WWE Hall of Famer Torrie Wilson was one of the most popular women in the "Divas" era of WWE, and even featured on the cover Playboy Magazine (both by herself and alongside Sable).
Like many women in the 2000s, she was written into romance storylines, one of which involved then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. Wilson was part of the "Invasion" angle when WCW was acquired by McMahon, and her first day in the company involved kissing the billionaire.
"It was obviously extremely intimidating, working with Vince during your first day and kissing Vince," she told Ariel Helwani. "Kissing Vince was interesting because Linda was standing right there, kind of helping navigate it all. So I don’t know if that made me feel better or more weird. But, you know, I was just really happy to have a big role on TV then."
Despite being a "team player" in WWE, Wilson admitted that there was one idea she couldn't get on board with. That involved a bikini contest with Sable at the Judgement Day PPV.
"Originally, Vince wanted me to do the hand paint on my boobs like Sable had done in the past. And I just didn’t feel comfortable doing that," she shared. "So I was like, 'How about rhinestones that barely cover my nipples?' Don’t ask me why that felt a little more safe than the paint."
Admitting that some of those moments now make her "cringe," Wilson added, "I’ve only seen myself in a thong bikini a few times out in front of the crowd, and those times really do kind of make me cringe. Sometimes you can see kids in the crowd, and it just feels like this is wrong."
Noting that she prefers watching the current product as it "feels a lot lighter" where the "women are just kicking ass," Wilson revealed that there was a time when she wanted nothing to do with WWE and professional wrestling.
"There was a long time, probably that 10 years, that I didn’t really want anything to do with wrestling," she stated. "Like, even if I saw something, my stomach would turn, and I just didn’t want to see it. And now I’ve done a flip. This is the part of me that is like, I’m just embracing it."
However, a turning point came when she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019, a milestone that put the spotlight back on her memorable in-ring career.
"I definitely think it’s bigger than any belt they could have ever given me. I honestly never considered the fact that I might be in the Hall of Fame. But when they did call me, all of a sudden I realized, like, 'Wow, this is them actually saying thank you for all the shit you did and all the time that you were on the road and what you put your body through.' Like just that thank you meant so much more to me than I ever realized it would."
You can hear more from Wilson in the player below.