. ``I try to always stress the fact that I'm
not trying to be the next Miss Elizabeth, because there will never be
another Miss Elizabeth, and that's the way it should be.
``But I do love the fact that we're trying to honor her in that way,
and I hope that people understand there's no way any of us could take
her place. Still, I do want to honor her legacy and show there can be
that kind of classy, emotional, sweet character in wrestling. I'm
really honored to be in that spot.''
Starting at a young age, SoCal Val, 22, spent a number of years and
shows on the Florida indie circuit as a valet/manager, after her
family moved to Orlando from Southern California. Whether a good girl
or bad, the name always remained SoCal Val.
''I started in California, but I really had most of my experiences
through Florida independent wrestling,'' she said. ``I started when I
was barely 16 in Florida, and I've been doing shows ever since.
``I learned a lot through federations like NWA-Florida. I learned
probably the most from FIP as far as promo work. I've been lucky to
have worked in Southern California and Florida because I've seen the
best of both worlds.''
Born in Southern California (So Cal), she considers herself a Florida
wrestling girl.
''I was 15 when I went to my first few independent shows,'' she said.
``I was just a fan of watching it on television. Then, I learned you
can actually go to see live events.
'When I did that, there were some people in Southern California on a
message board, and they said, 'Who's that girl who keeps coming to the
shows? Who's that chick with the legs?' That started a little bit of a
buzz, and the promoter then asked me to work.
``When I moved to Florida, mainly the Orlando area, I kept getting
more shows to do in Florida. They kept the SoCal Val name, but really
it's funny because I'm more from Florida.''
SoCal Val (Valerie Elizabeth Wyndham) began working in TNA as a ring
girl when TNA started taping television shows at Universal Studios
Orlando -- just minutes from her home.
''TNA was right here in my lap which was a Blessing in disguise, and I
ended up coming to all the shows as a fan,'' she said, ``but I always
had tapes and résumés with me. I knew a few of the wrestlers, but I
really didn't know any people in charge of hiring.
'So I just spoke with whoever I could speak with and told them, `Hey,
I'm here. I've been in wrestling. If you ever need anything, just let
me know.' They ended up having me do ring girl for a long time, and
that was a really, really good way to be seen and get experience in
TNA.''
SoCal Val ended up doing a TNA photo shoot.
''It was an honor,'' she said, ``because I think they were trying to
turn me into a TNA Knockout, when I really wasn't on the show and
featured as prominently as the other girls.
``I saw my first photo shoot as a really big opportunity to get seen.
Therefore, I really tried to do as many photo shoots as I could, and
Lee South, our photographer here, is awesome.
``I knew doing photo shoots was a really good way to get great
feedback from the fans. They could say, `Who is this girl? I don't see
her much on the show, but I'd like to see more of her.'''
It worked.
''Fan feedback was a big part of that,'' she said. ``I think they
realized I was in it for the right reasons. I was showing up and
really eager to just do anything on the show that I could. I was
trying to be really professional and eager to learn. I took every step
I could, and eventually it led to me managing which is my favorite
part of wrestling.''
The TNA Knockouts Division is the best women's division is pro
wrestling.
''I'm blown away,'' she said. ``These girls, the athleticism just
shocks me. I wrestle a little bit, but I really don't have any
aspirations of being a TNA Knockout women's champion right now.
``Just to watch it and know these girls personally, it can be really
emotional when they are injured. It's scary watching all our friends
in there in dangerous situations, but I think they just prove they can
get in there and mix it up just as well as the guys, if not better.
``The ratings proved that a lot of the times the Knockouts are the
ones people are tuning in to see.''
Val is in the middle of a love triangle between former friends Sonjay
Dutt and Lethal. She was marrying Lethal in the ring when Dutt caused
havoc.
''It's stressful because you have two people who you really care
about,'' she said. ``When Sonjay and Jay were friends, people noticed
that Sonjay and I were hanging out, but that's what happens when you
date somebody, you become friends with their friends.
``Sonjay ruined our wedding, and he's made a lot of stress in Jay and
my life. I'm just trying to work through it. I think there's still
good in Sonjay, and I think Sonjay and Jay could still maybe one day
be friends again. I just want to put it all behind us and just move
on.''
Val hopes to wed at some point.
''I'm still engaged,'' she said. ``I would like to try the wedding
again. I know we're having some problems. Every girl dreams of a
wedding, and that certainly wasn't my dream to have my wedding ruined
on pay-per-view. I'd life for Jay and Sonjay to make up and be
friends. I'd like for all of us to be friends again. That's all I can
hope for.''
Val grew up with some impressive role models.
''My favorites were Miss Elizabeth, she was a big favorite, Missy
Hyatt, Francine,'' she said. ``I actually got to work with Francine
over the years, and I learned a lot from her. Dawn Marie, Sunny and a
lot of the women who were really active at ringside and carried
themselves well and were really believable. For that reason, I'm glad
I started as a fan so I could see those who came before me and learned
from them.''
