{"id":70414,"date":"2020-06-25T13:06:10","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T17:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=70414"},"modified":"2020-06-30T12:36:40","modified_gmt":"2020-06-30T16:36:40","slug":"before-they-were-famous-shotzi-blackheart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/06\/25\/before-they-were-famous-shotzi-blackheart\/","title":{"rendered":"Before They Were Famous: Shotzi Blackheart"},"content":{"rendered":"

All wrestlers have to start somewhere on the path to making their dreams a reality, whether it be a wrestling school, church basement, bingo hall, etc. From there, those wrestlers work their way up to the pinnacle of their dreams. For many, that\u2019s a career in\u00a0WWE\u00a0<\/strong>or more recently AEW, IMPACT! Wrestling or even NJPW. But sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination. In LWOPW\u2019s newest feature, \u201cBefore They Were Famous,\u201d we take a look at the pre-WWE careers of some of the company\u2019s top current stars, following along on their road to superstardom. In this edition, we look at the pre-WWE career of NXT’s “Ballsy Badass” Shotzi Blackheart.<\/em><\/p>\n

Donning a viking helmet and riding to the ring in a mini-tank, Shotzi Blackheart<\/strong> makes an immediate impression. From Los Angeles, California, the green-haired \u201cBallsy Badass\u201d has carved a name for herself in professional wrestling. From her risk-taking style to her counterculture presentation, Blackheart is unlike anyone else in NXT<\/strong> and World Wrestling Entertainment<\/strong> at large. It took time for her to reach WWE and her journey to the biggest wrestling promotion in the world is one to tell.<\/p>\n

Shotzi Blackheart grew up an avid horror movie fan. Not only is her trademark green hair inspired by \u201cCreature from the Black Lagoon,\u201d but her name predates her professional wrestling career. She played a character on \u201cCreepy KOFY Movie Time,\u201d a local TV show that played horror films. Her character on the show, which was a cave girl, was named \u201cShotzi Blackheart.\u201d This would become her predominant alias in wrestling.<\/p>\n

Early Beginnings<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The future \u201cBallsy Badass\u201d began her professional wrestling career in 2014 with Hoodslam<\/strong>. For the uninitiated, Hoodslam is a wrestling promotion that picked up steam in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its edgy presentation attracted Blackheart. She debuted as \u201cMissy Highasshit<\/strong>,\u201d the red-haired cheerleading manager for the stable known as Stoner U<\/strong>. The stable’s outlandish nature helped the future NXT Superstar develop her unique character.<\/p>\n

\"Shotzi<\/p>\n

WWE fans may have recognized Blackheart for being a contestant on the sixth season of Tough Enough<\/em><\/strong>. Despite being one of the hungry competitors, she was cut prior to making it to the final 14. She failed a medical evaluation, which postponed her goal of joining WWE. In hindsight, perhaps this worked to her benefit, as she was able to develop a following on the independent scene that would carry over to any major promotions she worked with.<\/p>\n

The Birth of Shotzi Blackheart<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In May of 2015, Blackheart made her in-ring wrestling debut for local California promotion, Alternative Wrestling Show<\/a><\/strong>. In her first match, she defeated Brittany Wonder<\/strong>, a multi-time Best Athlete in the Easy Bay Champion in her own right. From there, Blackheart wrestled for other locations in the area, including Gold Rush Pro Wrestling<\/strong>. By the end of 2015, Blackheart was only roughly half a year into her wrestling career. Despite this, she was making waves in quick fashion.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/FCXEx-hs4cg<\/p>\n

Blackheart kicked off 2016 strong, debuting for East Bay Pro Wrestling<\/strong> and defeating Beatrice Domino<\/strong> in February. The month after, she competed in a five-way match to determine the first EBPW Ladies Championship; ultimately, Samara<\/strong> came out on top. Blackheart went on to fight for titles in California, and after several months, her hard work paid off. In September, Blackheart bested Samara for the EBPW Ladies Championship, winning her first title in the process. She would hold onto the title throughout the year. Furthermore, appearances in promotions including SHIMMER<\/strong> and RISE Wrestling<\/strong> helped Blackheart continue to build her name throughout the independent circuit.<\/p>\n

Badass Draped in Gold<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In early 2017, Blackheart added more gold to her resume. In March, she won the Phoenix of RISE Championship, which she successfully defended against the likes of Veda Scott<\/strong> and future AEW<\/strong> star Britt Baker<\/strong>. April saw Blackheart become the GRPW Lady Luck Championship as well, which helped her build greater momentum. Though she started her career in California, she was becoming a more prominent name not just in the country but around the world. During June, Blackheart debuted for British Empire Wrestling<\/strong> in its International Grand Prix<\/em><\/strong>. Though she won her first round and semifinal matches, she was unable to win the British Empire Women’s Championship in the finals.<\/p>\n

\"Shotzi
Photo \/ SHINE Wrestling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Back in the United States, Blackheart dropped the EBPW Ladies Championship to Thunder Rosa<\/strong> in May. At 287 days, however, Blackheart enjoyed the longest single reign with the title. Meanwhile, Blackheart continued to hold the Phoenix of RISE Championship, even wrestling a violent Dog Collar Match against Dust<\/strong> in July. During this month, she debuted for SHINE Wrestling<\/strong> as well, competing in a tournament for the SHINE Nova Championship.<\/p>\n

Shotzi Blackheart: A Digital Sensation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It was also during 2017 that Shotzi Blackheart was becoming something of a viral sensation in the wrestling community. The community in question was acquainted with a couple of interesting characters, Pizza Cat<\/strong> being a prominent example. These characters were portrayed by Blackheart, who fans were becoming quickly aware of. It didn’t take long for fans to discover that not only was she an emerald-maned daredevil but an entertaining star that wasn’t afraid to cut loose.<\/p>\n

April of 2018 saw Blackheart compete in IWA Mid-South<\/strong>‘s Women’s Championship Tournament. The title in question had been rendered vacant for over 9 years and a new titleholder would be decided. Ultimately besting Kikyo<\/strong> in the finals, Blackheart became the new IWA Mid-South Women’s Champion. From there, Blackheart made her Impact Wrestling<\/strong> debut in May. In terms of the IWA Mid-South Women’s Championship, she successfully defended against Allie Kat<\/strong>, Xia Brookside<\/strong>, and Kimber Lee<\/strong>, among others. Her title reign came to an end in October when she fell to Amazing Maria<\/strong>.<\/p>\n