LAS VEGAS – Johnnie Robbie will enter WrestleMania week as a relative unknown and rising pro wrestling star, but when the dust settles in Las Vegas this week, fans will certainly know who she is.

Robbie is a California native who has trained at New Japan Pro-Wrestling and has made brief appearances at Ring of Honor and All Elite Wrestling. She will enter the week as West Coast Pro wrestling’s women’s champion. She will have about a half-dozen matches over the course of the week, headlining the company’s show and competing in several others.

She opened up to Fox News Digital about her background and how she got started.

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“I watched it a bit as a kid,” Robbie said of getting started in pro wrestling. “Kinda fell off of it. Then, my best friend got me into it and then I started rewatching it again. And then I just thought I rather do it than watch it. A little bit about Johnnie Robbie – she’s just kinda doesn’t take anything from anybody.

“I come from Chicano roots – the way I was praised pretty much. From the sneakers that I wear to the way that I’m dressed, you can see that it’s streetstyle and some people may be reminded of home it.”

Robbie said she initially started training as a referee before she was able to receive more bookings.

“My best friend, like I said, he was like, ‘Oh, figure out how to become a wrestler because you’re always saying you want to be something new every day,’ and this was something I dug for and tried to find a school because it is kinda hard to find a school, especially here in LA because there just a handful of them,” she said. “I started training and then I wasn’t picking up as much as everyone else and my trainers at the time, they suggested I become a ref until I’m ready for my main debut. I believe that’s how they did it – they school they came from, they would do that. I took the idea from there.”

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Robbie told Fox News Digital she is trying to amplify her roots when she comes to the ring.

She said the gear she wears from head-to-toe all have something to do with where she’s been and her background.

“I’m here for a good time and so I’m irked or I’m p—ed off and I tend to get p—ed off very easily. I think I tend to show that in-ring. I have a quick temper and if I’m on top, I kinda get, I don’t want to say cocky, but I get real comfortable,” she said. “I think mostly what you see is someone not as big as everyone else or just be able to take hits and just the way that I move in the ring,

“I think that comes across well in terms of … One of my best friends, Alan Breeze, I go, ‘I don’t know what my style is,’ and he’s like, ‘You’re a little pitbull, you’re a little dog, you’re just like messy.’ You’re style is, I think he said, ‘Scrappy.’ I think that comes into play when I’m wrestling. You can see that. Like I said, I pull from the way I was raised by a bunch of, ‘Cholos.’ Just like I said, the Chicano lifestyle. I think you see a lot of that when I’m in the ring.”

Johnnie Robbie feels the wrath of Persephone in the ring. (Courtesy Marc Blair)

Robbie stressed that being able to share her background with the people that come to her shows is important to her and how much of a difference it makes.

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“I personally love it because are sometimes people are like, ‘Oh, you’re just kinda cool,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, no, you just don’t get it because you never seen it before.’ As opposed to when I’m here in LA or up north in San Francisco with West Coast, I have the little girls that look like me or I have fans that are older and they’re like, ‘Oh my God you remind me of my sister, you remind me of my tia,’” Robbie said. “Little girls see themselves in me or they see their bigger sister in me.

“So, I think it’s whether you not recognizing where I come from or it’s the little kids seeing it or it’s the people who grew up like me seeing it, that just makes a difference. I’m just happy to be that person you’re reminded of somewhere because even if you’re not familiar with the way I was raised opposed to a little girl out here in LA, you’re still now being introduced to it. So, I enjoy the fact that, ‘Oh, this is what they mean by that.’”

Robbie said she will be in six matches during the week, but it wasn’t her initial play.

She said she had hoped to do at least three matches and put on quality shows, until more people started to call her to wrestle at their shows. The hustle mentality is a driving force for Robbie.

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“I think we’re all hustling … But I was look at, some fan made a list of everybody who had matches, and I remember thinking coming in, like, ‘Oh, I only want maybe three matches this year,’ because last year I think I had just as many. I want quality over quantity,” Robbie said. “I didn’t want to be over or under booked. And then, I just getting these opportunities, big names or people I’ve always been wanting to wrestle. I was like, ‘Oh, well, OK, I guess, I’m free, so. …’ It’s ‘Mania week and I’ve just, I don’t even know how to explain it. You want as many matches as you can possibly have because even if you’re not trying to, you just keep getting these opportunities because everyone from all over the world is here.

