Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Carmella Explains Her WWE Absence, Injury Update, Becoming A Mom, Corey Graves As A Dad, MITB

Episode Date: June 11, 2024

Carmella (@carmellawwe) is a professional wrestler with WWE. She sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Philadelphia to talk about recently becoming a mom, being in labor for 60 hours, what Corey Graves is like as a dad, when she plans to return to the ring, being a Lakers girl when Kobe Bryant was on the team and cheering for the New England Patriots when Tom Brady was there, winning in Money In The Bank and cashing it in to become the Smackdown Women's Champion, being paired with Enzo and Cass, her favorite memories of NXT and much more! Sponsors: PURE PLANK: The future of core fitness! Use the code CVV to save 10% on Pure Plank which was designed by Adam Copeland & Christian: https://gopureplank.com/ PRIZEPICKS: Download the app today and use code INSIGHT for a first deposit match up to $100! BONCHARGE: Use the code CVV to save 15% off your infrared sauna blanket at https://boncharge.com/cvv BLUECHEW: Use the code INSIGHT to get your first month of BlueChew for FREE at http://bluechew.com ROCKET MONEY: Join Rocket Money today and experience financial freedom: https://rocketmoney.com/cvv BETTERHELP: Get 10% off your first month with the code INSIGHT at http://betterhelp.com/insight PLUNGE: Get $150 off your Plunge with the coupon code CVV150 at http://plunge.com For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests.  Follow CVV on social media:  Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Go, my friends. Welcome back to another one here on Insight. I'm CVV, Chris Van Fleet. Thank you for being with us on this one. And thank you, as always, for following the show, sharing the show, and helping to make Insight one of the top wrestling podcasts on the planet. If you haven't yet,

please take a second to hit follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening to this right now. Hope you had a great weekend. I was in Houston at Booker T's reality of wrestling promotion just got back this morning. I did a segment there with one of their stars, Max Castiano's, and let's just say I don't like Max very much after that segment. You can check it out. It'll be online soon. I also jumped on commentary and did some guest commentary for their main event. The match is going to be on YouTube soon. And yeah, if you follow me on social media, you know that I

recorded an episode with Booker T while I was there. He's coming back on the show. His wife, Queen Charmel, we'll be making her first appearance. We did a great interview together. And you know who else lives in Houston? Shelton Benjamin lives there. So he'll be making his return to insight. We had him on like a year ago. But this will be his first,

or at least one of his first interviews since being released from WWE. So there's a lot to talk about with all three of those people. On today's episode, we've got the Queen of Staten Island with us, Carmela. She's been out of action

because her and her husband, Lori Graves welcomed their first baby, a little boy into the world in November. So big congrats to them on that. We talk about her career leading up to becoming a mom, winning money in the bank, cashing in to become the Smackdown Women's Champion, also what she did with Cass and Enzo. We also get into how being a mom has changed her life and changed Corey's life and when we can expect to see her back in the ring. This is the last of six episodes that we recorded as part of the WWE Prize.

Priority Pass on location events during WrestleMania Week in Philly. So if you check this out on YouTube, but you will see us in front of a little crowd there. It's a great episode. And I hope you share it with somebody who loves Carmela. Take a screenshot, tag us so we can share it out as well. She's at Carmela, WWE.

I'm at Chris Van Fleet. And ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Carmela. Look at this. This is very intimate. What did you bring up here? Oh, this is a person. Tucko because we're at a winery, and so why not? And I don't have my baby with me today. So I'm just

going to enjoy the day. How's mom life treating you? It's the best, the absolute best. I truly, it's my favorite thing in the world is being a mom. 60 hours of labor. Is that right? Yes. 60. 60. 60. That's a long time for those of you who have never been in labor. That's a long time. It's a long time period. Yes. How does it become 60 hours? That's a great question. It was just such a long, long experience. And it was honestly just very defeating because I spent my entire pregnancy preparing for labor and delivery.

