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OVWP Interview 23 Shalonce Royal and PJ Jones: Royal Entourage

/ 01:22:51/Bonus
Shalonce Royal:

This is Amazing Maria, and you are listening to the OVW podcast.

Jackman Ochs:

Welcome to the OVW Podcast, the unofficial podcast of Ohio Valley Wrestling. It's a Thursday. In the feed. You know what that means. We have a very special guest, a couple of very special guests.

Jackman Ochs:

I'm joined today as always by my co host, Brian Hines. Welcome back, folks. Who are our special guests today, Brian? Introduce him for me.

Brian Hines:

Our special guests today are none other than Shalance Royale and her representative, PJ Jones. We are we welcome you and, thank you for gracing us with your presence.

Shalonce Royal:

Of course.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. Thank you for having us. Thank you for having her. I know it cost a lot of money.

Jackman Ochs:

It did. We broke the bank. Yep. Broke the bank today. But before we get into this formally, let's go ahead and toast here at the top of the show here to, to OVW.

Jackman Ochs:

Oh, did I miss you? You?

PJ Jones:

Cheers, guys. Cheers. Cheers.

Jackman Ochs:

Mister Jones, I was hoping that I could start with you today.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. Hit me.

Jackman Ochs:

What is what would you describe your job as?

PJ Jones:

Well, I I represent the greatest talent OVW has ever seen. Mhmm. The greatest women's champion of all time. Yes. One of the longest reigns of 208 days.

PJ Jones:

Musically talented.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah.

PJ Jones:

I just try to make sure that she is getting the best opportunities in OVW when some people in OVW are trying to fight against that. Yes.

Jackman Ochs:

And, Shlonce, do you how do you feel, that mister Jones does at his job?

Shalonce Royal:

I feel that he is adequate. He could be better.

Jackman Ochs:

Okay. Okay. What are some things specifically he could improve upon?

Shalonce Royal:

Getting me back in the title picture.

Jackman Ochs:

Okay. Okay. Well, I tried to do

PJ Jones:

that today. We went to the capital, Kentucky state capital, and it was supposed to be for, you know, OVW days so they could recognize us. But while we were there, I was on official business and lobbying to these senators Mhmm. To get her back into the title picture.

Shalonce Royal:

Did a really good job. I'm very proud of him. Mhmm.

PJ Jones:

If OVW is not gonna do it, right, and I've I've hit them with legal threats and they keep ignoring them, why not get the government involved? And that's my job tonight.

Jackman Ochs:

I think that that's I think that's the best course of action.

Brian Hines:

That's the next logical step as far as I'm concerned.

Shalonce Royal:

We've been a little bit lenient. Let's just understand.

PJ Jones:

Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

So for those of you who live under a rock and you just I don't know. Unfortunate.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

OVW is on Netflix. And when it came out, we didn't wanna take too much shine away because we wanna help them out. You know what I mean? They need the money.

Brian Hines:

I understand.

Shalonce Royal:

They need the recognition. Sure. And I carried OVW on my back.

PJ Jones:

She's the foundation of the women's division for a long time.

Shalonce Royal:

Because they were gonna go they were gonna go under and then I came and saved it until it came out and then, you know, they flourished afterwards. So I wanted them to kinda hold that little spot light and kinda took a little bash.

Jackman Ochs:

Very gracious of you.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. You know I have to be. Because I I understand I was once part of a group, but now I'm solo. But I understand what it takes to be a team unlike a lot of people there. So I lead by example and I just took a little backseat so that other people, mainly OVW, can start affording me.

Shalonce Royal:

So I allow them to be able to have the spotlight and be able to make the money so that way they can pay me back for what I've done. So that's one of the reasons why we haven't been so persistent

Jackman Ochs:

Sure.

Shalonce Royal:

Because they have to make money. I mean, you've seen the you've seen the the docuseries, right?

Brian Hines:

Oh, of course. Yeah. We did a whole podcast

Shalonce Royal:

on it. Okay. So, you know, well, it's sure. And you understand that they obviously were struggling.

PJ Jones:

They were. Yeah. Yeah. Because, Walsall was infamously not good with money. Yeah.

Jackman Ochs:

This is what something that I had heard as well.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. And, I can vouch for that, and I made discount after discount after deal.

PJ Jones:

But you can only discount so much.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. And

PJ Jones:

then it's, like, you're not making anything. What's the point? I mean, that's part of the problem after that that docuseries came out. I mean, her star went through the roof. Yes.

PJ Jones:

And they just couldn't afford. They couldn't afford her rates.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. And

PJ Jones:

so we're giving them some time, catch up financially, then we'll bring back Chelancey Royale.

Shalonce Royal:

Exactly.

PJ Jones:

Again, the greatest women's champion of all time.

Jackman Ochs:

Mhmm. Shalance, what is something that you think could be improved upon in OVW right now?

Shalonce Royal:

More me.

Jackman Ochs:

Okay. Obviously. Obviously.

Brian Hines:

Yeah. That goes without saying.

PJ Jones:

Who are you?

Shalonce Royal:

I'm very talented. I am international. I am classically trained. I am an athlete.

Jackman Ochs:

Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

And I need more spotlight. I mean, the list can go on of things that I am and have accomplished, But these are things that people don't

Jackman Ochs:

want to be able to

Shalonce Royal:

I yes.

PJ Jones:

The most humble. Yes.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah. So clear. I'm so

Shalonce Royal:

glad you understand that. And it's it's rare that I hear that. So I really do appreciate you.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah. No problem.

Shalonce Royal:

But, yes. I think they need more me and they have to improve on ways to be able to feature karaoke machines. I can sell the microphones. Let's face it, everyone else want to say that they're a voice of OVW. I am the voice of OVW.

Brian Hines:

I can think of somebody in particular who may

Jackman Ochs:

yeah. There's another guy, a really good guy I can think of that might think that he's the voice of OVW.

Brian Hines:

But he considers himself to be the voice of OVW. No.

PJ Jones:

He's Piss on Brian Kennison. Oh. Yeah. You heard me say you heard it

Jackman Ochs:

here, folks. Woah.

PJ Jones:

Woah. Claiming he's the voice.

Jackman Ochs:

Live oh. Have you

PJ Jones:

heard him sing?

Jackman Ochs:

I've never heard Brian Stevenson sing. I've never heard him sing with

Shalonce Royal:

the bucket.

PJ Jones:

At all.

Shalonce Royal:

Well, let me just be a little

PJ Jones:

He's a good commentator.

Brian Hines:

I'll give him that.

Shalonce Royal:

He's very great at that. He understands my greatness, and he makes sure that he articulates that to, like, the unfortunate. So I I really do appreciate that about him. But the thing is, he's commentary. He's not in the forefront.

Shalonce Royal:

Just now, his face is being seen, but mine was seen before his.

Jackman Ochs:

Who do you hate the most on the OVW roster? And why? And why. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

Hate is such a strong word.

Brian Hines:

Who do you have beef with then? I mean, if you're going to get back into the title contention, where would you start?

PJ Jones:

I mean, for me,

Brian Hines:

I don't know. Would you start straight at the top?

PJ Jones:

Yeah. But I mean, probably Hailey since she stole the belt from her.

Jackman Ochs:

Right.

Brian Hines:

Yes. Well, that's sacros. That saying.

Shalonce Royal:

Can't we just talk about that for a second? Please.

Brian Hines:

We can talk about whatever you like.

Shalonce Royal:

Hollywood, Haley Jay. It is very unfortunate that she has such the audience that's around her. When she is like the bottom of the barrel, she is a scoundrel. Is that how you say it?

PJ Jones:

The scoundrel. She's like the the wood chips that

Jackman Ochs:

we saw earlier. That's

Shalonce Royal:

what she is. And it's just very unfortunate that she was granted the opportunity to cash in on hopes and dreams to be able to face me after I had a hard fought defense against fever dream Ellie. That was so unfair. In addition to that, she came in with these sock of rocks. Like, that is extreme, like, hood rat, like, behavior.

Shalonce Royal:

And she hit me with it. And everyone was elated. Everyone rejoiced in my agony and my sorrow. When I was doing nothing but being a gracious champion.

PJ Jones:

After a hard fight like that, have you ever fought a trailer park hillbilly?

Jackman Ochs:

I personally have not.

Shalonce Royal:

You don't know what else for it.

Brian Hines:

I've witnessed a couple of

Shalonce Royal:

Oh, wait.

PJ Jones:

That one time They fight hard.

Shalonce Royal:

They fight hard.

Brian Hines:

Okay. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

That's cool. Raccoons.

PJ Jones:

They got nothing else. They fight hard.

