Former WWE Star Shotzi Blackheart Embraces Gruesome Persona on Independent Wrestling Scene
Horror-loving former WWE star Shotzi Blackheart has openly admitted her desire to be known for one particularly gruesome wrestling move. The 33-year-old athlete, who was released from WWE in May 2025, has found new creative freedom on the independent wrestling circuit, where she's embracing what she calls her 'disgusting mastermind' persona.
Creative Freedom and Gruesome Props
Speaking exclusively before her appearance at For The Love of Wrestling in Manchester next month, Blackheart revealed she now feels completely in control of her matches. 'I feel like I can say no to things, I'm kind of the ringleader when I have a match,' she explained. 'So anything that you're seeing me doing, I probably came up with – I'm the disgusting mastermind behind it.'
Her recent matches have featured an array of extreme props that would make even seasoned wrestling fans wince:
- Stapling opponents in sensitive areas
- Using thumbtacks and light tubes as weapons
- Incorporating doors and other unconventional objects
- Creating what she describes as 'really bloody and disgusting' matches
'I want that to be my little buddy. Like, I want people to know me for stapling people's heads,' she laughed during the interview, demonstrating her commitment to this extreme wrestling style.
The Physical Toll of Extreme Wrestling
Blackheart discussed the physical realities of performing such dangerous stunts, noting that adrenaline carries her through matches but the aftermath tells a different story. 'When I'm wrestling, I don't feel any pain ever, my adrenaline is going so high, and I just get in there and can just do whatever,' she said. 'But it's after when the adrenaline goes down, that's when you really start feeling things.'
She expressed particular respect for wrestlers who regularly compete in deathmatches, having experienced the unpleasant aftermath herself. 'I know how much it sucks to pick glass out of your back after a match,' she revealed. 'And they'll do that like five nights in a row, and I'm just in awe of it.'
Missed Opportunities and Creative Differences
The wrestler recalled trying to convince Matt Cardona to include glass in their match before his WWE return, but he had retired from using glass after a particularly nasty incident. 'He had a really bad cut when he wrestled Nick Gage, a piece of glass got lodged in his back, and they ended up sewing the glass in his back, not knowing that it was in there,' she explained. 'He had like a huge infection. He had to go get the glass taken out, and it was a whole mess.'
Blackheart also discussed her WWE feud with Chelsea Green, which she felt didn't reach its full potential. 'She cut my hair and then I shaved my hair on TV, but we saw it as way more intense than what was portrayed on television,' she said. 'We wanted to get to a hair versus hair match at some point, and that was going to be the way that she took my hair. It got diluted so much.'
The hair-shaving moment had personal significance too, as Blackheart revealed she did it in solidarity with her sister undergoing cancer treatment.
Finding Herself on the Independent Circuit
Now thriving on the independent wrestling scene, Blackheart is battling what she describes as 'imposter syndrome' while rediscovering her creative identity. 'I really needed this indie run to have full creative control of my career, and to be able to get here and learn from so many different walks of life,' she explained. 'It's helped me a lot to refine who I am, that girl that WWE saw a spark in and hired.'
While not ruling out a WWE return entirely, she's focused on her current path. 'I'm on fire right now, and I'm having so much fun,' she beamed. 'There are so many things that I want to do, like work for major companies like CMLL, or a really awesome women's promotion in Japan.'
Blackheart added that when she does return to television wrestling, she wants to be 'the most well-rounded version of Shotzi Blackheart' and come back 'the best I've ever been.'
Inspiring Women in Wrestling
The wrestler expressed admiration for colleagues like Bayley, who recently held an all-women's wrestling camp for rising stars. 'She's just so dedicated to the business and to women's wrestling, and it's just so inspiring,' Blackheart said. 'I want even just a morsel of what she has to give to this business.'
Shotzi Blackheart will appear at For The Love of Wrestling in Manchester on February 21 and 22, where fans can see her 'Ballsy Badass' persona in action as she continues to develop her unique brand of extreme wrestling entertainment.
