EPISODE 1 THIS IS AWESOME

The internet was abuzz with rumors. There was going to be a female invasion from NXT on Monday Night Raw.

Everyone had their different opinions on who the invaders were.

“It’s the Four Horsewomen.”

“It’s Charlotte, Sasha, and Bayley.”

Realistically, it should have been Bayley. Her character was more established, while mine was still being workshopped. But they didn’t want to deplete the NXT roster completely, and considering they’d need someone reliable, they left Bayley in NXT to lead the new troops like the phenomenal talent she is. I was slowly proving my worth, but I was still a risk.

Charlotte and Sasha, however, were pegged for greatness.

On this particular adventure, however, as the email advisory came from WWE’s travel department, Charlotte and I would be riding in a car together and sharing a room. As we were independent contractors, it was up to us to get our rental cars and hotel rooms, but for the first few months of our being called up WWE covered the expense.

We met up at the gym the day before, hanging off StairMasters discussing future plans and creative pitches with stars in our eyes. Best of all, we were going to get to do it together.

At the airport as Charlotte and I waited to board our flight, giggling with anticipation, we saw Sasha, who kept to herself. I figured she, understandably, felt that she should be debuting on her own. She was already a star, and she deserved an isolated spotlight.

Our debut was Monday, July 13, 2015, just over two years since I had arrived at the Performance Center. Charlotte and I mentally prepared ourselves to be berated by the established members of the female locker room. Having heard horror stories of the hostility new call-ups would endure, such as having their clothes destroyed or bags thrown into the hallways or shower, or being bullied out of the makeup chairs, and other general sabotage, we felt ready for anything.

To our shock, we received warm welcomes and hugs. Everyone seemed excited to have us there and kept asking, “What are you guys doing tonight?”—to which we had absolutely no answer.

Keep in mind, this is a live TV show. A live TV show that goes into the homes of millions of people worldwide. We were going to go live on TV, in front of millions of people, and likely perform wrestling moves, and as the hours ticked down we remained completely in the dark. The whole thing was a giant secret, even to us, the people involved in the secret.

At one stage one of the makeup ladies dragged me into her chair.

“That’s okay! I don’t even know if I’m doing anything!” I responded, not wanting to skip ahead of any of the more tenured women and genuinely not knowing if I was actually doing anything. But she insisted that if I waited any longer it would be too late.

Eventually, after the doors had opened and the show that was live in front of millions of people had gone on air, we were told that we would, in fact, be making our debut tonight.

The plan was that we would be broken into teams, decided by Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie, the daughter of Vince and the chief brand officer for WWE, played a powerhouse of a woman on TV, but behind the scenes she was even more impressive. She’s a grounded, down-to-earth woman who can do it all: businessperson, on-air legend, mom to three girls, ambassador, wife, writer. She’s smart, personable, and despite being one of the busiest people in the world makes time to talk to everyone on all rungs of the ladder like they’re the only person in the world, with eye contact that is both comforting and at times intimidating. There was no better endorsement than being introduced by the most authoritative woman in all of WWE.

But storywise we were fighting for… eh, honor? Turf, maybe? But we didn’t like the other teams, because, eh, we were the best. Or something. I’m still not really sure on that one.

On one team was myself, Charlotte, and Paige.

The other was Tamina Snuka, Sasha, and Naomi.

The third was Nikki and Brie Bella and Alicia Fox.

We went over the segment in an empty hallway in the back lest anyone see the mastery that was about to play out in a matter of minutes.

They wanted the Three Horsewomen looking strong at the end, with each of our submissions on a member of Team Bella.

It was all a bit of a clusterfuck.

I wasn’t even sure if I should wear my really cool trench coat and goggles. Was I allowed to? Was now the time? Would it be awkward and clunky? What would I do with it once we started fighting? Practicing how this would go down would have been really nice.

I stood in gorilla waiting for my name to be called, without my entrance gear, when someone asked where it was.

I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. I was trying not to mess anything up and was inadvertently messing everything up. Classic Rebecca.

I watched fervently as Paige, now in the ring, bickered with the heel tag team—The Bella Twins. Stephanie joined her to also admonish the heel team of the Bella Twins for being too prissy or whatever. When the bickering had culminated into its crescendo of bickeryness, Stephanie announced that there was going to be a revolution!

A revolution, you say? Yes, ma’am. A goddamn women’s revolution, and it would be televised! But this revolution was different from, say, the French Revolution. This revolution came with gal-pal teams, and Stephanie was about to make the big announcement.…

Meanwhile, in the back, I tried to calm myself. Holy shit, this was it. I was making my debut, as a character that was meeeee. Not an extra, a featured player. I was a featured player. And I didn’t even have my goddamn cool-ass trench coat.

Stephanie had selected a teammate for Paige and announced “the Lasskicker Beeeeecccckkkkkyyyyyy Lyyyyynnnnnnch.”

I ran out of gorilla and the crowd popped as if they knew who the hell I was. The giant black-and-yellow NXT logo filled the ’Tron behind me.

They were excited to see me?

I improvised, to quote HHH on my NXT debut, an “excitement crack” entrance, then bolted to the ring as fast as my shaky legs would carry me. Then stood there trying to look calm, cool, and collected. God, I was so uncool.

Stephanie continued her friend assignment. Charlotte would also be on our revolutionary friend team. She was much more composed than I was. Walking down the ramp like a regal queen as if she was bred for this since birth, which in a way she had been.

So, okay, good. This was my new team of friends whom I was friends with for reasons unknown.

Which brings us to the other set of friends! Naomi came out with Tamina also wanting to be part of the revolution. But luckily for them, Stephanie had recruited a friend for them too! NXT women’s champion Sasha Banks!

“The floor is now yours, but it is up to you what you do with it,” came Stephanie’s parting words.

I still wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but allegedly the crowd was, because once the teams broke into a brawl the audience serenaded us in delight with chants of “This is awesome” and “NXT, NXT!”

It was as good as you could hope for with a debut when you didn’t have your very cool trench coat that made you look cool. (I’m still maybe just a little irked by it).

We went back to a standing ovation in gorilla. Charlotte and Sasha were crying, while I was in stunned awe of what the hell just happened.

Strangely, though, I felt far more comfortable up here than I ever did in NXT. Maybe it was the thought that I survived, or that my job had just become a little more secure.

I don’t think that anyone in that room then, or even in the arena, would have predicted that I would one day be the first woman to win the main event of WrestleMania.

But maybe they would if I had had my trench coat. Okay, okay, I’ll let it go.

(I won’t.)