Ruby Riot Says Professional Wrestling Helped Her Embrace Her True Self

Ruby Riot wasn't always a wrestling fan, but once she stepped into the ring she knew it was what she wanted to do. Speaking with Jim Varsallone of The Miami Herald, the former Heidi Lovelace opened up about how the sport has embraced her personality and how that acceptance has filled her with a newfound confidence.

“Instead of really shunning my weird oddities, professional wrestling embraced my quirkiness and really helped me embrace myself and stay true to myself and accept myself and really bring out even more of these oddities that people seem to embrace. It has really helped me with my confidence and really made me the woman who I am today.”

Nic Nemeth: I'd Rather Not Repeat What John Layfield Said To Me At TNA Emergence

Riot may have to turn her personality up a few notches but is thankful that she gets to be herself every time she performs. Her first wrestling coach, Billy Roc, is not surprised to see her doing so well and believes that Ruby has the "IT" factor that just can't be taught. 

“She is right where I knew she would be," said Roc. "Very early in her training, I knew she was something special because of her attitude and little things she was doing in the ring other people struggle with. It was up to her on the work it would take to fulfill her dream. There is one thing I can’t teach in wrestling, and that’s the ‘IT’ factor. She has that factor. If I had to say how she is different from now to when I trained her......confidence. She’s grown into a rock star.”

Ruby, who admits that she was an introvert growing up, has become an important part of the NXT Women's Division and has come a long way in the seven years since she first started training. 

Ruby Riot can be seen on NXT and in the upcoming WWE 2K18 video game as DLC.

Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! Click here to learn more.