Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce) on What's Next After Her WWE Release

Episode Date: August 4, 2021

Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce) chats with Chris Van Vliet after being released from her WWE contract along with her IIconics tag team partner Billie Kay (Jessica McKay). She talks about what's next for her, why she thinks she was released, her husband AEW star Shawn Spears's reaction to it, the motivational speaker gimmick that she pitched to Vince McMahon, her new podcast called "Off Her Chops", the issues she is currently dealing with getting her green card and much more! 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.  For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://chrisvanvliet.com Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, here we are, my friends. Welcome back to another audio adventure here on Insight. I'm Chris Van Ville. Thanks for joining us for this one as we are joined by the amazingly talented Cassie Lee, who you might know better from her time in WWE as Peyton Royce. She is also a fellow podcaster. Yeah, she co-hosts Offer Chops with Jessica McKay, a.k.a. Billy Kay from WWE. And if you haven't yet, you need to check it out. These two together are absolutely hilarious, no matter what it is that they're talking about.

You can find their podcast. Again, it's called Off Her Chops. You can find it wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. What a name for a show. Off Her Chops. We talk about why it's called that during this conversation.

We also get into, you know, what's next for her. After her WWE release, we talk about her husband, Sean Spears, aka Ronnie. So if you hear us referencing Ronnie, you know who we're talking about,

here. We talk about it all. She's just honestly one of the sweetest humans on the face of the planet. Find her on social media. It's very simple. It's just her name at Cassie Lee. And if you're not already, make sure to subscribe to the podcast or follow the podcast wherever you're listening to this. We post all of these conversations right here on the podcast first before they're posted on YouTube. Although it's amazing to me and I love it, how many people listen to the podcast and then the next day will listen to YouTube or watch the YouTube video. So if you're one of those people, you're not just awesome. You're extra awesome. So thank you. This person is also often awesome. This is a review from Never 117 on Apple Podcasts who says the source for interviews in entertainment. Chris

crushes the interviews, whether it's with John Sina or The Rock or Justin Bieber or Anne Hathaway. It is a must subscribe. Well, thank you so much. And I read One review on every single episode, it's my small way of saying, thanks for being on this journey with us. So if you happen to be listening on Apple Podcasts and you have a spare minute or two today or sometime this week, it would be great if you could leave a few words on there and I'll read those few words here on the show.

Okay, enough of me. Let's get to this incredible conversation with the one, the only Cassie Lee. I was just listening to the most recent episode of Offer Chops and Cassie, I relate to you so much about this whole driving in the rain thing. Do you? Well, look, I lived in Florida for five years. You currently live in Florida.

What is it about people in Florida that as soon as it starts raining? You didn't really actually talk about this that much in your podcast, but they pushed the four-way flashers, like letting everyone know. Like, I don't know how to drive in the rain. I know. I don't know what it is. I'm like, we've driven all across the country. So I know what drivers in each state alike.

And I like, Florida is the worst. Orlando is on another level. It's so bad. Well, the thing about Florida's rains every day in the summer. Yeah. So you would think the locals would be used to it. You would think so in the same way that like when you live somewhere where it's cold and it snows, you know, they get accustomed to what it's like to drive in the snow.

Yeah. Yeah. Nope, not here. No, not there. This is just one of the many topics that you guys cover on your podcast. Yeah, a bit of a variety comedy podcast, I would say. A comedy podcast. Yeah, like to make people laugh.

Well, that's what you guys do, right? Yeah, that's what I enjoy. And I like, you know, laughing while Jess makes me laugh. Did you always want to have a podcast? I had been wanting to try a podcast for a few years. but I just with our schedule and then with like rules that kind of came in like we just weren't allowed to do it. So as soon as we got the call, I text Jess and I was like, look, I know you want like time to grieve this and that's totally cool, but I just want you to know, like I really want

to start this podcast with you. And she was like, screw it, let's do it. And we just, we just got to work. And Offer Chops was the like immediate first name that you had? Yeah. So we were talking to a friend who was helping us kind of come up with concepts and things. And just through talking to this person, Jess had set off at chops. And they just died laughing. And he was like, that is so funny. And we were like, that's just normal for us. Like, it's just a normal conversation.

So it's kind of good to get an outsider's perspective and like things that stand out. So we were like, oh, that's kind of fun, actually. Let's just do it. Yeah, the term offer chops is something that like most Americans are like, What is that even? Like, you're talking about lamb chops? No, not quite. What is that, what is that, what do you, what does that even mean?

Like, break it down for people that live in North America. I mean, off her chose, it has like multiple meanings. In Australia, it could mean your off your chops drunk or it could mean your off your chops, like, you're just crazy. Like, but, but in a positive way, not like you're crazy and you need help. More like, more like the fun one of the group. Like, this, this goes crazy. Hmm.

What does the say around your neck? by the way, I can't quite read this necklace. I'm a baby girl. Oh, baby girl. I'm very into like the 90s, 2000s fashion right now, so I just had to have that one. I feel like everybody is. Like, this was very cyclical. Like, if I had held on to the clothes that I wore in the late 90s, I'd be so cool right now.