I feel like as a WW superstar, I'm used to being in pain. I'm used to, I feel like I have a pretty high pain tolerance. So I just could not wait to get into labor and like deliver this baby and call it a day. And I did all of the preparations, took the classes. I exercised every single day in my pregnancy. And then when it came time to have the baby, it just didn't go the way I planned. And it just took so long. And it felt like it was never ending.

And, but ultimately at the end of the day, everyone was healthy. So that's all that matters. A happy, healthy baby boy, Dimitri. How old is he now? He's four months. Oh, my gosh. I know. I can't believe it.

He's just the cutest. What's Corey Graves like as a dad? He is the best dad. I'm so impressed. I mean, he has three kids. I have three step kids. So obviously I know of him as a great father to them, but I've never seen him as a father to a baby and to a newborn.

And he is just, it'll melt your heart. If I told you the things I see him do with this, you would never believe it because Corey Graves is, we all know Corey Grace. But as a dad, he's just the sweetest. Tell us one. Oh, my gosh. I mean, so our son is obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

And there's this little dance called the hot dog dance and Goofy does this move. And he will be in our living room. Corey does this move as goofy doing the hot dog dance. And it is the funniest thing. You would never in your life picture this, but it is so funny and it's so cute. Does Dimitri hear Dad's voice on TV and like kind of look around? So I've tried that. And we'll watch Smackdown on Friday nights.

And I've tried, but I don't think he quite gets that. Not yet. Yeah. Have you been thinking about a WWE return yet? I would love to return. I mean, obviously, I'm so immersed in this motherhood world right now. But honestly, I actually have an injury from delivery, so I have a lot of nerve damage that happened. And my foot is kind of non-functional right now.

So it's something that I never knew could happen during labor and delivery, but I have two herniated discs in my back. and that's correlated to my foot. So I haven't even been able to work out. I haven't been able to do anything that will get me back to the ring quite yet. Hopefully eventually I'll get there. But right now I'm just kind of working. I'm going to be in physical therapy and things like that too. I mean, I've been wrestling for 11 years.

I've never been injured, knock on wood. And now here I have a baby and I'm going to physical therapy. So I don't know how that works out. But here we go. I totally thought you were going to say the injury was, you know, nagging injury from years in the ring. Nope, just from a 60-hour labor. Oh, you know. Yes, so here we are.

When we look back at your career, there's been some amazing moments. Let's talk about the money and the bank, cash. Sure. My favorite part about that is the very high-pitched yells at referee Mike Keota. I feel like he wasn't doing this as quickly as maybe he could have been. Yeah, I mean, I guess that was all part of the plan, you know, and I knew that it was going to give me a hard time with it, but I didn't know he was going to give me that hard of a time.

I was like, okay, how many more times am I going to tell you to cash this damn thing in? Like, let's go. But watching Back in it's hilarious. And I just, I love him so much. He's such an, so awesome. So it's just funny to have that memory. It's like, these are like high pitched like. Yes.

I mean, and I just sprinted down the ramp. And of course, my adrenaline and everything, I'm so excited because I know I'm about to cash in and hopefully win this title. So I mean, I was just like, how much longer? can I sit here and scream. I was so out of breath. It was ridiculous. What was your first memory of wrestling when you were growing up?

Oh, I definitely remember watching with my dad. So my dad wrestled in the early 90s. And so he would work overnight. And we would record Monday Night Raw on our VCR, if anyone here knows what a VCR is. So we'd record it and then we'd watch it when he got home from work the next day. And I just, I remember being so obsessed with Miss Elizabeth.

I just thought she was so classy. She was so fabulous. I was enamored with her. I just thought she was amazing. And actually, Corey, it makes fun of me because another one of my favorites was one, two, three kid. And he was my first crush in wrestling. What's wrong with that?