Jackman Ochs:

And when you see when you see someone like Hollywood Haley j and you see everyone look up to her and you see all these kids with their t shirt on and you look at yourself and you're you're accomplished.

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm.

Brian Hines:

You're beautiful.

Jackman Ochs:

Mhmm. Keep going. Great wrestler.

PJ Jones:

Keep going. World renowned.

Jackman Ochs:

Keep going. Voice of an angel.

PJ Jones:

Oh, that was good.

Jackman Ochs:

Smart smart as all hell.

PJ Jones:

Oh. I like you.

Brian Hines:

Humble person I've ever met.

Jackman Ochs:

Does it ever make you a little upset that someone like Hollywood and and all of her you know, she gets looked up to. You're the total package and she's just kind of as you put it your words, a scoundrel and a hood rat. Does Does that ever make you upset?

Shalonce Royal:

Upset would actually be an understatement.

Jackman Ochs:

How does it make you feel?

Shalonce Royal:

It makes me feel. PJ, what are some adjectives that are stronger?

PJ Jones:

Oh, that's a because I kinda hate it. I mean, she just snuck in and stole it like a coward. Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes.

PJ Jones:

I don't you feel I don't know. I I would say enraged, but you said hate's not I mean, enraged is good. Feel just angry, upset, like you've

Shalonce Royal:

been like I've disappointed too. I've disappointed. Yeah. They allowed her to be able to do that. This is the thing, the championship match was between me and that thing.

Shalonce Royal:

And then I was tired and I I played by the rules. I did everything really well.

PJ Jones:

And you

Shalonce Royal:

won. Fair

PJ Jones:

and square.

Shalonce Royal:

And then she decides to come out and then challenge me but cheats to take it. She has never taken anything from me fairly. And then OVW management is like, okay, well you get a shot to get the title back because that's what you do. Like when you lose a title, you get an automatic rematch. But they threw a whole other person in it.

Shalonce Royal:

Shauna Reid? Where is she? Never heard of it.

PJ Jones:

She's back at the cemetery,

Jackman Ochs:

I believe.

Shalonce Royal:

The cemetery. With the rest

Brian Hines:

of the evil dead.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Dead. Like, she is literally beneath us somewhere.

PJ Jones:

She's 6 feet beneath us.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. And then when I have a shot to go against her 1 on 1, guess who interferes? Her mother.

Jackman Ochs:

Of all people.

PJ Jones:

Amazing Maria. Oh, that saggy old rat. I swear.

Shalonce Royal:

Like, I understand that she wants to make up for not being an adequate mother for Hailee when she was younger, but this isn't the time. Like, why would she interfere with something? Hailee's a grown woman. Well She may not look it, but she's

PJ Jones:

a grown

Shalonce Royal:

woman. Exactly.

Brian Hines:

Now that's true.

Shalonce Royal:

And she should be able to hand her hand her. Oh my gosh. No.

PJ Jones:

But she's got you so flustered thinking about Marie and Hailey.

Shalonce Royal:

I'm going back to the hood. Yeah. No. She should be able to handle herself better than that and without the assistance of her mom. This isn't the time.

Shalonce Royal:

They already had their squash. It was it was broadcast to the world. Why is she interfering?

PJ Jones:

And instead of giving you a rightful title shot, what they do? They put you with me, not a wrestler. I'm a legal representative, and I had to get in there and get beat up by Hailey and Maria.

Jackman Ochs:

Whenever you're looking at the other side of the ring from them, you know you're not a wrestler, but you know you have to do this job Mhmm. For Miss Royale.

PJ Jones:

That's right.

Jackman Ochs:

What's going through your mind, man?

PJ Jones:

Do the best I can and put up the best fight I can for my client. Because, look, I will go as far as I have to to do the best I can for my client. Yeah. If that means I gotta take a kick to the face, which I did, if that means I gotta get chopped, which I did, that's fine. But they knew I I'm not a wrestler.

PJ Jones:

It was a complete disadvantage from the beginning, and they knew that. OVW management knew that. They they set a trap for us, and they pushed us in it.

Jackman Ochs:

It just seems like you guys have such a hard time over there with these guys. What is your plan? What is your plan? We've we've lobbied lawmakers here. What is your plan?

Jackman Ochs:

What's the next step?

Brian Hines:

Yeah. Are you guys, planning on pursuing legal action, or is that something that is, falling under the attorney client privilege?

PJ Jones:

That is a bit under the attorney attorney client privilege. We have a few things in motion. But number 1, we're gonna see if these lawmakers can do anything. These Kentucky senators, they wanna

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm.

PJ Jones:

Celebrate OVW Day. So, like, throw us a bone, put in a good word. Mhmm. Get us that title shot. Now if that doesn't happen, we have a few things up our sleeve.

PJ Jones:

We're gonna make sure that they that OVW management pays attention. Because look, the the fans wanna see us. Mhmm. They love seeing Shaughnessy Roy out. They love her voice.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. They love everything about me.

PJ Jones:

She's fantastic. So we got a few things up our sleeves, and we're gonna yeah. We're gonna really hammer it home with OVW managing. It was yeah. We'll take some legal action.

PJ Jones:

Mhmm.

Jackman Ochs:

PJ Jones and Shlonce Royall, thank you so much for joining us today on the OVW podcast. We wish you the best of luck with all your future legal endeavors. Thank you. Unofficially, we wish you the best of

Brian Hines:

luck. Unfortunately. Yes.

PJ Jones:

For legal reasons, unofficially. Yes.

Jackman Ochs:

Welcome back to the OVW podcast. I'm gonna actually let you guys introduce yourself because we know you as Shawanze Royall Mhmm. And PJ Jones.

Brian Hines:

Esquire.

Jackman Ochs:

Esquire. Can't forget Esquire. Esquire. Forget that. Can't forget that.

Jackman Ochs:

But this is we're gonna do do something a little different than what we usually do on the feed. So I'd like for you guys to introduce yourselves, your real selves, I guess.

Shalonce Royal:

Do you wanna go?

PJ Jones:

Sure. My name is Patrick Passifume AKA PJ Jones, Esquire.

Shalonce Royal:

And I'm Shalondra Royal AKA AKA Shalance Royal.

Jackman Ochs:

Welcome welcome to the show. This this version of you will

PJ Jones:

be here.

Shalonce Royal:

Thank you. Masked off.

Brian Hines:

This is this is a a first for us. Yeah. This is the first time we've had an interview, in character and then out of character. So we're we're really excited because this is new ground for us. Us.

Brian Hines:

So thank you for being the first.

Shalonce Royal:

Thank you.

PJ Jones:

Thanks for letting us be the first. It was fun.

Jackman Ochs:

No problem.

PJ Jones:

It was

Brian Hines:

our pleasure.

Jackman Ochs:

It was very clear to me whenever I was interacting with you guys or watching you guys interact more accurately that you guys have kind of a special friendship beyond, like, being in character. Like, it you guys have a very good chemistry. Like, how did this how did this pairing come about? Oh. Very randomly.

Shalonce Royal:

So on my end, I just show up and Al is like, hey, this is the skit you're gonna do. Get with him. Yeah. And at the time, I don't even know if he told me, like, his name. He was just like, you're gonna be with someone and he's gonna be your lawyer Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

And just put it together. So I didn't know who he was. I know some people knew, like, who he was because he's done some work prior, Yeah. But not when I was there. So I'm like, oh, okay.

Shalonce Royal:

Fine. You know? I'm a professional. I can do this. So that's what happened on my end.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. My end. So I'd done, this lawyer character a few times. It was just one off stuff. So I'd I'd done something with Ryan Howe.

PJ Jones:

Mhmm. Oh, okay. Joe Vaughn, and then one thing with Jesse Goders. But it's all just come in, play this Laurie character and leave. Right?

PJ Jones:

So they called me up and they're just like, hey, yeah, you're gonna do the lawyer thing, but with her, they said, this time you're gonna give the promo in the ring. So I was like, alright. Cool. And then I thought again, it'd just be like a one off and that was it. But yeah.

PJ Jones:

That's how I mean, it's literally just Brian Kennison, who by the way, I know despite my character, I love that man very much. We love

Shalonce Royal:

you, Brian. Yeah.

PJ Jones:

I've known him forever, but he, yeah, he called me. He's like, hey, can you come in and do it? And I was like, yeah. Of course.

Jackman Ochs:

You guys came from the Louisville comedy scene. Right?

PJ Jones:

Yeah. Yeah. Brian. Yeah. Me and Brian did.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. How long have you been some

Shalonce Royal:

Oh, wait. Wait. Before we forget about Brian, because I know that's easy to do. But I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.

Shalonce Royal:

I just I'm I'm sorry. Burn. No. But because he's really important. I don't think he gets enough credit.