Quite different from the TNA version, Val developed the character
SoCal Val, a wealthy, petulant, ruthless bad girl on the indie
circuit.
''If you meet me, I'm a very happy, perky person,'' she said, ``but
there's always that side that is a lot more fun and gets a lot more
stress out. Everyone's got some demons. Why not bring them out.''
How about brining out Val's wrestling side.
''I see myself trying it, and I do see myself improving,'' she said,
``but I don't really believe that in a few or several years I'd be
like a Gail Kim or somebody who is seen as a wrestler.
'People say, `Oh, why are you afraid?' It's a choice, and I've always
been an advocate of managers coming back into wrestling that if I were
to become a wrestler, never say never, that would be great, and I
would like to wrestle more and learn more, but at the same time, I'm
really creatively challenged more by managing and mic work, and that's
what I want to be remembered as, as a manager.''
Val appeared with WWE, modeling a John Cena T-shirt on WWE.com. She
also worked a spot on WWE SmackDown! in a vignette featuring Luther
Reigns.
She made her debut in Golden State Championship Wrestling in March
2002 in Southern California. Touring the indie scene, coast to coast,
she's also worked for Ring Divas and Women's Extreme Wrestling.
Val joined TNA in July 2005. She has served as a TNA ring girl, spokes
model and merchandise model, valet and manager. She also was an
interviewer on the now defunct TNA Global Impact!
Val took her lumps in TNA and abroad -- dragged around the ring by
Kurt Angle, injured (accidentally) by Abyss, embarrassed by having to
kiss Francine's foot and forced to wrestle TNA original Traci Brooks.
''There are times when you're nervous,'' Val said. ``There are times
when I'm nervous now. There were times when I was nervous when I first
started. It depends on your feelings that day.
``Speaking in front of the camera is my favorite part of it. I've
studied so many tapes of promo work and mic work. That's where I feel
I can really shine as opposed to the wrestling side.
``It's not really a nerve-wracking thing, if you've done it as much as
I have. There were shows in Florida, FIP for example, where I had six
promos in one night. That's prepares me to get to where I am now with
mic work and convey emotions. For that reason, that's why it's
important to become involved with independent wrestling before you get
on a bigger scale like this in TNA on Spike TV.''
• List of wrestlers managed by SoCal Val
Nature Boy Scoot Andrews, The Assassin, Claudio Castagnoli, Danny
Doring, Super Dragon, Francine, Prince Iaukea, Jazz, Frankie Kazarian,
Mister Saint Laurent, Scott Lost, Pinoy Boy, Simply Luscious,
Quicksilver, Chasyn Rance, Joey Ryan, Bruno Sassi, Shocker, Scorpio
Sky, Roderick Strong, Big Tilly, Jeff Morrison, Sonjay Dutt and Jay
Lethal.
• SoCal Val joins a prestigious list of wrestling talent with Florida
roots who made it in the big time. The group includes Mike Graham,
Hulk Hogan, Konnan, Lex Luger, Dean and Joe Malenko, MVP, Paul
Orndorf, Diamond Dallas Page, Raven, The Rock, Ron Simmons, Norman
Smiley, Terry Taylor, Tyson Tomko and X-Pac.
• TNA house shows in Florida
TNA is 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14 at the Germain Arena in Estero.
Tickets are on sale.
TNA is 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at the BankUnited Center at the
University of Miami in Coral Gables. Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug.
15.
TNA is 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28 at The Lakeland Center. Tickets also
go on sale Friday, Aug. 15. Prices vary.
• TNA tapes TNA iMPACT! four times a month at Soundstage 21 of
Universal Studios Orlando. Admission is free. Seats are first come,
first serve.
Raymond Daley
> SoCal Val enjoys her work so much
> champion right now.
Liar. Their just waiting for the right time to push you as a wrestler.
> Val is in the middle of a love triangle between former friends Sonjay
> Dutt and Lethal. ``Sonjay ruined our wedding, and he's made a lot of
> stress in Jay and
> my life. I'm just trying to work through it. I think there's still
> good in Sonjay, and I think Sonjay and Jay could still maybe one day
> be friends again. I just want to put it all behind us and just move
> on.''
Know when to break character Val.
> Val developed the character SoCal Val, a wealthy, petulant, ruthless bad
> girl on the indie
> circuit.
Oh you do at least acknowledge being in the indies then!
> How about brining out Val's wrestling side.
> ''I see myself trying it, and I do see myself improving,''
It's hard to "try something" when you've already been doing it for over 3
years you dozy cow.
> She made her debut in Golden State Championship Wrestling in March
> 2002 in Southern California. Touring the indie scene, coast to coast,
> she's also worked for Ring Divas and Women's Extreme Wrestling.
Oh look, you just proved me right. Gee, thanks for that.