“If you’re not out there having many (matches), or if you’re just not out there at all, I would hope you would like to get out there. I know its difficult – it’s a whole week off. Hustling in general for me, that hustle mentality, are you giving it your all in terms of what you can do? If I could do was three matches and I did everything I could do is have those three matches and get to WrestleMania week that is good enough. … It’s OK to miss it as well because the hustle is still going on on the other side. What can you do if you’re not showing up for that week? To me, I use every moment and every opportunity to chase after whatever it is while also understanding that there’s limitations. As long as you’re doing it and not whining and not doing it, to me, you’re hustling.”

Johnnie Robbie appears in a Ring of Honor match against Persephone. (Courtesy Marc Blair)

Robbie will be among the dozens of wrestlers who will be involved in matches over the course of the week.

She will start her week with two matches on Wednesday — one at Pandemonium Pro Wrestling and another with Unapologetic Pro.

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Thursday night, Robbie will defend the West Coast Pro Women’s Championship at their event and then continue on to a Marvelous event. Then, she will be looking for another belt at PrideStyle Pro as well, going up against Chris Nastyy for the PrideStyle World Championship on Friday night. It will be her first of two matches there.

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AFC Bournemouth striker Junior Kroupi has caught the eye of Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea, while Bayern Munich have been monitoring Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

– Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea are all monitoring a move for Bournemouth striker Junior Kroupi, reports The Daily Mail. The 19-year-old has 10 goals to his name in his first full Premier League campaign, including an important finish against Arsenal over the weekend. That strike-rate has caught the attention of plenty of top sides, who are willing to pay upwards of £60 million to sign him, while Man United are also reported to be in the race to land Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on a free transfer this summer.

– Bayern Munich have been monitoring Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey ahead of a potential move this summer, reports The Independent. Brobbey, 24, has impressed in his debut Premier League campaign, with six goals to his name so far this season. And Bayern are looking to bring in competition for striker Harry Kane in their forward ranks.

– Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton are monitoring Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki, claims TEAMtalk. The 21-year-old has been a regular for the Black Cats this season, with 27 Premier League appearances so far. But while their league rivals are keen on a possible transfer, Sunderland are adamant that there will be no exit for Sadiki in the transfer window.

– Borussia Dortmund are leading the race to re-sign winger Jadon Sancho as a free agent when his contract expires at Manchester United this summer. The Mirror claims that while the forward wants to return to the Bundesliga, Dortmund have made it clear that he will have to accept a drop in wages. Sancho is keen to make a return to the club he left in 2021 for €85 million to join United, so will likely accept to get his career back on track after several disappointing loan spells.

– Gabriel Jesus will assess any potential offers to leave Arsenal in the summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 29-year-old has changed agents and while he has a deal with the Gunners until 2027 and is focused on the rest of the season, the summer could open up opportunities to leave one year before his contract expires.

EXPERT TAKE

ESPN’s Sam Tighe on the future for Bournemouth striker Junior Kroupi.

Last weekend at The Emirates, Kroupi became the first teenager in decades to hit the 10-goal mark in a Premier League season. He joins the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane on a select list of special players to hit that milestone — and if their careers are anything to go by, special things are in store for Bournemouth’s young sensation.

His goal against Arsenal may have been a simple back-post tap in, but the France U21 international has spent the season developing a reputation for scoring great goals. For example: the guided long-range strike against Nottingham Forest in October, the one he slammed into the roof of the net against Wolves in January or — much to the Gunners chagrin — the beauty he scored from outside the box during their first matchup of the season.

In addition to sweet, sweet ball-striking, he’s flashed some really quick feet in tight spots, an appreciation for linkup play and the ability to flick a pass into the path of a runner. There’s a chance he develops into a fully fledged No. 9 in the future, but for now, he’s effectively a shadow striker — someone who plays just off the forward, finds pockets of space to work in and lets off shots wherever possible.

Not only is he racking up quite the goal reel, but his shot conversion rate — 28% (10 goals from 38 shots) — is the best Opta have on record for any teenager who has taken 30 or more shots since the 2003-04 season.

OTHER RUMORS

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– Napoli are looking at an exit for star striker Romelu Lukaku in the summer, after a falling out between player and club. (La Repubblica).