PJ Jones:

He doesn't.

Shalonce Royal:

He doesn't get enough credit. But I do think that he is the voice of OVW. I am the song of OVW.

Brian Hines:

Okay.

Shalonce Royal:

So we can

PJ Jones:

Just to clarify.

Shalonce Royal:

Just to clarify.

Brian Hines:

And Eric Cornish is still a good guy.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah.

Brian Hines:

Despite what you may have heard.

Shalonce Royal:

Despite. Yeah. What? But sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off.

Jackman Ochs:

No. No. No. Not at all. Not at all.

Jackman Ochs:

Like, this is the this is what we like. We wanna hear from you guys. Yeah. They they don't tune in for me. I promise.

Jackman Ochs:

When,

Shalonce Royal:

the band is, like, serving. What's,

Jackman Ochs:

thank you. I appreciate that. What's it been like to get to know each other, like, not only professionally but behind the scenes?

Shalonce Royal:

Oh. So on my end, I, again, thought that he was only gonna be there once. Mhmm. And I was like, oh, okay. I don't really get attached.

Shalonce Royal:

Like, I'm nice and open, but I was like, okay. Well, he's only gonna be here once. Like, I'm focusing on whatever story that I have to fulfill. So when he came back, I'm like, oh you must be really good or I suck. And I'm

PJ Jones:

not that good.

Shalonce Royal:

Well, because like you're kinda trained, like usually when people are given a manager, they usually need a mouthpiece.

Jackman Ochs:

Right.

Shalonce Royal:

Because they're usually not good on the mic. And I was like, look, I know I fumbled the ball a little bit, but dang, like, I promise I can talk. Like, I can do this. And I'm trying to learn. So of course I don't know why this went so negative with it.

Shalonce Royal:

So I I I didn't have anything against him, but now I'm in my head because I'm like, allow now they put him with me because they don't think that I can talk on the mic and that I'm not important and it's whatever. So I just kinda looked at him sideways like, dude, you took like half of my job. Now I just have to wrestle. And then I'm like, wait, this is this is good. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

Because at first, I thought we were just kinda tattyming it a little bit until they told me, like, let him talk. Like, just let him do whatever. You stand in pose, look pretty, do whatever, and sing. And I'm like, wait. This is actually easy.

Shalonce Royal:

This is an easy night. You gotta remember everything to say. I just gotta add my little adlibs. And so I'm like, you're more than like, you're such an asset to me. And I was like, alright.

Shalonce Royal:

Well, it looks like he's gonna be here for a while, so I might as well be nice. And and now I'm like, Peach, are you here? We have like a group on Facebook and they'll list the names of who are there and sometimes it's just my name. And so I'll purposely like tag him because I'm like PJ, like here you go, Patrick Passifugh. Even though it's I think it's understood, like if my name is on there, then he's the company.

Jackman Ochs:

I'm like, he's the old

Shalonce Royal:

person too. So I tag him even though it's like an understood thing. Because like, now I'm like I don't want to have to have a match without him. Like he's kept me sane. There's times that I had mental blow ups and he's, like, talked me down.

Shalonce Royal:

He makes me feel like a $1,000,000 like Ashland say and Ashlandra. And it feels good to know that someone knows me, like knows my struggle.

Jackman Ochs:

Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

And I confide in him. And it feels good to have someone out there that wants the best for you. So once I opened up everything, I'm just like, this guy's great and he is open to do anything. Like he's taken several bumps for no reason and he has my back and he understands and he's there. Like, he's incredible.

Shalonce Royal:

So I'm so glad we randomly got put together and stayed together because I'm like, we're we're such a good duo. Like, I just think we're great. But that that was on my end. That's on your end.

Jackman Ochs:

Well, actually, if I could interject really quickly, Patrick, what how does that make you feel to hear her say that?

PJ Jones:

Oh, that's, like, a $1,000,000. Yeah. That's very flattering. And I'm yeah. Of course.

PJ Jones:

I'm glad I'm glad I make you feel that way. That's fantastic. Yeah. That's I don't even I really don't even know how to respond to that. That's the nicest thing I need to do.

Brian Hines:

Feel like about how much you would bring in as your attorney character for legal services, About $1,000,000.

PJ Jones:

About $1,000,000. That's right.

Shalonce Royal:

And that's

PJ Jones:

just for the first consultation. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's, weird for me because, like, the well, for 1, anything that I do with OVW is, like, a mind blowing to me.

Jackman Ochs:

Because you were just a fan. Right?

PJ Jones:

Yeah. I'm just a fan and, but then my background was stand up comedy. And, and, of course, you know, I know Brian from that. And then when they brought me in to do the one offs, I was like, oh, that's great. That's good enough.

PJ Jones:

You know, I've done it. And then that promo I did with her, Al, who is so phenomenal just being able to rattle off a promo, like, off the top of his head, it was like, are you gonna say this, this, this, and he's just started going all this legal jargon. And I'm, like, I'm not gonna remember any of that, so I'm just gonna do what I think is my strength, and I'm just gonna write jokes Yeah. And then hope. And then get the business over, but, like, hope that they, you know, if they if they don't like it, I'm in the ring.

PJ Jones:

I've already won. I get, you know, won. Sure. Yeah. Went out there and I did a joke to Ellie.

PJ Jones:

Just called her the skin tag of OVW and apparently it popped people in the back so they started bringing me back. So I was equally as surprised.

Jackman Ochs:

Because man, sometimes you get, like, in there.

Shalonce Royal:

He does. Like yeah. And, like, there's times I'm in the ring. I don't know what he's gonna say. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

So there's some of them I'm literally, like, trying not to break gimmick because I'm like, oh my freaking gosh. Like, he's popping me. I wanna laugh at everything because I wanna be like his hype, man. Like, yeah. You get him.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes.

PJ Jones:

It's almost got me in trouble.

Jackman Ochs:

I was wanting Once. I'm sure that you saw that question coming.

PJ Jones:

Well, so the what I will do, and I do this for everybody. Like, I've done this where if I'll, like, Photoshop someone's fake or, you know, fake, you know, really bad Photoshop someone's face as a promo Right. I will reach out and say to that person like, I did one with with Ellie where I made her look like the, Gary Old man from 5th Element. And but before I posted that, I reached out and was like, is it cool if I do this? Are you okay with that?

PJ Jones:

Like, Leila did something and I I was I made a joke about her and I reached out. I was like, hey. Is it okay if I do this? But the one I didn't know was when I called, Maria a saggy old rat because apparently that has a whole other meaning backstage that I was not aware of. No one told me this.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah.

PJ Jones:

So it was like a rib on me. Luckily, she was just she thought it was very funny because I didn't know

Jackman Ochs:

any better. Yeah. Like Yeah. She's

Brian Hines:

got a great

PJ Jones:

sense of humor, man. Yeah. And she's been yeah. She's been

Brian Hines:

nothing but fantastic. So And as of, the the time that we are recording this, today is her birthday.

Shalonce Royal:

It is. Oh, happy birthday.

Jackman Ochs:

Happy night of the day.

Brian Hines:

You actually hear these, I wish it's a couple weeks late, but, yeah. Happy birthday.

PJ Jones:

Happy birthday. Yeah. She was she was very, like, I came up to her after. No.

Shalonce Royal:

You mean to tell me oh, yeah. We can say it. Her birthday is OVW day. Day. Yes.

Shalonce Royal:

So today yeah. Side note, today we visited the

PJ Jones:

State the

Shalonce Royal:

capital. Capital, and they declared February 16th is OVW day.

Brian Hines:

How cool is that? How does that make you feel?

Shalonce Royal:

It makes me feel great because it makes me feel like I was a part of something way bigger than myself. Mhmm. And I understand, like, you know, the Netflix thing is really what kinda, like, took it off. But it's like I'm still OVW too, you know? And it's just it's just nice.

Shalonce Royal:

And now I can have a reason to, like, celebrate for, like, whatever reason. I'm from Georgia. Mhmm. So I'm not sure if that's acknowledged in Georgia. I think it's just Kentucky.

Shalonce Royal:

Right?

PJ Jones:

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. It's just Kentucky. Yeah. I mean, it should be.

PJ Jones:

It should be nationwide. It should be worldwide. Federal holiday where we have off work.

Shalonce Royal:

But now I'm just gonna turn up just because, like, this the 16th February. It's I'm part of that.

PJ Jones:

Pretty bonkers.

Brian Hines:

Yeah.

PJ Jones:

Being there today was Absolutely. Wild. And I'm just, like, just such a small part of it, but, like, to be there, I was just, like, this is crazy. Like, these they're acknowledging wrestling, like, what we're doing. And yeah.

