Franky Monet (formerly known as Taya Valkyrie) is one of the newest additions to the NXT Women's division, in this interview she discusses her recent signing with WWE.
Franky Monet spoke with Denise Salcedo in a TheSportster exclusive interview about her new life in Florida since signing with WWE.
Monet made her WWE debut on the April 13th edition of NXT after she interrupted the new NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez, it was in that first promo that she let the WWE Universe know that she was ready to make the NXT Women's Division "shinier, boujee-er and better."
That was the first glimpse fans saw of Franky Monet but for her, it was a moment she had been working towards for quite some time.
Before the introduction of Monet, wrestling fans knew her as Taya Valkyrie. Taya successfully managed to make a big name for herself even before stepping into WWE. She was trained by Lance Storm in 2010 and since then made the rounds wrestling across the globe. Throughout the years she would be seen wrestling in promotions such as Major League Wrestling, PCW Ultra, The Crash, Lucha Underground and IMPACT Wrestling.
IMPACT Wrestling was her last home before signing with WWE, but she certainly left her mark. She currently holds the record for being the longest-reigning IMPACT Knockout's Champion, a grand total of 377 days.
Franky Monet Thought It Was A Prank When She Got The Call From WWE
Turns out Monet's reaction to signing with WWE wasn't what fans might expect, Monet thought it was a prank:
"There was a lot of silence on my end because I was like 'this isn't really happening, are they really calling me? Is this really real or is someone prank calling me?' {laughs}. I always go the worst-case scenario, this is just kinda what we've been taught, to never get excited until something is like there and I think that I just didn't allow myself to be fully excited about this until I was walking into the Performance Center, and I was shaking Triple H's hand, wearing the shirt, doing the stuff. That was when I think it really really set in. Because obviously, the process is a long one, there's obviously so many steps that go into it. I just tried to contain myself till it was actually happening and then when it did I was like "oh no this is real." [laughs}"
Franky Monet Says Working With WWE Is A Validation of Her Hard Work and Sacrifices
Every person's route to WWE is a different one, and Monet's was no exception. When asked about the importance of being part of the NXT Women's division, this is what she had to say:
For me personally, it's validation, validating all these years of struggling and being poor and not knowing when the next show is gonna be or how I am gonna get there. Or the 17 hours on a bus from Laredo, Mexico to Mexico City over and over again. All that work is validated by the fact that I am in this position with these absolutely amazing talented women from all over the world.
Monet also mentions that one of the hardest things about attempting to launch a career in professional wrestling is coming from a place such as Canada.
It's really trying to find your footing and to get the exposure that you need to be recognized by international companies. That was one of the main reasons why I jumped straight to going to Mexico because that was where I can work and be working with the television product and be seen and be learning from some of the best professional luchadors in the world, you know to be able to be recognized and advance through professional wrestling and that is ultimately what happened. So that was definitely the hardest step, but through it all just like anything there are gonna people who don't believe in you. You get told 'no' one million times but it's always just that one time that when they say yes that you know every hardship, every tear, every bruise, ever broken nose, everything was worth it.
Franky Monet Explains Her NXT Gimmick And Her Inspiration
Franky Monet is all about the glitz and the glamour.
Franky is just a different evolution or a different chapter within my professional wrestling book, of my life basically. So she's just an elevated version of who Taya Valkyrie was. I get inspired by a lot of music artists and movies and television. So I think I take little bits of all these people that I like and enjoy watching and just kinda mash it into one. There's a lot of Lady Gaga in Franky Monet. There's a little bit of Erika Jayne from the Housewives, there's a little bit of Marilyn Monroe, so there's just many different iconic blondes.{laughs} People that I think are really cool or interesting or maybe have strange quirks that piss people off or make them happy and I've kinda smushed them all together and made this Franky Monet that you see before you every Tuesday night on NXT.
A major part of Monet's character is her dog Presley, and while the idea of coming out with your pet is cute, it can be a complication.
I was just so excited about being there...the most concerning thing I had was getting into the ring holding Presley because I was like 'please don't trip or something,' it was crazy but we practiced everything and walked through it.
You can watch the full interview with Denise Salcedo and Franky Monet by clicking here: