SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Ahead of her October 17 appearance at WWE Friday Night Smackdown in San Jose, The Finish with Kor & Tor caught up with WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss to talk about her return, her most memorable moments and what fans can expect next.
The multiple-time champion has spoken about her evolution from “Glittered Glitz” to one of the most popular figures in WWE, which is reflected in her relationship with Bray Wyatt, and she even shared which celebrity left her completely stunned.
the end: How are you feeling heading into SmackDown this week?
Alexa Place: “I’m excited. You know, everyone’s coming out of Crown Jewel, so everyone’s really excited about that. We’ve got a great show in San Jose. Hopefully I’ll have a match because I think, you know, it’s been a minute since Charlotte.” [Flair] And I defended our tag team championships. So maybe that’s something we see in San Jose. “I can only hope so, but it would be a lot of fun.”
the end: When she first started in NXT, she debuted as the flamboyant Alexa Bliss before transitioning to a heel manager role with Blake and Murphy. How has this transition been for you?
Alexa Place: “It was something I was thrown into, to be honest. It was a sink-or-swim situation. I was, you know, the first version of Alexa Bliss, the sparkly skirt, and all that stuff. That was just part of my main love of Disney. So it was, well, what do I know? Because I was entered into my debut as well. Paige was moved to the main roster, and then the NXT title was vacant.”
“I remember I was in promo class and Chris Chambers came up to me and went, ‘So you’re debuting tomorrow?’ and I said, ‘I don’t have a character.’ And he said, ‘What did you do in your last promo class?’ And I was like, ‘You put on a tutu and blue glitter.’ He went, ‘Great, do it.’
“And that’s where this character was kind of born. But when I joined Blake and Murphy, it was like a light bulb went off. It was an overnight transition as well. Michael Hayes was asking me, ‘Where’s your red hair?’ I said, ‘I don’t have red hair.’ And he said, ‘Well, you’re evil now, you’ve got to have red hair.’
“So I had to dye my hair red. I wanted to be the mean girl from high school that the girls hate but secretly want, and the guys can’t stand but secretly want to date. A little bit of Regina George, a little bit of the people I met along the way.”
“If it weren’t for the collaboration with Blake and Murphy, there wouldn’t be the Alexa Bliss we see today because that first version of me wouldn’t have done anything.”
the end: How does the Alexa of 2017 to 2018 compare to the one we see now?
Alexa Place: “I try not to repeat the same thing that I did. I like to change the character and evolve and change. So, now I feel like this character is a web of some things.”
“I have some plans about where she’ll go next, which I can’t really say. But right now, we’re seeing a little bit of the dark Alexa, and a little bit of the goddess that emerges from time to time.”
“This version of Alexa finds confidence again — where does she fit into the world of trusting people? Because everyone she’s ever had has either been stabbed in the back or left. That’s why Charlotte and I aren’t always on the same page, and that’s what makes it so fun.”
the end: Survivor Series is coming – if you could build your own team, past or present, male or female, who would be on it?
Alexa Place: “Oh, who would I put on my team? Well, if I could put Bray, I would put Bray. But we’ll say Bray, Bray, Rhea Ripley because she’s big and scary. AJ Lee why not? She’s an icon. We need AJ Lee. Me, right? I’m part of this team. Then I’ll pick John Cena — and that will be his last match.”
the end: If you could book your dream match today via WWE, TNA or AAA, who would it be?
Alexa Place: “I’d love to have another match with The IInspiration. They’re the champions now, and you and Charlotte — you’re the champions. Bell to bell, title to title, let’s go.”
the end: John Cena recently paid tribute to Bray Wyatt at Crown Jewel Perth, which brought out the fireflies. What was your reaction watching that?
Alexa Place: “I thought that was really cool. I was so bummed that I wasn’t there at that moment because it was so cool. Anything that keeps the Wyndham Bray tribute alive, I think is pretty cool. For Cena to hit Sister Abigail and for the WWE Universe to immediately pull out the Fireflies — I think that’s pretty cool.”
“I always love to have something that takes me back to what was, for me, one of the most fun and creative times of my entire career. I miss that time so much, so anytime something reminds us of it, I love it.”
the end: You’re a huge Disney fan, most recently working with Halloween Horror Nights for the Wyatt Six house. What are your thoughts on that? And do you think Alexa Bliss will always be associated with the Wyatts?
Alexa Place: “The house is unbelievable. I’ve been to Orlando’s house, and I’m going to L.A. next week, but the Orlando house was absolutely amazing. There were a lot of little tributes and Easter eggs for Windham, Bray’s WWE career.”
“It’s something Bray always wanted — a house at Universal Horror Nights. So it’s pretty cool that it’s actually happening. I was able to film myself for about 45 minutes, and it was a lot of fun. They even got an Alexa Bliss ‘Lilly’.” [doll] there. The girl who photographed me looked a lot like me, which was kind of creepy.”
“I think Alexa Bliss will always be connected to the Wyatts in some way. Bray would always say, ‘Alexa and I will always be connected, and when we reconnect, it’ll be something big.’ I think there will always be some kind of connection between us.”
the end: Have you ever had a moment where you froze when meeting someone?
Alexa Place: “Yes, I wasn’t expecting it. I was a huge Twilight fan when I was little – my whole bedroom was Team Jacob. I was at a Kane Brown concert and Taylor Lautner was on stage. My friend ended up bringing it and I was totally impressed.”
“He said to me: Your child has beautiful eyes. I said to him: Thank you. They are mine, because my daughter has mine. And I kept saying to my husband all day: Did I tell you that Taylor Lautner said he loved my eyes?” “He complimented the child’s eyes,” he says. Yes, but they are mine!”
the end: Alexa, thanks for joining us. We look forward to seeing you on Friday on SmackDown at the SAP Center in San Jose.
Alexa Place: “Thank you very much. I appreciate it.”
Watch the full interview with Alexa Bliss now on The Finish with Kor & Tor, streaming exclusively on KRON4+.
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