I was too, like, I was born in 92, so I didn't appreciate the 90s. But the 2000s, my gosh, I wish I kept myself. Well, here's the thing, Cassie. If you hang on to your stuff from now, you'll be so cool in 2042. Yes. Well, I mean, that's my plan. I realize because I do, like, if I buy clothes, I take clothes out of my closet. Often, like, maybe twice a year I'll have Jess come over and I have her just go through

my closet. And if she hasn't seen me wear something, she puts it in a pile. And then I go and donate the pile. But I think I'm going to start saving myself. Especially like if I had a daughter or something, I'd love to be able to pass on like fashions that she could wear. And she can be the cool one. Or she's going to look at your clothes and go, mom, you used to wear this? I mean, that's definitely what I did when I was a kid looking at my mom's old clothes.

Yeah, a lot of our last conversation was you talking about how Jess would come to your house. And she was like your closet organizer. She is. She is still that person for me. Is it just the closet? or does she clean other things in your house too? She does the whole thing. But sometimes I'll say come over and don't like closet only because otherwise she'll want to go into the bathroom

and then she'll want to go through my drawers and then we'll start going into the kitchen. And it just takes a long time. And when I talked to Jess last year, she had just bought her house, she had just moved in, she was having like movie nights there. Like she has a theater inside her house. Yep, yep.

How is this evolved? Is this still happening? Are we still doing game night at Jess's? We do games night all the time. We rotate between our house, Jess's house, Breeze's house, Amanda Huber's house. Or then there's like Chelsea and Matt. We all just like interchange whose turn it is for game night. Pretty much like 95% of all wrestlers, no matter where they work, live within like a 10-mile radius of you in Orlando.

Yeah, most of them. But now we're kind of in like an hour and a half radius. Oh, they moved out to Tampa is what you're saying. Yes, basically. Well, I feel like you have to stay there if you and Jess are recording this podcast in person. Yeah. When the husband and I bought this house, we had bought it with the intention of staying here for a good 20 years. So we're not going anywhere anytime soon.

Speaking of your husband, Ronnie, Sean Spears, whatever we want to call him. I love how he was creeping on you making TikToks in your backyard recently. way. He is such a pain in the heart. He else to do, okay? I have so much time on my hands right now. Let me do a TikTok. What's funny is like, so from where I was standing outside, I can't see in, but from inside you can clearly see out. And I just had this weird feeling he was watching me. And so I guess before he started feeling, I was just looking inside, hoping that he would see me and assume that I actually could see him.

And then I was like, no, he's not saying anything. I'll just keep doing my TikTok. And then, of course, he puts that up on Twitter. Oh, he didn't, like, ask you about this first? No, he did. Okay. And you're like, yeah, I guess it's kind of funny. Well, so whenever it's, like, his birthday or something and I want to post funny videos of him,

I always ask him first because he's like, I have a persona to, like, uphold. I don't want to be funny on, like, your social media. And I, so I, we always ask each other. But I was like, it's fine. whatever, let people laugh. I mean, he's actually a really nice guy, despite what we see on Dynamite. Yeah, he is.

But how similar how similar would you say that Cassie is to Peyton Royce? I would, okay, so when Cassie and Jess are together, those two people are exactly the same as Peyton and Billy.

They're the iconics. Yes, but Cassie, I'm like really shy, and I don't like to be in crowds of people. I get anxious. So when I'm by myself, I'm very shy. I'm inside my shell. But if I'm with her, there is no shell.

I'm completely fine. So how does someone who's shy get into a business that is the exact opposite of that? Well, I just grew up on the stage. I was a dancer. I started dancing when I was three. So I was used to performing. I love performing and being able to create someone else that I can be and because if I'm being judged by this person, it's not me.

It's this character I've created. So I actually do like that. I like having the person people get to know. And then I like being me and I can differentiate them. So this is like a little bit of like Beyonce and like Sasha Fierce. Yeah, that's exactly right. I am. Do you have a name for this persona like when you were growing up like or that was just like that you would become on stage?

No, I didn't think about it like that. I think that was something I realized that's what I do, like as I grew up. I realized that's how I'm able to like, because you know when people say fake it to you make it, I live by that. I fake being like this big personality and friendly and happy and not anxious. Like that's all fake. But I'm just doing that till I feel comfortable. So if you're very introverted, I feel like Ronnie is like the exact opposite. I feel like he's very extroverted.

I'd say no. No, he's just a great actor then. He is. He and I are very similar. We're introverts. We don't like leaving our house. We have everything here that we need. Like, he's the same.

He doesn't like crowds of people. We're able to be like performers and characters on stage. and like separate the two. You guys are like the perfect match for each other, it sounds like. Yes, it is true. Two people from another country who have met in America. Weird to think about it as well. Yeah, that's exactly.

