Female star left WWE after real-life Batista confrontation, Stevie Richards recalls
Batista, real name Dave Bautista, was one of WWE's most prominent stars in the 2000s. In a recent YouTube video, former WWE wrestler Stevie Richards reflected on a backstage incident he once witnessed between The Animal and Shelly Martinez.
Martinez, also known as Ariel, worked for WWE between 2005 and 2007. The former ECW talent was friends with Batista's ex-girlfriend Melina and allegedly took exception to how he treated the five-time Women's Champion.
On The Stevie Richards Show, Richards said Martinez's days in WWE were numbered after her confrontation with one of the company's marquee names:
"I came up and Shelly was putting her finger in Batista's chest, MFing him about Melina, about this, and Dave was just smiling and I was standing there going, 'I get along with both of them,' so I'm like, 'Do I just step in?' And she was MFing him about Melina and all this stuff and Morrison, and I think he was smirking because he was like, 'You're gone after this.' That's kinda the energy I felt." [13:51 – 14:20]
Martinez is best remembered for her time in ECW. She managed Kevin Thorn and performed as a mysterious fortune teller.
How Batista reacted to the Shelly Martinez incident
Stevie Richards spoke to Batista and Shelly Martinez after watching the heated exchange from afar.
While the confrontation left Martinez upset, Richards recalled how The Animal did not seem to care:
"I even went up to her and I was like, 'Hey, is everything all right?' and she was crying afterward. She was not balling but I think she was so emotional that she was there. I went up and I crossed paths with Dave and I was like, 'Dude, what was that? Is everything all right?' He's like, 'Yeah, it's fine,' which led me to believe she's buried or she's gone and that was it." [14:22 – 14:43]
Martinez received her release from WWE on May 18, 2007. She went on to work for TNA under the name Salinas in 2007 and 2008.
Do you have any memories of Shelly Martinez's time in WWE? Hit the discuss button and let us know.
Please credit The Stevie Richards Show and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.