Jackman Ochs:

You just you went from being a fan to being a participant. Now, you know, being acknowledged at the state capitol, just insane.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. It's so bonkers to me.

Jackman Ochs:

Shalance, how did you get involved in wrestling?

Shalonce Royal:

Oh. So I was not a wrestling fan. I grew up. Okay. I came from a low income household where cable was, like, illegal.

Jackman Ochs:

Not not on the table. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

I mean, it was we had it at some point, but we weren't paying for it.

PJ Jones:

So I I

Shalonce Royal:

I don't know how they jury rigged that, but I was just a kid that was like, oh, cartoons, then I'm gonna watch that. But we didn't have cable consistently throughout, like, me growing up. So there is one memory that I specifically remember that I think my dad was flipping through the television and he stopped on, I believe it was Monday Night Raw and I saw, I don't remember the ladies, but I remember seeing the belt was like the butterfly, diva belt, And I said, oh, I can do that. I was just like, one day I can do that or I can do that and thought nothing else of it. And I find that so strange because I never would have thought.

Shalonce Royal:

Fast forward a lot of years later, a friend gave me Raw versus SmackDown 2,006, I believe, on PSP. Cool. And I also found in, like, a pawnshop the one that was on PlayStation. I don't know if that's 2,006 or 2010. I don't remember.

Shalonce Royal:

But I know the one on PSP you could customize people a lot easier. So I just like making the characters and, like, using some of, like, the entrances and stuff that they had. And what's funny is that Mickie James was a character that I loved playing with. But then I was like, well, I'm going to make my own girl and then take Mickie out and then put, like, my own girl. But obviously, it's gonna use the same entrance and moves and stuff like as her.

Shalonce Royal:

And I thought that was just, like, great. I just never would have thought that I would be working with Mickie James and I'm like you're the one I was gonna do with in the video game. Yeah. And now I'm like oh you're a whole human being. I can't control you.

Shalonce Royal:

But that's literally what got me into wrestling, but it was the theatrics of it. It was the the costumes and stuff. And then in high school, we had to it was like in literature class. We had to write something, so we had to make, like, a little board, a storyboard or whatever. So we had to take pictures.

Shalonce Royal:

And I don't know what I was going through, but I apparently, I was just so in love with, like, the Hot Topic look. You know, like, the the girls back in the day

Jackman Ochs:

It was popular back then.

Shalonce Royal:

Oh, yeah.

Jackman Ochs:

We're about the same age. I I remember that. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

And the girls are wrestling in, like, knockoff hot topic gear. You know? Like, the arm things, the skirt, the you know? And so I had a lot of wrestlers, like, I'm sorry. I had a lot of wrestlers just like cut out and put there and I didn't know who they were.

Shalonce Royal:

And now I understand like, oh wow, so wrestling has appeared in my life. Right. But I didn't do anything. And so what made me take the steps in this part is just like people people probably understand where I'm coming from. So fast forward a lot of years later, I'm on the verge of graduating college and my oh, no.

Shalonce Royal:

No. No. Earlier in college, I was engaged. Oh, really? I was engaged and this guy and I were just holding on to this relationship with a thread.

Shalonce Royal:

I was just like, I love he. I love he. You know, He can do anything without me. And he was probably like, she's like, man. So I I really think that's how he was.

Shalonce Royal:

And he was just like, you know know what? I do judo and jujitsu on Tuesdays Thursdays. You should come with me. And I'm like, okay. And he was probably like, I thought I was gonna get it.

Shalonce Royal:

But I wanted to spend time with him. So I went and I fell in love with him. I was actually really good with it. Eventually he stopped and then I kept going until it closed. And so fast forward, I'm on Facebook talking about judo and jujitsu.

Shalonce Royal:

A friend of a friend is like, oh my gosh, a girl that actually moves and do things, you should do this for our backyard wrestling promotion. I was like, okay, but let me finish college. I finished college and I kept promise. I usually keep my promises. And I also gained like a lot of weight in college so I wanted an excuse.

Shalonce Royal:

And this backyard wrestling promotion actually had a lot of followers on YouTube. So I'm like, oh, I'm gonna be YouTube famous so I need to work out. And so I did that but to be a backyarder, you have to watch wrestling. So I had to

Brian Hines:

It definitely helps. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. It def well, yeah. You you're right. You don't have to. But it definitely helps.

Shalonce Royal:

And knowing me, the professional that I am, I'm I'm like, you know what? I need to know what I'm doing before I drop kick someone in like the uterus and that's not gonna work. So I'm like, let me let me figure this out. So I did that and my first match that I seen was, Ember Moon versus Oscar in NXT before Oscar went up to the main roster.

Brian Hines:

Oh, wow.

Shalonce Royal:

And that was night and day from the Brian Penny matches that I was playing on my video game.

Jackman Ochs:

Yep. Yeah. And I mean, I I remember that feud going on. That was, like, on fire. Those t a's were That

PJ Jones:

match Those t a's were great. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

It was. I'm like, they're fighting like these dudes and no one told me this was going on. Mhmm. So I'm like, oh, I wanna do that. And then the wrestling the backyard wrestling promotion, they just wanted me to be kinda like this little girl that just didn't know what she was doing, but I just somehow started to win.

Shalonce Royal:

But they were just like method acting with me. It was like, oh, we're really not gonna teach her anything. And I'm like, oh, wait. That's what we're doing? Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

So I'm like, I wanna go and train. And so I packed up my stuff because at first, I was working full time at corporate Geico and I was driving like 2 hours to training and 2 hours back. Like I was like committed. And next thing you know I packed up everything. I went to go train at 1 Fall Power Factory, which is now the Nightmare Factory.

Brian Hines:

Okay.

Shalonce Royal:

And the rest is history.

Jackman Ochs:

In in your home state of Georgia. Right?

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah. That's that's kind of insane that you didn't start as, like, a wrestling fan or that you kind of, like, found wrestling later on because you've taken you're really fucking good.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. I wouldn't have known it. Like

Jackman Ochs:

like, you're really, really, really, extremely good at wrestling. I just wanna say that. I just wanna

Shalonce Royal:

say that. Sports, though. Like I did track and field, soccer, a little softball, volleyball, and then the competitiveness. And then like with the music, like I I took the classical coachable.

Brian Hines:

Sure.

Shalonce Royal:

And you have to really give everything. And so I'm it's I love music and I love being physical. So the fact that I was able to marry them together, I'm happy when I'm out there. And I think it just motivated me to do more. And then plus, I had validation going because I got the Dusty Rhodes American Dream scholarship and I was just I was just participating.

Shalonce Royal:

I was like, I'm just a like a tree in the wind, happy to be involved. And they chose me. 1st female, 1st and only female.

Brian Hines:

Oh, wow. Congratulations.

Shalonce Royal:

Thank you.

PJ Jones:

Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

And I remember looking at QT, like, the day that I went up there because you can go to, like, the first class for free. And I looked him in his eyes, like, do you really think that I can do this? And he said, yeah. I really think you could. And I'm like, I'm not made of money.

Shalonce Royal:

So, like, I'm gonna ask you this again. Yeah. Do you really think I can do this? He was like, yeah. I totally think that it's not even about the money.

Shalonce Royal:

Like, I would be honest with you. And QT is a honest person.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. I met him once, and he was very honest. Yeah.

Jackman Ochs:

So if he

Shalonce Royal:

if he thinks that you're you suck, he might find a different way to word it but you're going to understand that he thinks you suck.

Jackman Ochs:

You're gonna know.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. So he was honest and then when I got the scholarship I actually had another scholarship offer for grad school.

Brian Hines:

Okay.

Shalonce Royal:

So I had to to choose.

Jackman Ochs:

What did you major in?

Brian Hines:

That was music. Oh, music. Yeah. Oh, perfect. Okay.

Shalonce Royal:

The emphasis on, voice.

Jackman Ochs:

Okay.

Shalonce Royal:

And,

PJ Jones:

No way. I know. I would never would've guessed.

Shalonce Royal:

I know.

Jackman Ochs:

So you're in the middle of this this, dilemma. Right?

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm.

Jackman Ochs:

And you choose

Shalonce Royal:

Choose wrestling. And then soon after, that's when I went to All In and I sang the national anthem at All In.

Jackman Ochs:

Really? So

Shalonce Royal:

I was the first face you saw when the, pay per view started. Wow. And a lot of people don't remember that. I change wigs all the time. I know.

Shalonce Royal:

But I was the first face and I was so nervous. I wish I can redo it because that performance was not the greatest. However, a year later, I was a part of the First Women's Battle Royale at All Out.

