Shotzi Blackheart on Why She's the Face and Balls Of MLW [Exclusive]

Shotzi Blackheart has found herself again as a professional wrestler in MLW.

Blackheart is in the middle of a 12-year career that has spanned multiple promotions and companies including NXT and WWE. However, it was her release from WWE that opened up opportunities to be the wrestler she always knew she could be.

Saturday night on MLW Fusion, Blackheart is scheduled to defend her MLW Women's World Championship against Kira. Ahead of that showdown, Blackheart spoke exclusively to The Takedown on SI about her role in MLW, being lost after leaving WWE, and words from a trusted peer that continue to drive her.

"I am the face and the balls of MLW," Blackheart said. "The ballsy badass is here taking over. I love MLW so much. I think we have the best wrestling product out there and I'm obsessed with it. It's creative, it's fun, it's bonkers, it's a little 80s, it's international ... I'm really thriving there. They understand Shotzi Blackheart."

It wasn't too long ago that Blackheart herself didn't fully understand Shotzi Blackheart. She claimed to be lost after being released from WWE and left to fend for herself on the independent circuit. Injuries and not being used much on the WWE main roster led her to lose some sizzle, but it was the independent circuit that helped her find it again.

"It was a tough time," Blackheart said of her time in WWE. "Now that I'm doing my own thing, I have all the confidence in the world. My carefree attitude is back and I'm having the greatest time ... Now, creatively, especially with MLW, they understand me. We're at a mutual agreement on where my character goes. Teaming up with the Good Brothers, being the face and the balls of the company, I feel like I'm being challenged on a creative level, and that's where I thrive most."

Shotzi Blackheart details key differences between NXT and the WWE main roster

Though it was a tough time, Blackheart spoke fondly about her time with WWE. She said that NXT understood her early on in her run with the promotion. Blackheart seriously noted that NXT and the WWE main roster are tremendously different and explained exactly why.

"It's very different. Hugely different," Blackheart said of NXT compared to the WWE main roster. "Think about it: NXT is in Orlando. You record at the Performance Center. You train there almost every day. You see everyone every single day, and you have time to pre-shoot your backstage segments a day or two in advance. You get time to really work on it. To plan your matches ... That's why NXT is so polished. They have time to iron out all the details and do 50 takes if they want on their pre-tapes.

"The main roster is different because you're traveling in that day. You're showing up to TV and there's a million things going on. Everyone's running around like a chicken with their head cut off. There's so much that needs to get done in a few hours before the show, and then while the show's going on ... It's completely different. It's so chaotic on the road."

Shotzi confirmed that she was able to look at her time in WWE through a clear lens. Blackheart said that she would handle her business differently on the main roster if she were to ever get back there. Blackheart was working through personal issues as she joined the main roster, including the loss of her father and stepfather.

Blackheart said that those were hard distractions to deal with, while also dealing with the pressure of the road. If she was going to do the job different a second time around, Blackheart said it would start with her and her confidence. Blackheart said she would hit the main roster with the attitude of take over or bust and that she'd lead with the confidence she's built up since leaving.

Shotzi Blackheart is living in the MLW moment

Is Shotzi Blackheart looking to make a return to WWE? Not nessecarily.

"I like to live in the moment right now," Blackheart said when asked about her future plans. "When you start thinking about stuff like that is when you get pulled out of the moment. Right now I'm with MLW. I'm very happy and I'm devoted to watching this company thrive, because I really do think we have one of the best products and we could be the best."

Tonight on MLW Fusion, which can be seen on YouTube, VEEP, BeIN Sports, and elsewhere, Blackheart will defend her MLW World Championship against Kira. There's always nerves for a big title defense, but Blackheart is ready.

"The nerves are good," Blackheart said. "They remind you that you still love this and you actually care. Kira is awesome. I saw her work when I went to CMLL repping MLW a few months ago, and she's the up-and-coming "it" girl in Mexico. She's a great high flyer. She has all the coolest flips and moves and she looks really cool. To have her come into the MLW locker room, I'm obsessed, because I want the best of the best."

Show me your balls KIRA!!! @MLW https://t.co/QCnBACFpfE
— Shotzi Blackheart (@ShotziTCB) July 9, 2026

It's been a long, but exciting road for Shotzi Blackheart in pro wrestling. Blackheart opened up about tough words of wisdom that Kevin Owens gave her. Owens used to tell Blackheart that she had a certain vibe and tone to her matches. He then questioned what happened to that performer.

"Kevin Owens told me this," Shotzi said. "He said, 'When I used to watch you on the indies, you had this throwing-caution-to-the-wind thing.' I lost that for a little while and Kevin Owens kind of smacked me one day and said, 'Yo, what happened to that girl?' So it's good to have her back.

"I hope he's watching what I'm doing now and thinking, 'Hey, that girl's back.'"

Add us as a preferred source on Google