Get to Know Nikki!

The Unauthorized Autobiography of Nikki Roxx

The woman known and respected by both peers and fans on two continents calls Boston, Massachusetts home. The blond, who stands 5’9”, tips the scales at a fit 145 pounds, and gazes out at the world behind deep brown eyes, most definitely embodies the New England ethic of hard work and determination, although her irresistible cheerfulness and room-illuminating smile seem a long way off from the stereotypical Yankee sternness.

Growing up, Nikki may have never dreamed she would one day be a celebrated Professional Wrestler, but that doesn‘t mean she wasn‘t a devoted fan of the sport. “I’ve always watched wrestling. When I was younger my mom and dad would bring me to the shows at Boston Garden. After they split up, my mom would still take me. It was great! Everyone would stare at us because we were a mom and daughter, which was unusual at the shows…it was pretty funny.” Clearly, not the standard bonding experience between parent and child, but obviously one that left a deep and lasting affection within Nikki’s heart.

Still, sitting there night after night during her most impressionable years, watching the action in the ring…didn’t Nikki realize early on that this was her life’s calling?

“I loved it! The only problem was, I didn’t know you had to go to school to train to be a wrestler. I actually never sat down and asked myself how do these guys do these amazing things and get on TV? I was never one of those fans who thought, ‘Hey, I can do that!’ I mean, I was a tomboy as a kid, but I never even played sports in school.”

“Then, one of my friends explained everything to me. He asked me to go with him to training at ‘Killer’ Kowalski’s school. I met April Hunter, who was training there at the time. Eventually, she talked me into trying out. Well, that was it…I was hooked! I haven’t stopped since.”

The blond immediately impressed her instructors with her determination. Kowalski’s school is well known for being exceptionally tough on its students; the legendary “Killer” takes pride in the fact that every single graduate of his program…and some of the most respected names in the sport today have studied under him…earned their degree the hard way. Not surprisingly, the dropout rate is higher there than at many other training schools. Well, Nikki not only passed, but she made it through with flying colors!

Nikki make her pro ring debut in March of 2001, and she worked hard to establish herself. Unlike some rookies who are satisfied working only semi-regularly and locally, Nikki made the rounds week after week, getting gigs from various promotions throughout New England, and she quickly began to build up a solid reputation as a skilled wrestler with a good work ethic…and one who could be counted on to put fans in the seats. And as a good reputation is worth your weight in gold in pro wrestling, Nikki Roxx very rapidly rose up the ladder as more and more bookers sought her out.

Like a lot of women, Roxx discovered that lady wrestlers aren’t always taken as seriously as they deserve to be. But to the naysayers, Nikki’s response has always been a simple one: “I invite them to a show and change their minds.” And once skeptics see Nikki Roxx work in the ring, they very quickly come to appreciate just what a woman can do between the ropes.

She also takes to heart the old adage, ‘Give me the strength to change the things I can, and the strength to accept the things I cannot.’ One thing about Women’s Wrestling in the early 21st Century which Nikki doesn’t necessarily like, but she accepts, is the so-called T&A factor in the business. “I understand that T&A is a part of the sport now. Some parts of wrestling are merely entertainment, and that’s as far as T&A should go…mere entertainment. I don’t think there is any serious room for it in the ring. Granted, you can look attractive, but you should also be able to wrestle. You can be pretty AND kick ass, girls!”

That opinion, sadly, isn’t shared by every promoter in the industry today, but Nikki stands by her guns on the issue. And in another facet of the sport, she’s actually marching to the beat of her own drummer: “I don’t have a gimmick, I just love to wrestle. A lot of fans are under the impression that I’m a high flyer, but I’m starting to be better known for my grappling skills now. I don’t even have a particular finishing hold…I just use whatever will get me a win.” In an era when so many wrestlers seem to be nothing more than a flashy ring name, colorful tights, and a handful of high spot moves followed by a menacing-sounding finisher, it’s refreshing to learn that Nikki’s focus is entirely on substance, not mere surface glamour.

In order to hone her style, Roxx spends an often grueling six days a week at the gym, and three or four of those days also find her training in the ring. “If you want to be a wrestler, you have to be strong enough to throw your opponent around. So, I started weight training. Completely changed the way I look.” The results have been so dramatic, in fact, Nikki has recently begun seriously training in order to compete in fitness pageants!