Brian Hines:

Okay. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

And this is when now AEW is fully established. Like, it was just a pay per view for all in, and then they came back and they're like, oh, we're doing this. And I'm like, me. And I did that. And then I guess, like, the rest is kinda sweet.

PJ Jones:

You're being a little bit hard on yourself about that performance too. Because I I saw this, like, official list of, like, national anthem performances. And it was you and then Whitney Houston.

Shalonce Royal:

Oh, really? And then So I mean, that's great. Like, you crushed it. Thank you.

Jackman Ochs:

So what was there ever, like, a point where you thought you made the wrong decision in not pursuing grad school, not pursuing music?

Shalonce Royal:

Like, every time my body hurts, my knee cracks, my ankle hurts, my hip is the most recent time is when I got injured. In last year in March, I did a move that I did a 1,000 times at this indie show. And I did that move. It was the basement drop kick that I do and my right leg went numb. And I'm like, I'm a professional.

Shalonce Royal:

I'll finish this out and I did, but then it just got worse and worse as the night went on. And what was tough was I was also up there because one of my close friends, I was helping with a surprise birthday. But I'm the one by the way, I love cooking. And I was like, I'm gonna cook all this stuff. So now I'm hobbling through Walmart, nearly crying, trying to get the ingredients because I'm so determined to make this meal, and the pain is not getting better.

Shalonce Royal:

Usually, something hurts and you're just able to kinda push it out of your mind, but this is my hip. And I'm that type of person, I will go in a store and come out, like I'm speed walking, like I'm not wasting time. I don't have money like that, so I can't just be looking. So I go in for what I want, and then the next thing I know, I'm like, I went to sleep early. I couldn't I couldn't do anything, and it just got worse and worse.

Shalonce Royal:

And I went to urgent care, and the man was like, you probably need to get a MRI because, you ain't looking too good. And he gave me cortisol cortisone or something. Yeah. And then he gave me these pills and I'm like, I'm gonna trust the doctor. Next thing I know, one of the prescriptions, I think it was prednisone, blew me up.

Shalonce Royal:

I didn't realize that it makes you gain weight and give you, like, moon face and stuff. Yeah. So in a week, I gained almost like £15. Wow. And it was I could feel it.

Shalonce Royal:

Like every morning I woke up, I was like, oh, I feel the weight of the world literally on my body. And so every like the early stages of that, I really contemplated. I'm like, this could I could be living with this for the rest of my life.

Jackman Ochs:

How early on was that in your career?

Shalonce Royal:

Oh, this was last year.

Jackman Ochs:

This was okay.

Shalonce Royal:

I was women's champion.

Jackman Ochs:

Okay.

Shalonce Royal:

And that's why yeah. I it happened and I was like, oh, I don't know if I can do this. And part of me was like, I might have to vacate this title. I might have to, I I might have to just put it up, you know. I watched my mom deal with, like, pain.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. She's a diabetic that didn't take care of herself. And now I'm like, I think I really have an injury that's going to set me back and I don't wanna be where, you know, in a couple years I can't kick my leg because my hip is like busted. So that was the moment where I'm like, I think I might have chosen the wrong path. And I look back at my Facebook.

Shalonce Royal:

A lot of the people that I met or my professors or things like that who supported me when I was singing don't support me anymore. Yeah. And then when I look at it and I'm like, some of these wrestlers don't know what's going on. And the wrestlers that do know what's going on, they're not checking on me. They don't know.

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm. So now I'm like, my whole life has been wrestling. I don't really have the support of wrestling. I don't have my classical opera people anymore. My mom can't do anything.

Shalonce Royal:

She She can't do anything she wanted to. My dad certainly can't do anything. And I'm just left here dealing with the decisions that I made. So I had a come to Jesus moment and I'm like you know what I'm just going to ride this out like and I talked to Al. And I was like, look, I don't I really don't know.

Shalonce Royal:

Like, my hip is really busted. And one day I went online, Wikipedia and saw like my name on the list of champions and it was that Rejuvenation, like oh my gosh, Like I I'm making freaking history. Mhmm. And if Al is willing to work around my injury, I'm gonna work around it. And I literally kept that title for how many that was kinda early.

Shalonce Royal:

I got it in October 29, 2022. The injury happened in March 2023 and I lost the title in, I think, June or July.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. Somewhere around there. It was, like, right before the documentary dropped.

Shalonce Royal:

Because I held that for a long time after being busted. That's why we made the joke like I literally carried the women's division on my busted hip because I could have vacated it.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

But I fought through it. I'm like, I worked my butt to get worked my butt off to get worked my hip off to get here. And I'm going to carry this out. So I did whatever it took to make sure that I made it through the freaking matches. Because a lot of times we had different promos so it kinda like saved me a little bit.

Shalonce Royal:

I don't like taking pills. I took pills, whatever I needed to do within reason to be able to be the champion and that's why I was just like okay I got this, I got this, I can do this And since then, you know, every time the hip is hip and I was like, oh, did I make the right decision? But I'm still I'm still doing it.

Jackman Ochs:

I mean, to for what it's worth, no one would ever know. I don't think.

Shalonce Royal:

Really?

Jackman Ochs:

I'd I'd No. I I would have no idea.

PJ Jones:

That's just a testament of how tough you are.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah. Really. Seriously.

Shalonce Royal:

Because I know there's some people out there like, oh, she's faking. I had someone that implied that one day and it pissed me off because I'm like you understood the drug that I just took to stand here. Don't think I can say it but like it it was tough. That's why sometimes I get so emotional because again, I could have taken the easy way out and I could have just vacated it and took some time away and come back. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

But I fought through that because it was important to me And I take OVW seriously. And I want people to know, like, I'm that woman. Yeah. I am amazing. As Shawanze and Shalandra, like, I I I don't know how I did it.

Shalonce Royal:

Like, going back and waking up some mornings and feeling like how it hurts. I don't know how I did that. I got drop kicked from Shauna from the freaking top buckle with a busted hip. That was happening during that. I went through the whole thing with Haley with a busted hip.

Shalonce Royal:

Promo, even with Ellie, the match with Ellie, there was one match that I fell on my hip and it went downhill. Oh my God,

Brian Hines:

I can imagine.

Shalonce Royal:

I have to apologize for Elliot in that. She freaked out, and it was in the early match. If you go back and find that clip, I went to go try to hit her with the belt, and she ducked it and I followed through and I fell on the ground and it was done. She got, it looks all done. That was just how injured I was.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. And I'm still dealing with it. I I haven't made it to afford to get the MRI and things like that. But, you know,

Jackman Ochs:

I'm really

Shalonce Royal:

in life.

Jackman Ochs:

What's it like wrestling, Ellie? It seems like you guys have a really, like, intense get mystery. I love watching you guys wrestle because it's kind of, kinda hard to ever say what's gonna happen.

Shalonce Royal:

Is what's the word to describe wrestling Ellie?

PJ Jones:

I've I've never wrestled Ellie.

Shalonce Royal:

I have no idea. But, yes, you have. You took a

PJ Jones:

Oh, yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

Here you took a stunt. Mini stunner. I've

PJ Jones:

never wrestled

Shalonce Royal:

her.

PJ Jones:

I've just getting I've I've gotten beat up by her quite a few times. And that was yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

I think we I think I don't know. Did it start from me kicking her in the face on the when when Netflix why would they put that in there? But anyway.

Jackman Ochs:

What was it like seeing that moment back? Because it doesn't look like it was either one of your guys' best moments.

Shalonce Royal:

I was so shook when I saw I there was something in my soul that kinda prepared me, like, that will probably be in there because it's part of the business. It shows why we really need to do what we can to protect each other. Yeah. That's not something I wanted of me to be there. I don't want people to be like, gosh, she's rough and whatever.

Shalonce Royal:

It was a situation and they didn't even show the full thing. Mhmm. The full clip is the full match is actually still, I think, on fight. I pulled her head back and then I proceeded to kick her. I don't know if she put her head back down or did I not pull it back far enough or did I just get reckless and I just kicked.

Shalonce Royal:

Next thing you know, my foot made contact with her jaw, Mortal Kombat style, and I'm like, oh my gosh. I went to cover her to ask if she was okay and she said she was okay. And when I went to go pick her up, it felt like she wasn't okay. And then from there, it was like probably the worst match in my life because I was not Shilonce. Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

I was Shilondra and I'm like, oh my gosh. She's like going crazy. She was just punching me. She was like the ref is like, take it home, take it home. I'm trying to and I think I hurt her.

Shalonce Royal:

I think I broke her. I think she's broken. But, after that though, I got a little respect for her because I was like, she took that, like she could have been like a baby about it. She could have been like, oh my gosh. She know the cameras were all there.

