Shotzi Blackheart made a name for herself on the independent circuit, competing in companies like Shimmer, Evolve, Rise Wrestling, and Shine Wrestling. She signed with WWE in 2019, becoming a one-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion.
Both before and after Vince McMahon's WWE departure, Shotzi struggled to find her footing on the main roster and was among those released by the company last month.
In a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, the former WWE Superstar opened up on her time in the company coming to an end. "My situation is different than others, because I had my injury for like nine months that I was gone from that," Shotzi explained. "Then I was at NXT for a small stint, and then I wasn't on TV for a little bit. So I was ready for it."
"I feel like I had already done the grieving process, and I was already out of the locker room for a little bit. So it didn't come as a shock to me. I was just like, Okay, now I get to work."
"Honestly, I felt like I had a good run at NXT, and I was hopeful that there would be something for me at SmackDown. I kept getting little glimpses of 'Okay, we're gonna run with this storyline,' or this or this," she continued. "It wasn't until around Mania that I started to think maybe they're not gonna re-sign me, because it was just like storylines getting cut week after week. Then I was just like, Okay, I see where this might be going."
Reflecting on those final weeks in WWE, Shotzi revealed that there were tentative creative plans for her, though they ultimately fell by the wayside...on more than one occasion.
"I mean, they had teased that I would start something with Chelsea, but it just never happened," she recalled. "They called me into SmackDown a few times, and then every time I would come in, it was cut."
"I just want to wrestle again, because I was gone so long for my ACL injury, and then I was off TV for a little bit," Shotzi added when talk turned to her in-ring future. "So I'm just so excited to get back into it. I miss it so much. I might have already made my debut by the time this airs."
You can watch the full interview with Shotzi in the player below.