And now you have a whole family of fur babies. This is great. Yeah, yep, yep. It's all happening. Obviously, a lot has changed since the last time that we spoke. Is everything, are you doing okay? Is everything all right with you? Yeah, I mean, it's been a really rough couple months.

I would say it's been rough six months. Since the draft, I would say, since they split Jess and I up, it's been rough. But I'm doing well. Every day I'm feeling happier. And so I'm just excited for the future and these opportunities that I can chase now that I haven't been able to for the past six years. And then I have my moments where I'm like, I just get sad that it didn't work out. But I really truly believe that everything happens for a reason, that there's something bigger out there for me.

Well, if your dream as a little girl growing up was to be in the WWE and you did it and you were there at the highest level, what's the dream now? So I don't feel like I'm done with wrestling. I feel like I have dreams that I especially wanted to like grasp between being split up from Jess and when we were let go. So I still want to chase that. But my big dream now is I want to be a movie star, which I feel like is a natural way that wrestlers kind of want to go. I have been taking acting lessons for going on two years now. And I just love it. I love the process.

I love learning a new industry. And I can't like to I feel like I really know the industry inside out like I do wrestling. Do you feel like taking acting lessons made you better at wrestling and specifically made you better at promos? Yeah, definitely. And I just like just the way I think about it is different. Like I look, and it's kind of hard too because just wrestling is its own separate beast. And sometimes it's hard to like take the principles from acting and put the middle.

a wrestling promo because a lot of that is different, but still the way I'm able to think about it and create like a backstory and things like that, I really enjoyed that part of it. Well, I mean, I think that the thing, especially when you're acting for the camera, you're trying to act as like natural and subtle as possible. And I think that the word subtlety and wrestling, you know, don't really go together. I don't at all. I mean, there are, obviously, there are subtle. details in wrestling that are so crucial and so important. But I mean in the in the promo style, it's not really the same. Yeah, pretty much. Big of the better with the microphone in wrestling.

Yeah, and that's exactly it. Yeah. So you're saying, obviously, I'm not saying that you would think you'd be done with wrestling. But if the goal was to be in the WWE, you accomplished that goal, you accomplished that dream. Is the goal now to just do other big things in the world of wrestling? I feel like being let go really broke my heart and it kind of for a long time took my love. Like it stole my love of wrestling and I would love to get that back and not move on with my life with this bitter feeling about wrestling. Like I still get emotional about it. But I know one day I'll be upset like those circumstances I'll have control.

over and I won't let it affect me like it still does now. Yeah. It definitely sounds like you even used the term grieving before. Like this is like, this is a big thing. This was your entire life. This is the whole reason you live in America. Yeah. I mean, like I decided I wanted to wrestle for WWI when I was,

when I was 10 years old. So literally, and like, it's so weird, like in high school and like growing up knowing that's what I wanted to do with my life. Literally every decision I made in my life was for the purpose that it would get me one step closer to WWE. And those are things like picking my subjects in high school. Like what subjects can I pick that's going to help me learn things that is going to like progress me to WWE? And then in the school holidays, like I wouldn't go to parties. I would like be working out.

I'm like 15 year old girl like working out around my house because I thought, you know, the fit of the better. And then I would take like modeling lessons. I would do modeling competitions because like when I was growing up, it was the divas era and I thought I had to know how to model. I had to know how to walk in heels and how to wear a dress and how to do my makeup and my hair. And like, so I took lessons to learn how to do that so that I could just check every single box and like leave no stone unturned. Like there was nothing getting in my way. What's interesting, though, is so many people, both men and women, have this dream when they're younger to be in the WWE. And then that dream shifts or it changes and they go, well, it's okay if I am still a wrestler.

The goal was WWE, but I'm okay to just be a wrestler. And then they're like, well, it's okay if I'm maybe a referee or maybe I, you know, work at this organization instead of this organization. Yeah. Your goal was WWE. And I mean, we talked about this a little bit last time, but to live in Australia and have your goal be WWE, when they There's really no one that's done it before you when you're 10 years old to like follow in their footsteps. Yeah.

That kind of seems like a pipe dream when you're that young. Definitely. And I was so vocal about my dreams as a kid and I kind of got bullied for that because you're right. It sounds crazy and it sounds like it cannot be done. But I don't know what it was. I feel I was just born with this thing, this instinct inside me that said, I'm going to get what I want, like no matter what, nothing. Like, I will not let anything stop me from achieving my goal.

And it was, it was always WWE. I didn't want anything else. Like, I would pray at night to achieve my dreams. And I would always, like, if I got, if something scared me, physically scared me, for example, there's this water park in Sydney. And there's like this big rock that you can jump off into a pool. Well, I didn't know this at the time, but I'm afraid of heights. So every time I got to the edge of the rock, I could not bring myself to jump off it. And everyone was cheering me on. And like, so I just, I took a step back. And I said to myself, if you want to be a WWE wrestler, jump off the rock. And literally just a random jump. But anytime I was faced with a fear of something, I would say to myself, if you want to be a

WWE wrestler, I'd do this. And I would just do it. So I mean, as a Canadian kid growing up in Canada, if I wanted to be a WWE superstar, I could go, oh, well, Edge did it Christian, Bradhart, Owenhart, Chris Jericho, whatever. As a little girl growing up in Australia, who can you, whose path can you follow? I just, I loved Eddie Guerrero so much, and I just wanted to be like him. So although there wasn't like an Australian to whose path I could follow, like, I just wanted to be like Eddie. And I didn't need someone's footsteps to follow in. I would create my own.