I know, but he makes fun of me. It's a hall of favor. Right? And it's just so funny. So Miss Elizabeth and one, two, three kid were my favorite. Were you an Xbox fan too or just a one, two, three kid? Just one, two, three kid. That was just the period of time that I was watching.

just thought, you know, he was the best. Prize Picks is America's number one fantasy sports app with more than 5 million members. It's the most fun and exciting way to get in on the action while you watch your favorite sports and players. You just pick more or less on two or more player stats for your shot to win up to 100 times your cash. I just made my first $10 deposit

and received an instant $10 bonus. And if you have the skills, you can play for a shot of turning your $10. into $1,000. And playoff time is the best time to join the prize picks community of over 5 million members who have already downloaded the app.

It's available in more than 30 states across the country, including California, Texas, and Georgia. So download the app today and use the code Insight for a first deposit match up to $100. Download prize picks today. Use that code insight,

and you'll get a first deposit match up to $100. Prize Picks. Pick more, pick less. It's that easy. Whether you were a world-class athlete or a podcaster like me, we all understand the importance of mental and physical well-being and proper recovery for top-notch performance. That's why I'm excited that Unified Healing is sponsoring this episode of Insight.

Unified Healing is a new and super innovative global network of wellness centers powered by energy enhancement system or EES system. If you haven't heard of the EES system yet, This technology promotes wellness, deep relaxation, purification, and rejuvenation. They have hundreds of locations across the globe, so access to a center is easy and affordable. And if you're interested in experiencing the EES technology for yourself, go to Unifiedhealing.com slash insight to learn more and to find a center near you. That's Unifiedhealing.com slash insight.

U-N-I-F-Y-D-healing.com slash insight. No materials or testimonials on the Unified Healing website are intended to be viewed as medical advice or a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, including EES system. Your dad wasn't like just a wrestler in the 90s, like that you kind of just skipped over that. I had had like Razor Ramones' first WWF match.

Yes. He was in there with a lot of big people. Yeah, a lot of big names. It's really cool. I mean, in third grade, I would bring WF magazine to school and be like, this is my dad. And everyone thought that was really just so cool. And I just, it's awesome that we're able to have that bond and share the, share this together. What matches of his do you remember when you were a kid?

I honestly don't remember watching them as a kid. I feel like there's not like a, I remember watching his boxing, like he did a lot of boxing as well. So I remember going to his boxing matches and having a lollipop in the crowd and things like that. But I don't remember specifically sitting there watching his matches, but watching them back now, it's just so cool to see him in there with so many big names. Did you think my dad did this? This is something I could do one day. Never, ever in my life did I think I would be here.

I love performing. I mean, I was a dancer in my whole life. I'd cheered in the NFL NBA. And then when this opportunity presented itself, I just felt like, sure, let me try it. you know, I don't know if I can do. I've always been a small girl, so I never thought it was something that I could do. And then I went to the tryout,

and I just fell in love with it. And of course, with my history of watching it, I knew what it was all about. So it's just kind of, it's cool that it all came full circle, especially with my dad's history, my love of performing, and, you know, led me to where I'm at. You had a moment, right,

where it was you had to choose between trial for WWE and the Lakers, right? Being a Lakers girl? How do you decide there? So I was a Laker girl, and I had found out about an opportunity to try out for tough enough. And I was making it to, I just kind of did like a video submission, I think, or something like that. I was emailing with somebody. And they had said what the commitment would be for tough enough.

And I knew I wouldn't be able to do it because I'd already committed to Laker Girls. I couldn't do both. So I thought, well, I moved to L.A. to be a Laker girl. I'm here on the squad and let me, I need to finish my commitment with this. And then I just never thought again about WW until this opportunity came about. And, you know, it's great. It ended up working out. It worked out great.

