Indie Watch is our regular series that looks at all of the amazing talents working the independent circuits around the world. Some are veterans revitalizing their careers, some are indie prospects hitting their peaks, while others are names to be on the watch for! This time, we will take a look at the young, promising career of “The Little Blue Dragon” from St. Louis, Tootie Lynn.
This past Saturday, the National Wrestling Alliance held its first all-women’s pay-per-view event, NWA EmPowerrr. The main event of the show in question was the NWA Women’s Invitational Cup, a gauntlet-style match that would see the winner receive a trophy and a future NWA World Women’s Championship match. Among the competitors involved was “The Little Blue Dragon,” Tootie Lynn. Though she began the match as a favorite among the live crowd in St. Louis, it wasn’t long until the wrestling world at large was talking about her. Here’s what to know about the black belt turned professional wrestler.
St. Louis, Missouri native Tootie Lynn Ramsey started watching wrestling at a young age. In her interview with We Luv Wrestling, she credited this to her grandfather and stepfather, both of whom sparked her love for wrestling. When they passed away, she stopped watching for some time, though she got back into it when her sister started watching. She cited Rey Mysterio and Penta El Zero Miedo among the wrestlers she liked; these masked wrestlers would play into the development of her separate character later on. Before then, she was training in martial arts, ultimately receiving her 1st-degree black belt. With the support of her family, Ramsey started her professional wrestling career in her early 20s.
Tootie Lynn Begins Wrestling
Tootie Lynn Ramsey started training at the Dynamo Pro Wrestling Dojo, based in St. Louis. Following this, Ramsey wrestled her first official match on December 16, 2017, facing Savanna Stone and Rahne Victoria in a three-way bout won by the latter. The year after, Ramsey worked in various independent organizations in the Midwest. These included but weren’t limited to Dynamo Pro, Girl Fight Wrestling, and Kansas City Xtreme Wrestling. In May, Ramsey competed in a tournament to crown the first KCXW Women’s Champion, which was eventually won by Sabra Black.
Ramsey’s pursuits across the Midwest wrestling scene continued that year. Whether it was appearing for other promotions, including Glory Pro Wrestling, Cape Championship Wrestling, and IWA Mid-South, or vying for women’s titles, Ramsey was steadily building a name for herself. 2017 and 2018 marked the formative years of the St. Louis native’s career. The following year, she found greater success and even developed a character to help take her to the next level.
The Birth of Seishin
By January of 2019, Tootie Lynn Ramsey introduced a new character to the independent wrestling world: Seishin. As she was gaining traction on the independent scene, it was suggested that her combination of strike-based offense and lucha libre approach become the basis of a character. This brought life to Seishin, which is a Japanese word that translates to “spirit” in English. Furthermore, this was the first time that an African American woman worked under a character of this nature. As she explained on We Luv Wrestling, Seishin is the inner spirit of Tootie Lynn. From there, she alternated between wrestling as herself and under the mask of Seishin, depending on the situation.
That same month, Tootie Lynn achieved her first major in-ring accolade. At Cape Championship Wrestling’s Chaos in Charleston event, “The Little Blue Dragon” won her first title, the CCW Women’s Championship. She would also go on to share the ring with more high-profile opponents, including Queen Aminata, Billie Starkz, and current WWE Superstar Shotzi Blackheart. Though the woman otherwise known as Seishin would lose the CCW Women’s title later that September, the sky was only the limit for her. Continued appearances in the Midwest, for promotions such as Showtime Championship Wrestling, were evidence of this.
From 2020 Onward
Tootie Lynn’s momentum continued heading into 2020. Case and point, in March of that year, she battled the legendary Jazz at Pro Wrestling Epic‘s Declaration of War event. That same month, however, the pro wrestling world, by and large, came to a standstill following the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t until the summer that “The Little Blue Dragon” was back in the mix. In August, as Seishin, she competed in the first Black Wrestlers Matter event, wrestling in a three-way match won by Brooke Valentine. Though she fell short, the St. Louis native was set to make the most of her time following several months of unexpected inactivity. She would also wrestle most of her matches, from that point forward, as Seishin. The character amassed popularity among independent wrestling enthusiasts.
The impact of Tootie Lynn and Seishin only grew in 2021. In May of that year, she competed on AAW Alive, facing Game Changer Wrestling stalwart Allie Katch in singles competition. The following month, she participated in Black Wrestlers Matter 2, picking up a victory over Keith Mack. Just as important, if not more, was her history-making 30-minute Iron Woman Match against Trish Adora at BACW Wrestling, where Lynn serves as a Producer. This match was important in that it marked the first time 2 African American women competed in this match type. Though Adora picked up the victory, “The Little Blue Dragon” walked away with the respect of the Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling World Champion.
The NWA Women’s Invitational Cup
Tootie Lynn has continually excelled, with her most prominent appearance taking place at NWA EmPowerrr this past weekend. This past July, the National Wrestling Alliance held a press conference. One of the key points was the first announced competitor in the NWA Women’s Invitational Cup: Tootie Lynn. To say that this was a major announcement would be an understatement. Not only was Lynn the first wrestler confirmed for the invitational, but if she outlasted her 9 fellow competitors, she would go on to NWA 73 the following evening to compete for the NWA World Women’s Championship.
The NWA Women’s Invitational Cup was the main event of EmPowerrr. To a positive reaction from her hometown crowd, Tootie Lynn entered the match as the final competitor. With said hometown crowd, family members in attendance included, she quickly became a fan favorite. Lynn shined in the match, eliminating Masha Slamovich. From there, Lynn and Chelsea Green, who entered the match at number 1, were the two final competitors. Despite “The Little Blue Dragon’s” best efforts, it was IMPACT Wrestling‘s “Hot Mess” that won the invitational. Post-match, Green showed respect to Lynn, who celebrated this history-making event with her fans, family, and fellow wrestlers alike.
Tootie Lynn – In Closing
Following the announcement of Tootie Lynn for the NWA Women’s Invitational Cup, Mickie James spoke to Bill Prichard of WrestleZone to expand on the decision. “I think she’s got a certain spark about her and she’s got something special about her,” said James regarding Lynn. There’s no denying that “The Little Blue Dragon” is a special competitor, whether under the mask or otherwise. Additionally, if her positive reaction at EmPowerrr, both live in attendance and online, is any indication, it won’t be the last fans see of her on a major stage. No matter where her career takes her next, it’s safe to say that she has an increased fan base set to go along for the ride.
Check out our full list of previous Indie Watches, showcasing emerging talent from around the world!
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