I love this. At what age were you when Teneal Dashwood started to? make a name for herself. Like on the indie scene? Yeah, I mean, because she would have been, I guess, the first one to really, you know, do it. Yeah, definitely. She, so when I started training, she was already like a name in Australia. So that was in 2009.

And then while I was doing lances in Canada, so that was 2012. That's when she started at SCW. And is that, is that like what made you go? Oh, well, I mean, you already, it sounds like you already knew. Sounds like you already knew you were going to make this happen. Long before that. Is this something that has just always been instilled in you? Like, is this who you've always been as a kid?

Or is this like something that, you know, your family has really helped out with? Honestly, I feel like I didn't know anyone I'm growing up who was, who kind of had this like, just like constant need and want for more. What's strange as well now that I think about it is before I even knew what wrestling was and I was living in Sydney. As like a seven or eight year old girl, I knew I was going to move to America. I just knew there was nothing in Australia for me. Like everything that I was going to create, my life would be here.

Yeah. So obviously, you weren't prepared for these releases in April. Like you didn't expect to be on that list. I had, I did not even think that there were going to be releases. And maybe that's, it's my. kind of fault for not being prepared for it. It was not even a thought in my mind. And I don't know why, because it's April.

They always do releases in April. And it just, it skips my mind for some reason. So, yeah, it came out of left field for sure. I mean, even if there were going to be releases, I just don't feel like you and Jess would have been on that list. It just doesn't make sense to me from the outside. Maybe this is just because of the way, kind of made to feel.

If I had thought there were releases coming up, I would have been worried for myself. I was worried the previous year when they did releases. I thought, this might be it for me. And Ronnie was like, no, you're just being self-conscious or whatever.

But I wasn't doing anything. I was pushing so hard to just to get an opportunity at something. And just nothing was happening for me. So if I thought there would be releases, I probably would have expected it more. But just no, because she was just killing it. I like, my gosh, it was so easy to watch. And she was so fun and she was on everything.

And she was just on WrestleMania. I wasn't even on WrestleMania. I was one of like two girls not on WrestleMania. So I 100% would have thought, yeah, I'm going to be on that list if I thought there was a list. It almost felt like when you guys were released together that you were still being treated as the iconics, even though you were very much separate, the iconics were broken up. Yeah, I don't know.

I don't know if there's like a moral reason for who is let go. I don't know. I don't even like to try and understand it. Yeah. And maybe you don't have to make sense of it. It's something that's happened. You know, that was three months ago. And you move on, you press forward,

and it's bigger and better from here. Yeah, definitely. There was talk for a while that the iconics might break up, should break up, turn this into a great storyline. What was the conversation behind the scenes of you guys breaking up? So I don't think of ever actually told anyone this. And I hope Jess isn't upset with me saying this. I wanted to go singles.

There was just things that I wanted to tick off my bucket list as a singles competitor. And I vocalized that. to Jess in like January last year but I didn't do anything about it like I didn't I didn't I just told her where I was at I didn't go and like try and get us broken up or something like that but then um this was in like the PC era and Jess um was out for a week or something so I had like this random singles match I don't even remember who was against and um Vince loved it and he was he said to me like you're so good like why like what are we kind of doing it um and so i just said to him look like if it if it is possible in the future plans i'm not saying right now but in the future i would like

to see what i can do on my own because i'm so comfortable with jess i feel like we can conquer the world together but i wanted to see what i could do for myself um and then so many people like oh it was so stupid for them to break you up and why did they break you up you or are good together and then I'm just like, I feel like it's my fault because I wanted to push myself and see what I was capable of. But then, yeah, I don't know, that might have been the worst decision that I made because I just nothing ever happened. But I don't feel like that falls on you. Like, because when you guys broke up, I feel like everyone went, this is perfect. Cassie has all the skills to be a champion. She has the great look. She has the in ring ability.

she has the personality. Let's make this thing happen. I mean, I just don't. Thank you. That was so kind of you. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in one of the meetings. I'm just kind of like, I don't know if I did something that went wrong. I would love to know if that is the case or if they just decided to go in a different direction.

I'm never going to know that, but I am curious. Yeah, I mean, the interview you did with Renee on oral sessions, You said that you had this meeting with Vince and it didn't go how you wanted to go. Is that where you think that things kind of went off the rails? Was that? Which interview was that? Is that when? Maybe it wasn't with Renee.