And NXT, I feel like that's like when people really got enamored with you. That's when you really endeared yourself to the audience. What was it about NXT that was so special for you? I think back on that time when I just loved my time in NXT so much because I felt like at that point of my life, it was, what am I doing with my life? I had no idea what my next step would be. I had done the Patriots. I'd done the Lakers, and I didn't know what my next step would be. And so being an NXT and getting the opportunity to create this Carmela character,

I'm just so grateful for. I felt like I knew I wanted to have a strong character because I didn't come from the independence. I didn't have any experience in wrestling. So I knew for me, with my love of performing, I needed to create a strong character. And I felt like I really did that. And I never really had a character change. It was the first character I came up with was the princess of Staten Island, and that's still who I am 11 years later.

So I'm so grateful that I created such a strong character and really came into my own and afforded me the opportunity, especially when, you know, Enzoan cast went up to Raw and I stayed in NXT. Of course, I was devastated because I felt like, you know, I wanted to be on Raw. I wanted to be on the main roster. And then I was held back, and it all worked out the way it was supposed to because I was able to find out who I was on my own. When they got called up, was there ever talk of you joining them?

And then it changed the last minute? No, it was, we were at WrestleMania. I think it was, I'm so about 31 or 31 was in Texas? 32's in Texas. And I guess Triple H had talked to Ends NCO and Cast separately and told them they're debuting the next night on Raw. And they were talks about it because we had done tours together. We had done loops and I was with them. So I thought, okay, well, when they go up, of course I'm going up with them.

them. So when I found out that he at Triple H had talked to them and they came and pulled me, someone came and pulled me off the bus. We were about to leave. It was takeover, I think. I don't even remember what we're doing, but I was pulled off the bus. We're about to head back to the hotel. And like, Triple H wants to talk to you. I'm like, oh, yeah. We're debuting tomorrow. I was so excited. And he pulled me and he's like, Enzo and Kassar are debuting tomorrow. And I'm like, yeah? He's like, you're not going to debut with them. And I was like, oh, like my world just came crashing down. I was devastated in the moment. But, no. Now I look back and he had told me, you know, this is a good opportunity for you to prove

who you are on your own. You're going to be a strong character. You don't need to be with them. You're going to be strong on your own. And at the time, of course, it was devastating to hear, but it all worked out. I think the way it's supposed to. And, you know, here I am. 11 years later, still here and killing it.

I mean, not right now, but. But soon? Soon. I mean, you were able to go out then on your own in NXT. And that's when you really started to make the real. memories for your character in NXT. What are the things that really stand out for you from that time? I think, you know, I had a match with Bailey, and it was, I won the Battle Royal and to become the number one contender, and I had a match against Bailey for the NX2 Women's Championship. And I just

felt like it was an opportunity for me to show who I was beyond being just a manager, because that's kind of all I did. And I showed up and I showed out. And I'm just so proud of that. And I'm so grateful for Bailey to this day for allowing me the opportunity to show what I can do. And I felt like that showed, you know, who I was and what I was capable of that. I was more than just like a hype girl. It was a big deal when you beat Oscar, like a huge deal. That's a big thing. Yeah.

I mean, I beat Oscar. I beat Charlotte. I don't know. Twice. The list goes on and on and on. But you got beat by marshmallow. Oh, I did for the 24th. I forgot about that.

I mean, that 24-7 time, that was a wild, wild time. Let's talk about it because so much happened with the 24-7 championship and everything going, yes, please take a sip here. Is it good? It's so good. Is everyone having a drink out here? Oh, cheers, guys. Cheers. What were some of your favorite parts of the 24-7 championship?

I just loved being paired with our truth. He is such a treasure and he's such a good person and so fun to be around. And we just had, it was just full on shenanigans all the time, whether the cameras were rolling or they weren't. And we just always had fun ideas. We would add lib things that weren't in the script. And it was just fun to play off each other in that aspect. And I just feel like you just never knew what to expect. And people were looking forward to seeing what we were going to do.

