Shelly Martinez, who WWE fans remember as the vampiress Ariel from the WWECW brand, recently shared a story about an unpaid debt from WWE that dates back to her time with the company. In a recent appearance on Ring The Belle, Martinez revealed that WWE still owes her money for a small sum, less than a hundred dollars, and she hasn’t seen it yet.
Martinez recalled that after WrestleMania 2007, WWE scanned her for that year’s video game, something she was excited about at the time. “I was so excited,” she said. However, her WWE journey ended shortly after, and she was let go from the company following a confrontation with Dave Batista. To add to the frustration, Martinez was also cut from the video game roster despite being scanned.
“After WrestleMania, they scanned me for the game,” she said. “When I got released and time went on…people brought [the game] to my attention.” However, her time with the company took an unexpected turn, and WWE allegedly owed her a small amount of money. She received a letter from an attorney notifying her of the unpaid sum.
“Here’s the thing, WWE tried to erase me…I wasn’t on their alumni page or anything…Bottom line is, ya owe me money,” Martinez said, explaining that she wanted her money, even if it was less than a hundred dollars, so she could spend it on “tacos, cannabis, and vodka.”
Martinez’s WWE career was mainly centered around managing Kevin Thorne, a character that didn’t always gel with her, but Martinez and Thorne have since reconciled. She also healed her relationship with Batista, who admitted that he didn’t realize how important Martinez was to his career until she was no longer around.
This story highlights the oddities of the wrestling industry, including unresolved financial matters that can linger long after a wrestler has left the company.