Anna Jay reveals the reason why she was given the number '99'
Anna Jay recently revealed what influenced Brodie Lee to give her the number '99.' She also admitted that she was unaware that the former leader of the Dark Order was going to call her the 'Queenslayer'.
Anna Jay is currently signed with AEW. She made her debut on April 1st, 2020 in a match against Hikaru Shida. A few weeks later, she became the first female member of AEW's most sinister faction, the Dark Order. "The Exalted One" Brodie Lee led this mysterious stable. For several months, Lee and the Dark Order were one of the most powerful forces in AEW.
Speaking to Chris Jericho on the Talk Is Jericho podcast, Anna Jay revealed how she had no idea that Brodie Lee was going to call her the "Queenslayer." She also discussed how hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was Lee's inspiration for naming her '99'.
"I didn't even know he was going to call me the Queenslayer until we were live and he did it in the ring, and it just kind of caught on. I didn't even know about [number '99' ] until his Unrestricted interview came out. He literally said, "It only matters to me." It is a reference to number 99, Wayne Gretzky, the hockey player, 'The Great One.'" said Anna Jay.
Each member of the Dark Order has a particular number assigned to them. Until Anna Jay joined the group, the numbers ranged from one to 10. But in a testimony to Jay's potential, Brodie Lee assigned her the number '99', the jersey number of 'The Great One', Wayne Gretzky.
Anna Jay was very emotional during Brodie Lee's tribute show
A few weeks ago on AEW Dynamite, the Brodie Lee tribute show was an emotional night for wrestlers and fans alike. On this memorable night, Anna Jay teamed team up with her friend, Tay Conti to take on Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. and Penelope Ford. Jay and Conti won this special bout.
The adrenaline of the match and the emotions surrounding Lee's death took a toll on Jay. She was seen crying toward the end of the show. Clearly, Lee had a significant impact on Jay. He professionally mentored her, and they had a strong friendship.
Lee's influence in AEW will live on, as Jay and the Dark Order are still prominently featured on the company's programming every week. "99" will hope to capture the AEW Women's Championship someday to pay tribute to Lee's mentorship.