Shalonce Royal:

She could've played that up. And she didn't. She was like, she's fine. And, I mean, obviously, she wasn't fine, but she was okay, and she wasn't mad or anything. I think she kinda got it all out in the ring because you would think in Agnesdays she looked pissed.

Shalonce Royal:

But

Brian Hines:

Yeah. I can imagine.

Shalonce Royal:

She was pissed. And then the next scene that they caught of us outside, I didn't like that because it made it look like I didn't care. But they had me like, look, I think I looked up at Maria or something or looked up thinking because she was saying something that was in my head and Maria was talking, but it looked like I was rolling my eyes. But what people don't know is like I was in that girl's face. I made sure she had ice.

Shalonce Royal:

I took her stuff to the car. I think it was also that night that I went out to her merch table. Was it that night

PJ Jones:

that I went to her merch

Shalonce Royal:

table and sold it but I was making like a sale like half price. It was either that or when you got her arrested. But either way, it I took care of her and I checked on her. But then after that, we were, and honestly, the match was good before that part. The match was really good.

Shalonce Royal:

So there's just something about the hard hitting style that she has and the heart healing style, I'm like, you can hit me hard, I'm still gonna come for it. And for some reason, it just, it works out and every time after that, we just beat up on each other and I guess that's our love language.

Brian Hines:

It's violence.

Shalonce Royal:

It's violence. Even backstage we joke with each other and we flirt with each other. So I guess it's it's fine, but people in real life would think that we hate each other, especially if I kicked her in the face. And now the world knows I kicked people in the face.

Brian Hines:

Well, you're you're a wrestler, so it's kinda interesting. It kinda

Jackman Ochs:

it kinda happens. It kinda happens.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. You gotta kick people the face every once in a while.

Shalonce Royal:

Well, she got me back. She gave me a mild concussion.

Brian Hines:

Oh, god.

Shalonce Royal:

During our feud, she hit me with the guitar, but the guitar split at the neck. She hit me with the neck.

Jackman Ochs:

Oh, God.

Shalonce Royal:

That little part that meets the bottom. Yeah. I was like, out of this whole part, Ellie, you get me with the smallest part. And it split my head. I'll never forget because y'all know I wear wigs and I had to reveal the under the wig because it it was, like, swelling.

Brian Hines:

Oh. And I

Shalonce Royal:

and I remember a doctor or whoever I've never seen that man before in my life. I opened up eyes.

PJ Jones:

Came off the street.

Shalonce Royal:

I guess

PJ Jones:

so. He wasn't a doctor at all.

Shalonce Royal:

I don't know who he was. He was cute. And I opened my eyes, and I was like, who's this cute man leaning over me? Maybe I should just stay here. And then I'm like, wait, he's checking on me.

Shalonce Royal:

And then there was multiple people around me. And I'm like, first of all, I don't know who he is and I don't know why everyone is like freaking out, but they are. And I guess maybe I lost a little time. Like, to me, I don't I didn't think it was that long. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

But they said I didn't move, and I was like, I was just selling, selling, but okay. And then I came back and they gave me a little test. I'm like, oh, she might be a little concussed. And then when I moved the way back, it swelled up. And then, you know, Al called me a unicorn.

Shalonce Royal:

And I'm, like, thanks. And then later that night, I threw up and I was, like, okay. I guess I am a little congested. Let me just go to sleep. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

So she got me back.

Jackman Ochs:

Sounds like it. It's really funny because I kind of felt the need to ask her about that that Netflix situation as well. And hearing you guys break it down from opposite sides, the the main thing is both of you guys feel really bad. Both of you guys feel very, very sorry, for that. Is that that's that's pretty pretty normal, right, in wrestling.

Jackman Ochs:

You have to trust the people. Right?

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm. Mhmm.

Jackman Ochs:

Was it ever hard after that?

Shalonce Royal:

What made me feel that I could trust her was that match. So the match didn't just end there. She has this move where you're hanging on the ropes. And she goes and basically like drop kicks you in your chest. So I sat there as she was g ing up from across from me.

Shalonce Royal:

I said, so a couple of things could happen. She can either get me back by kicking me square in my face.

Jackman Ochs:

Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

Would have been deserved, you know. But I didn't mean it, but I would understand if she decided to get me back or she's going to do business.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

And And as you can see on the Netflix series and even in the the match, she did good business. Yeah. So that was like despite extra extra hard to me. Or maybe my brain was just like, you deserve whatever punishment you get. So I just accept it.

Shalonce Royal:

It was just like nothing happened. And that's when I was like, I can trust her because she could have took my head off. My wig could have went one way. My body could've went another way. She could've snatched it off.

Shalonce Royal:

She knows it. She knows it was a whole wig. Like, she could've really come for me and she did it. And I was like, you know what? I have mad respect for her, so I'm gonna make sure I take care of her.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah. Yeah. I wanna thank both of you guys just, like, while we're kinda here in the middle of this for being, like, very open and emotional today. Like, it's been a really, really fantastic interview. I really as an interviewer, I really appreciate it.

Brian Hines:

In person and in character.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. Yes.

Jackman Ochs:

Definitely. Definitely. If do you ever think about going back to singing? Do you ever think about going back to school?

Brian Hines:

No. Do you ever think about incorporating that more into, your performances? Because you do sing when you come to the ring and you sing during a match, which I think is hilarious. You could be like kicking somebody's ass all

Jackman Ochs:

the way across the the

Brian Hines:

the ring and singing the whole time doing it. Have you ever, done like a a whole video or a whole song? But and the reason why I ask is because one of my favorite parts of growing up was the wrestling album. If you didn't grow up in the 19 eighties, you know, because we talked about

PJ Jones:

You gotta rock some WWF volume 4 or whatever it was at the time. You know, all these volumes. I just Yeah. They sleep with those, like, on repeat.

Brian Hines:

I got, the actual the original wrestling album from, like, 1984 for Christmas 1 year. Oh. With the the land of a 1000 dances, like, with the Iron Sheik and reality Roddy Piper that ends in total chaos. That was one of my favorite parts of, childhood, and if you ever decided to do something like that, I could see you causing, enough havoc and being entertaining at the same time to where that would really be something that would be, very entertaining for for fans or at least this one in particular.

Shalonce Royal:

Well, of course. I definitely want to do more music and, like, I'm slowly working on some things.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah. Cool.

Shalonce Royal:

So it's it's definitely a thing. It's just so weird because, like, as an opera singer, you often don't think about, oh, putting yourself they're like, I'm I'm known for live performances. I'm like, oh, I I'm like, oh, I should record myself.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. When you start singing in the ring in matches, I'd when I'm out there, I also have to, like, kinda turn because it cracks me up every time. I love it so much. It's so fun to watch.

Jackman Ochs:

There you guys were talking off mic, and I wanted to kinda bring it up. Like, it does seem like sometimes you guys are just trying to 1 up each other. Right? Like, it does how how often, like, how often does it happen that you just have to go, nope. Nope.

Jackman Ochs:

Nope. Nope. Nope. Quite a few times.

PJ Jones:

Especially with, with backstage promos when we can, like, record multiple times. Yeah. There's so many of those where one of us breaks because of nonsense that we've done. And that's kinda I've always told, like, Brian and Steve when I go out. It's like, if I can talk, my goal is to break one of them.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. But now that it's also extended to her. So if I can break her or someone else, then I feel like I've done a a good job.

Shalonce Royal:

I'm usually really professional with it. I get got when I rewatch things. Mhmm. And that's when I lose it. I think I go into this whole mode of, alright, Do what you gotta do.

Shalonce Royal:

Be who you gotta be. And most of the time, I'm nervous. So when I rewatch it, I am like you would think that I'm this is the first time that I've seen it and heard it even though I was a part of it. Like when I, in the rumble, yeah, the rumble, I know you handed Mickey your card.

PJ Jones:

Oh, yeah. Yeah. But you

Shalonce Royal:

don't really see it, but you you hear the reaction. Yeah.

PJ Jones:

That wasn't planned at all. I just happened to have a card in my pocket.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. When

PJ Jones:

I saw Mickie James, I'm like, why would I not give her a card? Like, I have to give her a card. Yeah. And I went down and Brian is, like, trying his best not to break.

Shalonce Royal:

I I

PJ Jones:

see him, but I'm like, I almost got him. And then he started, yeah, he started talking about it. It's like, I have to do it.

Shalonce Royal:

You can hear it in his voice that he's smiling. Yep. And so that, like, gets me every time I listen to it. And even though it's not fully, like, you can't see it, I know it and I'm popping, like, every time. I'm like, look.

Shalonce Royal:

You know?