You know, we're in costumes and disguises and just getting into the most ridiculous situations. And I just loved being, you know, that entertainment part of the show rather than going out. I had already at that point been women's champion, I showed what I can do in the ring. Let me show what I can do with my character and be fun and be silly and have comedians. timing and play off somebody. And I think to be able to have that range is so important. Not everyone can do that. And I'm so grateful that I was afforded the opportunity to show that side of my character, especially alongside our truth. How many times did you set something up with our truth? And while you guys were live, it just completely changed in the moment. I mean, all the time,

because he would say something that he knew would make me laugh. And I would be reacting just like, I mean, and the cameras are on. So you can't restart. You can't, you know, you have to just react. on the fly. But I just think we had such great chemistry. We're able to do that. What would you say to the version of you that was debuting? Knowing what you know now, what's the advice you would give to that version of you? I would just tell her, you're going to do everything that you set out to do and then some. And I had such a chip on my shoulder when I debuted because I was the last draft pick. And I knew they were kind of like, oh, she's kind of an afterthought. Like, well, we're going to debut her just to get rid of her from NXT. And I'm not saying this is

what was said to me, but this is just how I felt. And I was like, okay, we'll see what happens. And I just let a fire inside me. And I think, you know, I really proved what I was capable of. I mean, and you earned it, right? Yeah. You earned it. How did you start to prove yourself?

I worked so hard. I really did. And there were so many things that I did behind the scenes. You know, you stay late. You watch the matches. You study. And for me, I just really wanted. I think I really committed to being a heel.

Like I, everyone wants to be liked. I felt like, especially at that time. And I was not afraid to be hated. I wanted to be hated. I mean, when I first debuted, I was actually a baby face. And then they turned me right after SummerSlam. When Nikki Bella debuted, they swapped us. And to me, I was like, here we go.

Like I remember when I turned on her, I came back through the curtain. And I was told, there you are. Now you're Carmela. You're in this role. And I'm like, yes, this is where I feel comfortable. I feel, I just, I love. being a heel and I like to fully commit to that and I think that's what has helped my career so much because I don't mind being hated. Is it more fun being a heel? Oh my God, yes. So much more fun.

You seem so nice in real life, it seems like it's hard to turn it on and just be a heel. Oh, I can turn it on at the snap of a finger, the drop of a dime. I just, especially because I know Carmel is so well I created this character. I feel so near and dear and close to this character so I can just turn it on. And I think because I like to consider myself a pretty nice, decent human being in real life that, you know, sometimes these things like really piss me off and I just pull them in.

And then when it's time to be Carmela, it all comes out. When you returned in 2023, I felt like it was a slightly different version of you. Yeah. How would you describe that version of Carmelo that we saw? I felt like that was who I wanted Carmela to be. So when I first debuted, I loved it, you know, being the moonwalk and trash,

Chalking Princess of Staten Island. That was good. I just, I loved all of that. And then it kind of transitioned into that, you know, the Tredice, Carmela, where, you know, I had the curtain and the champagne and the Somalié and that's not necessarily what I wanted to do, but it's what I had to do. And then it turned into the most beautiful woman, which is another thing that I wasn't really that fond of, but you got to do what you got to do, wear the mask and all this stuff.

So when I came back, I was like, can I please just be. who I want to be pleased on me, return to being the Princess of Staten Island, the moonwalk and trash-shocking Princess of Staten Island, but a little elevated. And that's what I did. And I was so excited to get into that role. And I think I was just cooking with gas,

you know, elimination chamber. It was so much fun. And then I got pregnant. Great news. And then so it is what it is. But I felt like that was really, I was just really excited to return to my roots and be that Carmela again.

There was something, though, about you wearing the mask that made it very easy to not like you. Oh, yeah. I mean, again, I fully commit. If it's something that's given to me, I'm not going to take it and, you know, just do it halfway. I'm going to take something and go all the way with it. And I think that's what I did.

