Victoria comments on Royal Rumble appearance

It was hard to see as a viewer, Victoria was filled with anxiety and nerves ahead of her Royal Rumble appearance this year.

In an interview on the GAW TV podcast, Victoria discussed her run in the match, the anxieties that went along with it, how she felt about getting back in the ring, and who helped ease some of her tensions ahead of the match.

“I thought I was gonna come in there and bump and feed for everybody else, and let everybody else shine on me because that’s what I’m used to,” said Victoria. “When I found out, we had a rehearsal, just to find out what number we’re coming in and stuff like that and… I don’t know, it was crazy, and when they were like, Victoria is coming back, she’s gonna clean house, everybody’s been waiting for her to be coming back, I couldn’t even talk. I started crying.”

Victoria talked about getting the official word of her Royal Rumble return and immediate worry that she wasn’t physically ready to be involved.

“I was blown up. I was out of breath because I got the call two weeks before the Rumble, and you cant get in ring shape in two weeks. It’s just impossible,” Victoria said. “I bought a recumbent bike. A recumbent bike. I’m sitting on my butt pedaling going, oh my god, I don’t want to look like, as Mickie would say, a sack of potatoes coming out. You’re not ready because the adrenaline, it was just a lot to take in. I’m like, am I ready? Oh my God, I don’t want the fans to be disappointed in my performance, I want them to still think I can kick ass.”

In the interview, Victoria also mentioned the impact that Ruby Riott and Bayley made on her in their effort to help her with the match. She also noted that she remembered Bayley from autograph appearances years ago.

“Bayley, I remember coming to two autograph signings,” said Victoria. “I was with Maven and then I was with Edge on one. You hear a girl going, I’m going to be a wrestler just like you, but you hear that all the time. [Usually] They don’t put the work in, they don’t know you have to move to this place and give up your family and all that sacrifice you do. Bayley was like, her and Ruby [Riott] kept on coming up [and asking] do you want to go over anything, do you have it? They were just so helpful at making me feel calm.”

Victoria is a 2-time WWE Women’s Champion and 5-time TNA Knockouts Champion. She ended her active wrestling career in 2019.

Credit to Fightful for interview transcriptions.

CATCH-UP: Damian Priest talks Bad Bunny and WrestleMania (w/ Heydorn’s Analysis)