“I know that to be the best at what you do, you have to train. I like to weight train. I like pushing my body to its limits and then seeing if I can push it a little bit father. I have completely focused all of my efforts to being a wrestler.”

For someone who works so much on the independent circuit, it’s not surprising that Roxx has suffered her share of injuries. But she tends to downplay them, accepting them as the inevitable scars of battle. “Well, I had my thumb dislocated. I also broke my nose. But I just think that’s a part of wrestling.”

Because of her hectic schedule, Roxx admits that she doesn’t have much time for a “normal life,” or for many hobbies. When she gets the chance, she often likes to relax by stretching out on the sofa, reading comic books and watching cartoons! She also has broads tastes in food (“I love every type!”), clothing (“As long as its comfy and looks good.”), and music (“Why narrow down your experiences? I listen to just about anything from heavy metal to country.”)

Nikki’s determination and her reputation soon took her outside of New England, into the rings of the South and out to the West Coast. But she found her greatest success outside of the United States. She had been recommended to the promoter of Lucha Libre Feminil in Monterrey, Mexico by the PGWA, for whom Nikki had first worked in 2004. From her very first match in the LLF, she clicked with the Mexican fans, who are used to seeing some of the best lady wrestlers in the world, and they quickly recognized Roxx as being of that caliber. The blond was taken by the fans to their hearts, lovingly dubbed “Gringa,” and immediately became the fan favorite no matter who she was wrestling against. And Nikki rewarded their support by going on to win the LLF Juvenil (“Young Blood”) belt. She also teamed up with Diana la Cazadora, one of Mexico’s most popular Luchadoras, to win the Tag Team championship. And if that wasn’t enough, she beat out a tough field of competitors to claim the coveted Cup of Reynosa. And she’s got a few more unusual trophies on her shelf as well: “I’ve won the mask of Arianna, and the hair of Polly Star!” What was planned as merely a brief lark down to Mexico has literally turned into a career in and of itself, as Nikki regularly ventures south of the border to work in packed arenas in front of adoring fans.

Back home in the States, Roxx continued to work steadily around the country, and had a dream fulfilled when she finally got to face one of the true legends of Women’s Wrestling, Cowgirl Susan Green, in a match which Nikki credits as one of the highlights of her career. Nikki gave her all, and even though she didn’t win, she impressed everyone with her talent and her drive. And no one was more impressed than Green herself, who raved about the abilities of her young opponent, and who even went so far as to offer to provide Nikki with additional training down at Susan’s school in South Carolina! In the eyes of some learned fans, performing so well against the veteran Green and winning her deep respect was, in some ways, a sort of ‘passing of the mantle’ between the legend and the newcomer.

The offer to work with Susan Green is an opportunity which Nikki does not take lightly. Despite having the prestigious pedigree of being a graduate of “Killer” Kowalski’s school, she has continually sought out additional training from other wrestlers in the U.S, in Mexico, and even in England.

And it was in England where Nikki Roxx reached a pinnacle of her wrestling career. For all of her hard work in 2004, she was rewarded with the designation of being the ‘Most Promising Wrestler of the Year’. On the basis of that, as well as due to the fact that she had so deeply impressed both Susan Green (a former two-time PGWA Champion) and Penny Banner (a wrestling legend in her own right, and the PGWA Commissioner), Nikki was awarded a sanctioned title match against Pippa L’Vinn for the PGWA belt. And on April 23rd 2005, in L’Vinn’s own hometown of Manchester, England, Nikki Roxx went into the history books as the newest PGWA Champion, only the seventh woman to hold that belt in nearly 15 years!

But for all of her successes, Nikki is not one to rest on her laurels. She continues to train hard and work hard, to push herself to her limits, yet never lose her smile or her optimism. “I can’t explain what makes this sport so special. It’s just something that takes hold of you. I couldn’t imagine my life without wrestling. It means a lot to me that the fans support me, and I’m thankful for the promoters who give me opportunities.“

“There have been so many experiences and great moments in wrestling, it’s hard for me to choose one over any other. You travel so often, meet so many people, and discover so much. All I know is, I have no regrets.”

“You only live once…make the most of it!”