I mean, I'll make anything work. You put me with James Ellsworth. You put me with Our Truth. You give me a mask. You want to make me have a Somali. Great. Whatever it is you're going to give me, I'm going to take and I'm going to do the most I can with it

because there's no other choice. I don't like to do anything halfway. When you were with the Patriots, was Tom Brady on the team? Yes, he was. Did you have any Tom Brady's stories? I do. So it was Mr. Crafts,

I think it was his 60th wedding anniversary, and it was at Gillette Stadium, and they had some cheerleaders there to welcome the guests, and he walked in with Giselle, and I mean, Giselle, come on. I mean, there's Tom Brady who is, you know, he's the goat, but like,

Giselle is stunning. So when they walked by, I needed to say something. I was like, hi, how are you? And she's like, good.

How are you? And I'm like, oh, my God, I love you. And he was so kind and fine and, like,

very nice, but like, I didn't really care about him. I can't worry about Giselle. And what you were with the Lakers, was Kobe on the team? He was. Look at you.

Just surrounded by legends. I mean, you know, wow. I'm very lucky. I feel very great to have cheered for the NFL and cheer for the Patriots when Brady

on the team and cheer for the Lakers when coping. I mean, you can't really get any better than that. Amazing. So what are you up to these days? Well, of course, I'm being a mom. And I just absolutely love being a mom. But something I've been working on recently, or not even recently throughout the pregnancy that I'm going to be launching soon is a platform for women where we talk and normalize a lot of things that have to do with fertility and pregnancy and postpartum. I feel, you know, my experience with the miscarriages that I had prior to getting pregnant with my son, I really just felt like, especially with the platform that WW has given me with my social media and being able to be open and transparent with everything that had to happen, you know, I felt like it was really

helping a lot of women. And so many women came out of the woodwork talking about, like even friends, co-workers in WW that I didn't even know had to experience miscarriages. And they said, oh my gosh, like how did you get through that? You're so open about it. That happened to me, but I didn't want to tell anyone. And I just felt like, okay, I'm onto something here. I think it's really important to, especially with the platform, talk about these things and normalize them and help so many women to feel better about themselves with motherhood. I mean, being a mom now, I'm four months postpartum, and it's like this club that you don't know about until you're in it, right? As you as a new dad, it's just a different world. And for women, especially, there's so many changes that

we go through and that happened and I think it's important to talk about it. So I'll be launching something soon. So just keep your eyes open for that. I'm really excited for it. Well, congrats on that. Thank you. Thank you. I'll end this with the question that I ask everyone at the end of every conversation. Gratitude's such a big part of my life. What are three things in your life, Carmel, that you're grateful for right now? Gratitude is, I always say, if I woke up today, with only the things I was grateful for yesterday, what would I have? I think it's so important to practice gratitude. I would say my family, number one, my health.

And, oh, what's the third thing? I'm going to say some wine. There we go. Cheers, cheers. Well, thank you so much. Thank you. You're amazing. Give it up, please.

Thank you, God. For Carmela and, yes, cheers. Cheers. Well, there we go. Hope to see her back in the ring sooner rather than later. But as an aside here, how great is Corey Graves doing on play-by-play? Like we've known him for years as a color commentator, but my goodness, so good as a play-by-play commentator. Maybe it's the, I don't know, there's something that comes with becoming a dad. It just changes your whole drive and your whole motivation. I don't know. Maybe that factors in here. I'm sure the, I don't know this from personal experience, but I'm sure the same thing happens when you, you become a mom. So that means when Mella makes her way back into the ring, I feel like we're going to see a whole different version of Carmela. Snap a screenshot and tag us online when you share it so we can share it out as well. She's at Carmela WWE. I'm at Chris Van Fleet and we'll wrap this up with a quote from Zig Zigler. If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are

determined to learn, no one can stop you. Be great. And be grateful. We will see you on the next one for some more insight. Rampage Jackson's joining us on the show this Thursday. It's going to be a good one. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do with rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about.

You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it. Get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef? Follow and listen on your favorite platform.

You've been warned.