Maybe you talked about this on Offer Chops. You basically said, like, you met him with Vince and you talked about how like, he's like, what do you like to do in your free time? Yeah, look, I don't know. And I, freaking dirt sheets picked that up. Peyton lost a job because she didn't know what to say to Vince, right? I'm like, that's not the case, you big dummies. I just went in there with what I wanted to present.

And we just moved on from it so quickly. And I was kind of, in my head, I was like, how can I get, how can I steer this conversation back to that? Because I really thought something was there. And I just maybe I hadn't explained it properly. But I don't believe that is the reason I got fired because I sat in the, that room with him and Bruce for 45 minutes, tossing up ideas. And what we had come up with was that I was going to be a motivational person, motivational

speaker, because Vince loved how much I had sacrificed to be there and how nothing, I didn't want anything else for my life other than to work for him. And he loved that. And he was so thankful for what I had sacrificed, my family, you know, everything in Australia the whole life. So that's what we had come up with. and obviously nothing ever came of it. But that conversation wasn't like a complete dud.

That's just, was from my perspective that, damn, this is what I wanted to present and move forward with. I'm so glad you cleared that up because that was not the story that was reported. No, and that's probably my fault. I didn't, and I never know, like, what is too much to say or not. So I probably just stopped at the wrong point. Also, it's sad that, you know, you frame it in that way of how much you gave, up and everything you left behind in Australia, just to work for this man, just to work for

WWE. He's aware of that and still goes, all right, well, better luck in your future endeavors. Yeah, I mean, I get it. It's a business decision. It wasn't personal. I totally get that. It doesn't take the sting away, but it is what it is. And I'm aware of that. And that kind of helps a bit knowing that there's nothing I did wrong. There's nothing I don't think that I could have done because I freaking tried everything. Yeah. I mean, two years ago, Ronnie asked for his release, was released. So his probably felt very different, right?

Because he was in the driver's seat when he was released. Yeah. Definitely. And I like this whole year, like the beginning of year. So I really struggled from when Brody passed. I've really struggled with like kind of seeing the bigger picture and putting things into perspective and just how I was really unhappy at work, really unhappy. And a few times I was like, I don't think I can do it anymore. Like, I think I want to ask for my release. And

there was times I'd be in the locker room and some sort of creative would change. And it would just, I just like, was so upset. And I was, and Ria had to, all people had to talk me off the ledge because I was, I was about to walk into talent relations and say, like, I don't, I don't don't do this anymore. I'm so unhappy. And she kind of talked to me off the ledge. But yeah, I was unhappy. So the release, I think, was a blessing in disguise. I was unhappy. I met so many, I was so close to asking for my release, but I'd never pulled that trigger. Yeah. And I feel like, I mean, this sounds a lot like what Ronnie was going through. He was very unhappy with what was going on. And sounds like he was like on the fence, should I ask for my release or not? And then finally went,

I'm going to ask and see what happens. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he was on the fence for a good six months. Right. Which I guess I keep that too. How long did you allow yourself to be sad about this? About the release.

Yeah. I didn't want to give it a time frame, but it's so strange. It was such a roller coaster of emotions. I would be like, I was so sad at first. Like my heart was torn to pieces. And then as the weeks went on, I was so excited for the future and I was happy. And I knew every Monday or every Sunday night,

I wasn't getting this like this feeling in my gut of just sadness. And so that was nice. And then not having like the pressure of how I look, because that plays a huge part in it as well. So it was nice for those feelings to disappear. But then there would come days where I would, it would just hit me out of nowhere. So I mean,

you've talked a little bit about like how, there's a green card issue here and I can relate to that. Are you hopeful that this will get cleared up soon? I'm hopeful, but it's government. And like with COVID, what I'm hearing is like there's a three-year delay from COVID. And they don't really give you a timeframe of when this is going to be complete. This is just my like immigration attorney. She's like, well, I'm hoping you'll get it by so-and-so date.

But I don't know. Tell Ronnie to become an American citizen. right. Then you will then become an American citizen through that. Yeah, there we go. We figured, we figured this out for you. Yeah, this is, and I get it. And I can completely empathize because I know what the green card process is like, being a Canadian now living in the U.S. It is not an easy process, and it is not a timely process at all. Not at all. I mean, what, we're four years in at this point. I should have had it a long time ago, but hey. Everything happens for a reason.

What are you excited about as we look for? I mean, the second half of 2021 is here and we're living in it. What are you excited about? I'm excited to get that damn green card and then I can get my dreams. So I just feel like I'm in limbo right now. I can't, like I'm doing everything I can to keep my name relevant. We've got the podcast off her chops. So I'm like trying to do these photoshoots somehow keep me relevant.

But I'm just in this limbo where I'm just. like sitting on my butt, unable to do anything. And that's just so not in my nature. I feel like if you keep posting these Instagram photo shoots, I mean, you're going to definitely keep a certain portion of the audience excited. Hopefully. There was one, I think you posted like a very, a very, like, great looking photo last week. And people went, oh, Cassie has a new look. Was it just like a selfie?