– Bayern Munich’s potential move for Anthony Gordon depends on the Newcastle winger deciding on the switch, with the Bundesliga club willing to offer €60 million-€70million to sign the England international. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Juventus are in advanced talks over a new contract for midfielder Manuel Locatelli. (Fabrizio Romano)

– AC Milan are not expected to trigger the €5 million clause in Niclas Fullkrug‘s loan deal from West Ham, but the Premier League club are looking to complete an exit for the striker this summer. (Fabrizio Romano)

– AS Roma have opened contract talks with midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini amid interest from Premier League and other Serie A clubs. (Nicolo Schira)

– Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir has agreed personal terms with Besiktas ahead of a potential move this summer. (Fanatik)

– Chelsea are looking at left wing targets to help bolster their forward ranks for the next season. (Telegraph)

– Liverpool are making progress in talks over a contract extension for Dominik Szoboszlai, with his deal expiring in 2028. (TEAMtalk)

– Manchester City are closely monitoring Bayer Leverkusen youngster Ibrahim Maza. (Florian Plettenberg).

Bayern Munich have made signing Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon a priority, while Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are among the clubs keen on Newcastle midfielder Lewis Miley. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

– Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon is a priority for Bayern Munich and a deal could be worth around €60 million, reports Sky Germany. There have already been concrete talks between Bayern and the 25-year-old’s representatives, and he is the Bavarians’ first choice to challenge Luis Díaz for a starting spot in Vincent Kompany’s XI. Barcelona and Arsenal have also been linked, but the Magpies are determined to keep the England international.

– Newcastle midfielder Lewis Miley has received attention ahead of the summer, with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea among the clubs interested in signing him, according to TEAMtalk. Despite the interest, Newcastle value the 19-year-old highly as part of their long-term plans, especially as they are facing high-profile speculation about the futures of Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, Tino Livramento, Anthony Gordon and Nick Woltemade.

– Real Madrid are one of the clubs who can trigger a release clause of between €50 million-€60 million in Nico Schlotterbeck‘s new contract with Borussia Dortmund, according to Sky Germany. The clause specifies that the Germany center back can depart for a set fee, but it can only be triggered by certain clubs, with Bayern Munich not one of them. The 26-year-old’s new contract runs until 2031 and is worth a gross total of €14 million-per-year in wages, making him one of Dortmund’s highest earners.

– Bayern Munich are in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane but fear strong competition from Arsenal, according to Christian Falk. Bayern are expected to look for a back-up striker to Harry Kane this summer, especially with Nicolas Jackson set to return to Chelsea after his loan expires, and the 19-year-old is one of many names on their short list. Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani is also on Bayern’s list of options, but the club will move for a left winger and a right back before bringing in a striker.

– TEAMtalk suggests that Liverpool and Manchester United have been watching RB Leipzig for some time as they scout winger Yan Diomande, but their attention has now also turned to left back David Raum. Both clubs are looking for a player in his position with the Red Devils actively wanting to bring in competition for Luke Shaw, while the Reds are preparing for Andy Robertson to leave as a free agent.

EXPERT TAKE

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OTHER RUMORS

– Angelo Stiller will leave Stuttgart for around €60 million, with Liverpool keeping an eye on the midfielder’s progress. (Football Insider)

– Everton plan to keep Jack Grealish once the winger’s loan from Manchester City has come to an end. (TEAMtalk)

– Manchester United will have to pay over £40 million to sign Monaco attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche in the summer. (Football Insider)

– Aston Villa are planning to reignite their interest in Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. (Football Insider)

– Real Madrid are planning for striker Gonzalo Garcia to leave the club during the summer transfer window. (Athletic)

– Brighton & Hove Albion are considering various goalkeeper options as Bart Verbruggen has interesting enquiries and could leave the club. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Roma will trigger their €25 million option to permanently sign Donyell Malen from Aston Villa if the conditions for the obligation aren’t met. (Nicolo Schira)

– Juventus’ obligation to permanently sign Lois Openda from RB Leipzig has been triggered with the total package coming to €46 million plus his wages, but they will still try to offload the striker this summer. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Swansea City are demanding £15m from clubs looking to sign striker Zan Vipotnik amid growing interest from Brighton & Hove Albion and other Premier League clubs. (Football Insider)

– Hoffenheim center back Ozan Kabak‘s new contract includes a clause that would allow him to leave for €25 million in the summer of 2027, and he is aiming for a Premier League move. (Florian Plettenberg)

– AC Milan aren’t satisfied with Pervis Estupinan‘s performances and are happy to let the left back leave in the summer. (Nicolo Schira)

– Wolfsburg are working intensively to sign Augsburg midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj with Union Berlin also interested. (Florian Plettenberg)