AEW's Anna Jay Says WWE Stars Inspired Her To Get Into Wrestling, Talks Early Training

During a recent appearance on "Busted Open," AEW star Anna Jay revealed how she got her start in pro wrestling.

"So I grew up watching it like most people who get into wrestling," Jay said. "My dad was a huge wrestling fan so he would be watching it every week, tuning in, and my brothers — it was kind of a joke — neither of them would sit down and watch it with him, but I would and I loved it. I kept telling my parents every week, 'This is something I really want to do,' and surprisingly, they were like, 'Okay, if you really want to, then you should go for it.'"

Jay attended college for one year while trying to figure out what her path into wrestling would look like.

"I met a family friend named Glacier from WCW and he told me he was opening up a school with QT Marshall in Atlanta called The Nightmare Factory, but it was called the Power Factory then. He invited me to come check it out and see if it was something I really wanted to do. So I went to a camp and I loved it. I never even stepped foot in the ring, but I watched everything and loved it and the environment. I was like, 'You know what, this is something I really want to do.' So I finished the semester of school, moved to Atlanta, and started training."

When asked if she had a favorite wrestler growing up, Anna Jay named The Bella Twins as her inspiration.

"Yes, The Bella Twins," Jay said. "I know that's pretty cliche, and I've said it every time, but they are really what got me into it and made me think, 'Okay, if they can do it, I can do it.'"

On tonight's episode of "AEW Dynamite," Jay is set to challenge Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women's World Championship. Even though her dad won't be in attendance to witness the match, Jay remains grateful she can share her passion with him.

"It's really the coolest thing to be able to talk about it with my dad," she added. "He's so happy and so proud and it's really a cool thing we get to share. He loves to question me pretty much weekly, which I sometimes get annoyed by, but I'm very grateful for. Like I said, he's the reason I'm in this. I wish they could be here tonight, but they'll be watching for sure. Going into something like this tonight is super nerve-wracking, but this is what I wanted, what I dreamed of, and I'm just happy to be here."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.