Yeah, but it was like, you were very made up. Oh, definitely. That was like the morning of my last photo shoot. People are up in arms about pictures like that. You guys, I'm very well aware. I don't look like this. Clearly I have a lot of makeup on. Clearly my hair is done.

I've got a big bright light in my face to make me look the best as I can, you know? Give me a break. Throw me a bone. Also, how are you going to look like that after a 10-minute wrestling match? You tell me. You know so much more about this.

than me. Oh gosh. I mean, it's not possible. No. Are you still going to flatbacks a lot? I'm there every week. I've been there three, four times a week since I opened two years ago. Yeah. And I think, you know, when I made my visit there, my now infamous visit there, I was so impressed with what you did in the ring because at that time, we weren't seeing a lot of you really showcasing your wrestling ability. And that's why when you guys broke up, I, personally went, oh my God, now the world is going to see what Cassie can do. Thank you. I feel like I love training because I like, we always teach the kids how important it is to have a personality and create this larger than life character.

But I just love getting in there and just wrestling. And especially with Ronnie and Bree, like they're both so good. And if I get in the ring with them, I just know, A, I'm safe and B, I can go and not have to think for someone else. Like I can just go and we all know what's happening. So I just love getting down like that. Ronnie has this very aggressive style in the ring that's also very safe, but it's very aggressive style in the ring that I feel like has rubbed off on you, which is like makes you look like a really aggressive wrestler. Oh, thank you. He is super aggressive and I love, like if I can get in there, I take little bits from people that I'm in the ring with or that I watch and I love his aggressiveness. I love how this person

and sells. I love how this person responds or reacts to certain things. And I like take those inspirations and I've tried to like, you know, that's how I tried to create Peyton. And a huge thing in WW was aggression. Like that was, especially as like the bad guy, the heel, whatever you want to call it. Like aggression is super important. So that was always the top of my list. As someone who was a huge fan of Eddie Guerrero growing up, what little piece do you take from Eddie? Everything. I was the one thing I could take. He's my opinion, the greatest wrestler to ever do it. He could do everything.

He wasn't, you know, a great heel and a good baby face or the other way around. He could do everything. He was aggressive. He was funny. Like, I can't. I can't. I mean, we can spend the rest of the time talking about how great Eddie is. Seriously, yes.

So actually now that like Chavo's with AEW, I'm like, Oh my God, that is so cool. And Vicki's there too. Oh. I feel like we just witnessed a little moment here. Yeah, it makes me so happy. That, like, watching stuff like that, that I feel like my love of wrestling again. Like, it excites me because for a long time, wrestling was not exciting.

When I see things like that, it gets me excited. What do you think it was? And you've mentioned this a few times that. What do you think it was that made you kind of lose that passion that you had for wrestling. I mean, it was completely taken from me when we got let go, but just knowing that I felt like I had only scratched the surface with my goals and that I felt like there was just this roadblock.

And it was just like I couldn't get past the roadblock. That was hard to just kind of sit with because nothing I did would like move, you know? Yeah. Have you visited Ronnie at work? Yeah, I have. I've been told a few shows with him. Yeah, I feel like when this type of stuff happens, everyone goes, oh, Cassie Lee is backstage at AEW, everyone.

Well, yeah, I went to their last pay-per-view, and someone in the audience took a picture of me. What do you think? I'm here supporting my husband. I'm not here for business. Like, I'm not here to do, you know, going to business for myself. I don't know, but you want, I mean, you can understand. Oh, totally.

I get it. And hey, hey, talk about me. I'm good with it. Oh, this is good. Well, you should, you know, be going to all the shows then. I mean, well, they're on the road now. So it's not like it's just going up to, you know, streets to Jacksonville anymore.

Yeah, yeah. And I hate flying. So I don't have to fly. I'm not going to fly. Again, I still, we talked about this last time, but I can't wrap my head around someone who hates flying. Half of your job is flying. It was for the love of the business.

is it just like an anxiety when you get on a plane? It's hard to pinpoint. There like there came a time where driving to the airport, I would start feeling sick. And then as soon as I saw a plane on the tarmac, my stomach would just start turning and I would just get like physically ill. And then I just, I just hate it so much. I don't, I don't know exactly what it is.

I don't like heights. So flying, you know, that you can't have one and the other. And then like, if I can't see out of the plane, I get like physically ill again. And so it's just not a fun feeling.

So if they assign you an aisle seat, are you like frantically doing whatever you can to switch? Excuse me, ma'am. I am so sorry. We need the window seat. People are either window seat people or they're aisle seat people. I'm okay with an aisle seat so long as a person at the window

has the shade up, at least for takeoff and landing. So if that's the case and I cannot get a window seat, I will ask them, can you please just open it? Otherwise, I'm going to be sick everywhere. You're probably like, yeah, okay, please. Don't puke on me. Yep. I mean, that does the trick.

If wrestling was the first passion, is the first passion for you, is acting now like a very close second? Oh, absolutely. Yes. Definitely. So what, I mean, now that you've been taking acting lessons for the last two years, are you studying and watching films differently? Oh, definitely.

