McKenzie Mitchell Discusses How She Got Her Start In Impact, Eventual Move To WWE
McKenzie Mitchell was a backstage interviewer for "WWE NXT" and co-host of "The Bump" before announcing her release from WWE earlier this month. On "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Mitchell recounted her entry into wrestling. Mitchell's wrestling journey started back in 2016, but she never had any goals to get involved in the business at first.
"I didn't expect this, I didn't watch [wrestling] as a kid growing up. I went to school for broadcast and I landed the job at Impact Wrestling, I'd never watched a day of wrestling in my life before I arrived on the scene." After beginning in Impact, Mitchell eventually met Drake Maverick, who she says helped her along in the industry. "I remember he was like 'If you have any questions, this business can be interesting, call me, because I will be able to give you a full thought-out answer and lead you in a direction that you need.'" Additionally, she also named veteran broadcaster Jeremy Borash, who helped her cultivate her hosting abilities and learn how to interact with a live audience.
Despite not knowing much about wrestling before starting her career, the one thing that's stood out the most to Mitchell is the respect in the industry. "I think it's so important, and it's been passed down through years and years and I think that's what took me by surprise." Mitchell also recalled her road to WWE, and revealed that she had a tryout in 2017 but wasn't hired. However, she applied again in 2019 and started in the digital team before being assigned to "NXT," where she fulfilled her goal of television interviewing. She also noted how many former Impact names are in WWE today, and that LA Knight has been a close friend since the two were in Impact together. "It's bizarre to watch his rise in WWE, it's so exciting! I still can't look at him and be like 'Wow, you are a megastar!' But he's a megastar, and I'm so proud of him."
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