PJ Jones:

There was Do business. So many of those moments, especially with the that first run with Ellie, where we were doing just wild stuff behind. Like, I had a shirt made that had her face on it that said resting hillbilly face. Like, we were doing dying. We were doing so that was so fun, like, creatively, and then just writing jokes for these promos that were all, you know, trailer related or hillbilly related.

PJ Jones:

And we'd have to do multiple takes for a lot of them because one of us would for

Shalonce Royal:

sure break.

PJ Jones:

On the

Jackman Ochs:

way out here, do you guys mind to, tell us where we could find you on social media?

Shalonce Royal:

Wait. Why are you, like, Indian now?

PJ Jones:

Oh, we we have a question. Keep going, Brian.

Brian Hines:

Yeah. Okay. So you said that you were a classically trained opera singer.

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm. I

Brian Hines:

am a big fan of concerts but I'd you know being that we are in the middle of Kentucky there's not a whole lot of opera to be had or if there is I haven't made it there yet. So I was wondering if you could help me out with one of my favorite operatic pieces.

Shalonce Royal:

Do you know what's going

Jackman Ochs:

on, Brian?

Brian Hines:

Yeah. Okay. So how about I do the first part and then you take it home Oh!

PJ Jones:

A little duet? Oh!

Shalonce Royal:

If I know what it is, okay!

Brian Hines:

You'll know it, trust me, everybody will know it I have a structured settlement, and I need cash.

Shalonce Royal:

I knew it. That made my week. I think it's you know, I mean, I know this obviously, like, if you need to take it home, take it home. But I'm just like I feel like we have a very interesting dynamic, probably one of the most, because outside of this, we are entertainers, comedian, singer. And that really helps us with our wrestling.

Shalonce Royal:

And we're still personalities with wrestling and without wrestling.

PJ Jones:

Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

But it's just I just think it's really interesting. However, there's something that I have to confront you guys on.

PJ Jones:

Oh, yeah. I don't

Jackman Ochs:

know where this

PJ Jones:

is going.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah.

Jackman Ochs:

I I have a feeling I know where it's going to.

Shalonce Royal:

I watched the product, unlike some people, I watched the product and there was a comment that was made and I reshared it on my stories, but I didn't know that I was gonna get so many people to talk to me about it. And I've even had people wanting me to be on their podcast to talk about it. And I said, no, I'm a wait until I actually say it here first and then talk about it. I didn't expect, the things you don't think people would just up on or pay attention to, that's what it is. And it was the comment about my gimmick is what holds me back.

Shalonce Royal:

So I want you to expound on that. You know, I'm not salty. Everyone has their opinions, but I just wanna expound before I give my, 4 cents.

Jackman Ochs:

I'm really glad that you brought this up.

Brian Hines:

The views of Jackman Oaks do not necessarily reflect the views of everybody else related to the unofficial podcast of Ohio Valley Rest.

PJ Jones:

A cup a

Jackman Ochs:

couple of things. Couple of things. I can't just come on here every week and tell it say everything's great.

Shalonce Royal:

I

Jackman Ochs:

can't. Otherwise, people wouldn't tune in.

Brian Hines:

And I wouldn't have a job.

Jackman Ochs:

Oh. And the so there's a big part of anything that I say about OVW or anybody's product or anybody's gimmick is that I'm working a gimmick too. Having said that, from I really like the way that you wrestle. I real I think that you're badass. I think that you're fucking sick.

Shalonce Royal:

Like

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah. You know what I mean? And I think that sometimes with the singing thing, you can kind of get put in a hole that I think that you're much bigger than. And that that is where that sentiments comes from for me. I am entertained more more than entertained by you.

Jackman Ochs:

More than entertained by your gimmick. I think you're a great wrestler. I think you're a wonderful singer. But I think that sometimes I would I just wanna see I would book you differently because I wanna see you on top is kind of what it comes down to.

Shalonce Royal:

Oh, I agree. Yeah. I that was something so I had the music gimmick for a while. Mhmm. When I got to OVW, I don't know if you've seen the early days.

Shalonce Royal:

I actually debuted in 2021. Mhmm. And I didn't really do that as much. And it wasn't until I won the title that Al was like, just go for it. He says, he don't believe that I'll be able to do too much.

Shalonce Royal:

Just go out there and do it. If they have to reel me back in, they will. And I went for it. I did it. And they loved it.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. Whenever you're in Rome, you do as the Romans.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

And I shared with him that I was afraid that I wasn't gonna be taken seriously. And because it can be funny or it can be impressive, but like how I was written and maybe that's a good way to put it, I had to take on the role that they needed me to be at OVW. Right. That and I like, if I was put in a movie and they told me to play this character and you gotta do that, I'm gonna do what I'm paid to do.

Brian Hines:

Right.

Shalonce Royal:

There's a lot of things I will love to do at OVW. There's a lot of stories that I have in my head. There's a lot. But I'm simply doing what they book me to do. Right.

Shalonce Royal:

But I completely understand where you're coming from because that was one of my main concerns. But I do think that it is something that makes me stand out Absolutely. Opposed to it hindering because if both correctly, you got people on the roster that would do back flips for days. You have people on the roster that will do hard hitting. You have people on the roster that can talk circles on the mic, but you don't have and you have one male musician that he's not he is singing and playing an instrument at the same time.

Shalonce Royal:

And he's shiny.

PJ Jones:

He's so glittery.

Shalonce Royal:

So glittery.

PJ Jones:

So glittery.

Shalonce Royal:

And he has a great entourage that's very gifted. However, there's not a woman on the roster, in my opinion, that can get someone over as good as me. I not not saying that there are women that can't. I'm just I worked really freaking hard.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. I got people over with a busted hip. Yeah. And I understand my role there. I think I can make a lot of people look good.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. That should be

PJ Jones:

your new thing by the way. The do the the Kurt angle. I did it with a broken freaking hip.

Shalonce Royal:

I did it with a broken hip, and they looked great. Like, I you know? And I was that one that I just would just sit back and just say, yeah. You know? But, no.

Shalonce Royal:

Like, when I contemplate my life and contemplate my career and stuff, I'm like, I and and some some fan site or whatever that sucks because they don't post regularly about me, but they claim to be my loyal fan. But anyway, they made a video saying that I'm such a good seller. And I'm like, first of all, why are you saying the term? But, anyway, I really am good at putting people over. And I just pray that one day, someone's gonna return the favor to me.

Shalonce Royal:

But that's my role right now, and it makes me feel good. Yeah. Now there are times where I'm just like, I I deserve a chance. But I did. I had a reign of 200 freaking 8 days with a busted freaking hip and there's people that love to hate me.

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm.

PJ Jones:

They do the audience just eats up the same day.

Shalonce Royal:

And you know what though? I can go home and my body doesn't hurt as bad. Yeah. I can get through a night and my makeup is still intact. I can get through a night and people are going to not talk about necessarily the move that I've done because we all know I can do moves.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. Oh, yeah. So they're gonna talk about the girl singing with the wig or they're just, you know, they're just like that note, like people talk. And at the end of the day, I want to, my mission statement is I want to make a difference in at least one person's life as Shalondra, and as Shalon say, I want to leave an imprint on at least one fan's life or at least night whenever I'm wrestling. Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

And as long as I can do that, I'm okay.

PJ Jones:

I think you're doing a great job of that. I mean, I don't unfortunately, we didn't win, but I remember at the rumble when you got eliminated, it was such a huge pop.

Shalonce Royal:

It was loud. I was offended. I was like, dang. Y'all hate me that much? It was like a thunders of plus people stood up.

Shalonce Royal:

I'm like, sit down. And like, but they really did. Like, I'm doing my job, and I challenged all the women on the roster to do that. It's different to do moves. We all know.

Shalonce Royal:

I I've been trained very well. I was blessed to be able to be trained by QT Marshall, Glacier, Cody Rose sprinkled some seasoning on me, Dustin Rose sprinkled some seasoning on me. And I've had some decent opponents and just and I watch and I observe, and Al sprinkles his wisdom and whatnot, and Doug invested me, and Al invested me. So I've been really blessed in that regard. And I wanna I wanna keep going, but I challenge these ladies, like, let's make each other look good because I've been I've been biting the bullet for a long time.

Shalonce Royal:

But, you know, but on side note on that, I I am very proud of our women. I just wanna put that out there. I've been since I haven't been booked as much, I've been able to sit back and watch the product. I have a Twitch channel where sometimes I'm literally watching live from Georgia and Okay. I'm just like, oh, wow.

Shalonce Royal:

This is they're really giving it. Like, there's some of those girls that were just like lost causes when they got there. Yeah. Like Tiffany, oh my gosh. A wreck.