And that's the way I kind of like, when I started training for wrestling, I would watch wrestling differently. And I love just seeing like the behind the scenes and how movies are made. I really don't know a whole lot of the production side of things, but I just think it's so interesting. I love it. It's a lot of standing around, I can tell you. Well, Jess and I did a couple.

commercial for CarMax when we were tag champion. And not that there was a lot of standing around, but I was like, oh, gosh, we're being treated so lovely. Like, as soon as they would be all cut, two people would run up behind us and put chairs. And then someone else would run up and put a shade over us. And I was like, this is so lovely. Did you have stand-ins for this commercial, too? No, no.

Do you know what I'm talking about? Like people? Yes. No. Yes. I mean, that's when you know that you're like a real star. They have someone who's, you know, similar height, similar build to you, and they'll put them in there to stand in for the lighting and the camera angles.

Yeah. And then when it's time for the big star Cassie Lee to come in, we take the second team out. Yeah. No. What a job, though. That's for a stand-in. The stand, yeah. Oh, I mean, they get paid well, so it's good for everybody.

Yeah. Who's your favorite director? Oh, I don't know. I couldn't, I don't know. I couldn't tell you. I mean, I'll give you like five and you can choose from there. But here's the thing, right? You might say a director and I really don't know what movie.

Well, I'm sure you know who Steven Spielberg is. Well, tell me a movie and I'll know. He did E.T. Jaws, Jurassic Park. Okay. He's a very well-known director. Whoever directs or the rom-coms, so I like those. Is that the type of movie you want to be in?

Oh my gosh, that's my dream to be the lead in a rom-com. Oh, wow. Well, I mean, if you had your dream to be in the WWE and you did everything you could to make that happen, why are we to believe that you can't make this happen with movies? I mean, I don't think that's the case. I believe it. And that seems to be all that matters here.

Yeah, I totally agree. And that goes for anything. If you believe it for yourself, you're good. Are you reading, like, I feel like this is like that whole idea of like the secret, you know, the book, The Secret? No. Oh, the law of attraction. Oh, yeah, definitely. I agree.

I think the universe gives you what you want so long as you're, you put it out to the universe. You'll get it back. Well, we're putting it out of the universe together. You're getting a green card. Yes. First thing, first. Well, that's inevitable. That's inevitable.

It's going to happen. It's just a matter of, it's going to happen. today, tomorrow, or next week or next month. Yep, that is right. Again, if somebody's watching this and they work for the, whatever that is, immigration, maybe they can speed this process up a little bit. I don't know. Please, we'll put that out into the universe.

Yes, yes. If someone's working for the immigration, you know, people, yes, let's make that happen. Then once that happens, then in the world's your oyster. Yes, I love that. I love that you just said that. I mean, but it's true. But look, I think it would be so hard to not be impressed with everything that you've done in your career because you've built everything in your career all on your own.

Yeah. Yeah, I do feel like that. Like, just so much time and effort was put into like where I am now. And I just like, that's not stopping. It's just going in a different direction. Yeah, but the end goal is still. going to be the same. So maybe it's on a straight path. Maybe it weaves a little bit, but it still ends up at the same place.

Yep. Yeah. What do you think was the best advice that you were giving, whether in wrestling or outside of wrestling, but what's the best advice you've received in your career? The one that stands out is just being a good person. I feel like that just being a good person, being, you know, professional, it just gets you so much further than being a fit

person, you know? like you can be a shit person and still get like opportunities but I can't imagine it would feel as good as if you did things on your own terms and you were you were the person you stuck to your morals you're the person that you want to be and you see for yourself I think everything is just so much more worth it. Is that the advice that you would give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps? Yeah, definitely. Definitely.

I mean people don't want to help. rude people. You know, I'm not going to go out of my way for someone who doesn't have manners, but someone who is kind and nice are 100%. That's not just,

you know, that's not just in the business world either. That's in life. Yeah, like if you're in line to buy something, they want to help the nice person. Yeah. And if you're in jerk,

you know, calling customer service, you're going to be on hold for a minute. But if you allow a person to do their job and you have some patience, it'll probably get done quicker. How many of your podcast episodes do you have planned out from here on out? Or you guys just kind of winging it.

Yeah, we kind of wing it. So we film two at a time just because we've got producer Snuggs who has his own life and his own job. So in order to have his health, we need to like schedule things differently. So we've always got two episodes planned. And then we kind of wait to see like what happens in the world, what happens in life, that we, you know, can bring to the next two episodes. And I feel like they're just, they keep building on themselves.

This is the great thing about podcasting. Congratulations, by the way, I'm doing it. Because the, I always say the best thing about a podcast is anyone can do it. Yeah. The worst thing about a podcast

is anyone can do it. And the biggest thing you need to do is separate yourself from everybody who thinks that they can do it. And I think, I can't remember the exact number, but I think the stat is like, most people give up after seven.

