Meeting legends is part of life in WWE, but even rising stars like Tatum Paxley still get starstruck.
While speaking to TMZ’s Inside the Ring, Paxley shared a story about unexpectedly running into one of the biggest names in wrestling history — The Rock — and how the moment caught her completely off guard. She explained that the encounter happened during an NXT trip while she was simply talking with a friend backstage, completely unaware of who was about to walk into view.
“I was talking to one of my friends and it was — we, NXT was on the road and we were just in this little grungy little hallway just chatting and then all of a sudden I turn around and it’s The Rock.”
The moment quickly turned into something unforgettable when The Rock casually introduced himself — even though Paxley obviously knew exactly who he was.
“He’s like, ‘Hey, I’m The Rock.’ Shakes my hand. I’m like, ‘Yes, yes, I know.’ And then he left and I literally just turned right back around to my friend and I just stared at her. I was like, ‘Oh, wow.’”
Paxley also admitted that meeting top-tier legends can still feel overwhelming, even for someone already working inside WWE. She compared that feeling to meeting John Cena, saying some names simply have that larger-than-life presence.
“I have met John Cena a couple times and every single time is like oh my gosh I’m talking to John Cena this is incredible… there’s those people that you meet and your heart rate goes up and you kind of forget like who you are for a second.”
Moments like this show that even professional wrestlers can feel like fans when standing face-to-face with the icons they grew up watching.
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