So the fact that you are now knocking on the door of double digits, you're going to have 10 podcasts with your next one that you put out. Yep. You've already beat the odds. I didn't know that. I love that. Go us. But think about it.

And I get it. And you know what it's like. It's a lot of work. It's not just like turn on a mic and talk. It's a lot of work. It's way more than I honestly expected. And I think that a lot of people put all this time and effort into it. and they go, oh man, we've put out seven episodes.

We haven't got the results that we want. Well, I guess it's just not for me. Yeah, I mean, what's that saying where it's like you don't perfect something until you put in like 10,000 hours or something? We're not even close to that. So we're going to keep going. Yeah, that's Malcolm Gladwell's idea of like mastering something after 10,000 hours. That means 10,000 episodes, which I don't know if anyone's ever done that.

Yeah, that's true. But we inch closer with every episode. I'm sure you've done 10,000 hours of wrestling, wrestling training. Yeah, I would assume so. That means you're a master of wrestling now. I am a master wrestler. Pop that in my bio. Done. Make this happen.

What are the goals as we look towards the end of this year? And then what are the goals if we look ahead, like let's say five? Wow. I mean, assuming that the old green card is going to come in. That's not an assumption. It's happening. Okay. Like in wrestling, I still would love to capture a championship or women's championship. I still see myself on a grand stage. It doesn't have to be the grand stage. I mean, I just and I love working together. So we're really excited to get back to that. It's so easy and it's so fun. And then outside of wrestling, like my biggest thing is chasing acting. So that's like, that's

where everything is. I hope in five years that have a family. I hope in five years I'm able to get home to Australia to see my other family, my family at home. Yeah, I think everything is working towards this new career goal that I have. Which is being a rom-com star. Yes. I'm not opposed to being in like a Denzel film. Oh my God. How good is he, right? I just yesterday watched the equalizer. I had never seen it. And I was like, mind-blown. He's so good. Come on. You want to talk about subtleties. Oh, my God. My gosh. His performances are just filled with these little things. And it's in every one of his films. He just nails it.

Is he your favorite actor? I would say him and Leonardo DiCaprio. Oh, my God. Ronnie and I were talking about this recent. recently like who is one actor that you would say is the greatest actor full time and we've both said um Leonardo DiCaprio because we just every he's taken on so many different roles and I believe him in every role he takes on. He's easier. What do you think this might be hard but what do you think is his best performance? Oh gosh. Oh gosh I don't know. One of my favorites is Wolf of Wars. Not Wolf of Warwick. Yeah, Wolf of Wall Street.

Yeah. I would, I could, I think the argument could be made that he should have won the Oscar for Wolf of Wall Street and then ended up winning the Oscar for the Revenue. And it's kind of going, yeah, yeah, like, you're really good. We get it. I, like, he should have won Oscars for basically all of his performances. Like, every, every time it, like, was taken from him, I was like, man, he's earned it. Come on. Yeah.

Who's your favorite actress? Sandra Bullock. Oh my gosh. I love her. She's so good. So Sandra Bullock is like you're Eddie Guerrero. Yeah, she is. Well, and you've accomplished everything in the wrestling world.

So now it's time to follow in her footsteps in the acting world. Yeah, and I have someone's footsteps to follow just like Eddie's. That's, yeah. I am very, very excited for you. Oh, thank you. And I'm excited for you and Ronnie together. as one of my favorite wrestling couples. Oh, you're so kind.

It's true. And I'm very thankful for the opportunity to catch up with you and like just to hear how you're doing. Yeah, I always love speaking with you, so literally any time. Oh, my gosh. Well, we'll do this every week then. I became. I was thinking before he started, I was like,

what's he going to ask me? Like, I haven't, like, my career's been, like, stagnant. what's he going to ask me? But this has been actually therapeutic for me. So thank you. Oh, wow. Well, look, I end every conversation with the same question because I start and end every day with gratitude. I say I'm allowed three things that I'm grateful for. Love it. So I end every interview with that. So what are three things that you're grateful for? I'm curious what I said last time, but every day, same thing. I am forever grateful for health, safety, and happiness of everyone that I love and care.

about. I love that. That's so great. Thank you so much for this awesome time. Thank you for having me. I always love doing this with you. There you go. Isn't she fantastic? And as soon as that silly green card situation is sorted out, I know she'll be making a huge statement with whatever company that she decides to sign with. The fact that her talent right now is going unused is a travesty. Yeah, that's right. A travesty. I say, take a screenshot. Let us know that you're listening to this one. Let us know what stands out for you. Tag us on social media so we can share it.

Cassie is at Cassie Lee. I am at Chris Van Vleet. And if you're not already, please subscribe or follow the show on whichever platform you're listening on. And of course, Offer Chops is the name of Cassie and Jess's podcast, which you can find. Well, wherever you're listening to this right now. As the late great Martin Luther King said, the ultimate measure of a problem, person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy. Be great. Be grateful. We'll see you on the next one, my friends,

for some more insight. 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, but get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef?

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