Shalonce Royal:

I remember the match that I there was one match that I had with her, and she freaked out when I we had more planned than what the time allotted. Yeah. So I was trying to cut it. She I've never had this anyone do this. She literally said, why are you doing this to me?

Shalonce Royal:

I I almost popped, and I was like, we gotta take this home because she's I don't know what's going on. It was it was difficult. Now look at her.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah. Seriously.

Shalonce Royal:

She's killing it. Yeah. Like, matches went to hell in a handbasket, and now she is like, oh, we're taking this to heaven, and she's doing it. And, like, even Hailey, like Hailey, she may feel like she's not getting any better but she has learned to really work with anyone. Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

When I first got there, she could have decent match with some people and it's like whatever. Her attitude and how hard she works is infectious to everyone. Like, people just don't know. Like, yes, you see her out in the docuseries that she has this kinda like personality where you just you just can't help but to like her and root for her.

Jackman Ochs:

Right.

Shalonce Royal:

Well, now it's in the ring. But before, it wasn't like that. Yeah. Which by the way, we are actually closer than people think. By the way, like yeah.

Jackman Ochs:

I can definitely tell.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. I love Hailey. So it's just I'm so proud of the freaking roster and that it's growing and people are becoming more open and people need to check for OVW because we're we're coming.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

Like, people people need to understand, like, we're we got that leg up and we're gonna keep going.

Jackman Ochs:

What's it like to been at OVW doing this kind of for both of you guys, this kind of period of of expansion?

PJ Jones:

It's been for me, it's been just insane because on paper, I shouldn't be there to begin with. Mhmm. And now I'm, like, on the I'm part of the roster. I've like, everyone's welcome to me. And and then so I came in, and it just happened to be the time where this Netflix thing pops.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah.

PJ Jones:

And now we have, you know, big show popping in. Mick Foley's popping in. Mickey's James popping in. You know, it's like and I'm there for it. Like, I just got so lucky to even be a part of it that it's still like, there's so many times where I'm backstage where I'm like, don't mark out.

PJ Jones:

Don't mark out. Like, just you're here. You know? And I'm pretty good about it. Like, you know, I'm just being, you know, part of the backstage, but, like, there are times where I'm just like, how did this happen?

PJ Jones:

Like, how is this my life right now? Because I've always been a fan my whole life. Like, when I was a kid, that's all I wanted to do was be a comedian and be a professional wrestler, but I'm 55 and not an elite athlete. And I'm so I'm no Rey Mysterio. Yeah.

PJ Jones:

Right? And, like, I remember in 8th grade, we had to do these 4 h speeches and I made it to the semifinals of it because I I gave a speech about how I wanted to be a professional wrestler And I ended it with the you know, back in the day, it was when The Rock was, you know, still well, it's still huge, but, you know, he was in full time. And I I ended my speech with, like, if you smell what Patrick is cooking. And then I took that all the way, and then I I lost, though, because they were there were kids talking about how their parents had cancer and stuff. And it's hard to compete when you're doing that.

Jackman Ochs:

Oh, yeah. As a But as a veteran of the 4 h speech circuit myself, some of those some of those get a little tough.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. So it was you know, I'm ending with, like, with that, like, oh, and they're like, my dad has cancer. I'm like, oh, rest. No. I don't know.

PJ Jones:

But yeah. So that was you know? So the fact that I was even, afforded an opportunity to be involved, especially now when everything is as crazy as it as it is, like, there's yeah. I I'm still blown away

Brian Hines:

Mhmm.

PJ Jones:

Every time I walk in there. Like, it's crazy.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah.

PJ Jones:

I feel like at some point, they're gonna be like, hey. Stop talking about how much you enjoyed here. Like, every time I see Ally, every time, like, thank you for having me again. Like, I can't believe that you even let me in here. So, yeah.

PJ Jones:

I'm, I'm just blown away by the whole thing.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. Yeah. Me me too. It's kinda bittersweet because I was I think like still almost every week, I felt like I was, like, there. And then when the series dropped, I was, like, pushed to the side.

Shalonce Royal:

And so I was happy about the Netflix thing. I support it. I still, like, hashtag it till this day. Like, I want people to see it, and I really believe in it. But it's bittersweet because I feel like I didn't get to fully enjoy that train because I still have fans that are just, like, now jumping on it.

Shalonce Royal:

They don't know what I've done.

Jackman Ochs:

Right.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. That stuff we did in the summer was so good Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

That I

PJ Jones:

do wish we would have had that extra audience to see it. And then Yeah. Like, you, like, I felt there is a see, the the for me, like, there's a part of me that, like, of course, I wish we would have just kept going

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm.

PJ Jones:

Then and had more story and and kept doing the stuff we're doing. Because what we were doing, I thought it was a lot of fun and very entertaining. But then the other part of me was just like, I'm just happy to be

Shalonce Royal:

here.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. You know? But, like, yeah, I do wish we would have

Shalonce Royal:

had At least a little something. All over. Yeah. Yeah. Like So that people would see us and because

PJ Jones:

like I said.

Shalonce Royal:

Back at it because I freaking wrestled puppets.

PJ Jones:

I almost had Maria stick her hand in my ass. Like that is.

Brian Hines:

Oh my god. That's right.

PJ Jones:

I mean, Haley rode me like a donkey. Yes. And then she

Shalonce Royal:

Hey, James.

PJ Jones:

Solonsei here dropped my ass down a a ramp in a a wheelchair.

Shalonce Royal:

And so I mean,

PJ Jones:

I have to moments that I wish we would have had that giant audience to see. Yes.

Shalonce Royal:

In that way, they can or at least, like, if we had a spillover, they'll go back and try to figure it out. And now people don't really know of the wonders of Shalance and that's so I'm sorry. Cholonce and PJ.

PJ Jones:

No. You did all the heavy lifting. I'm

Shalonce Royal:

just saying that. You were there. But what

PJ Jones:

we were doing was

Shalonce Royal:

so fun. And now I have to, like, defend myself and some people are just like, who are you? And I talked to Al and he says, well, you know, it's like a Ferris wheel or roller coaster or something like, you're up, you're down, you're up but it just, that's the one thing that is kind of like, because now when I talk about it, first of all, people barely even know that I'm in it because every time I show up, I have on a different wig and apparently, seriously I have

PJ Jones:

the same problem.

Shalonce Royal:

Caucasian persuasion, my wigs are light. Caucasian persuasion, my wigs are like the glasses for Clark Kent. I change a wig and people are like, have we met? Yes, I'm Shalondra. And so if it wasn't for the gear and even then when I completely changed the gear and then the way people are like, who it is?

Shalonce Royal:

Until I started singing. But in the series, obviously, I wasn't the focus. So there's times I'm in the background, I'm like, oh, I have that wig, oh. And then there's times I have a couple of scenes, like episode 57 is where I really showed up. And I have 2 different wigs, 2 different ones.

Shalonce Royal:

The gear was the same, I guess. And so I'm like, I was in it. And people sometimes don't believe me, but they know Hailey. Mhmm. Oh, I

PJ Jones:

did gotta say selfishly that I do wish we had that audience. I mean, for the whole thing, but also for my, even though Nick Dinsmore hates it when I say this is my first match, match, but it's my first match on TV pay per view in front of a live audience when we did the tag.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah.

PJ Jones:

I wish people would have seen that because the fact that I was even in that ring wrestling was just crazy.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah.

PJ Jones:

And I thought it was I thought it went pretty good. I was I was very entertained by it, and I'm my worst critic. So

Shalonce Royal:

That was that was great. I think that's also what helped bring us together to have to depend on each other

Brian Hines:

Mhmm.

Shalonce Royal:

In front of a live audience. Al's watching, probably cussing on the little headset thing.

Jackman Ochs:

Hitting the yelling at the locker is is what we've heard. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

Which I don't know. But, like, it's just at that point, I'm like, I'm trusting you to do what you gotta do because when you're in there, there's not much I can

PJ Jones:

do. No.

Shalonce Royal:

And he killed it. He did everything he was supposed to do. I just I think I should've stepped it up even more. I was like, uh-uh. Not my mouthpiece doing better than me.

PJ Jones:

I mean, in fairness, you did the heavy lifting in that match. I did. I did a few things and all I had to do was have decent cardio to run.

Shalonce Royal:

That's all I had

PJ Jones:

to do.

Shalonce Royal:

Which I feel like, you know, and this is our bad for not wising up the cameraman. That was a fan I love that freaking spot where it was like every time you ran out, he would run past me. But I'm just dazed. So I see him run and I come back and then I'm being clotheslined and he would do it again and I'm clotheslined. I think I just think that Shallancy and PJ is like one of the best duos that OVW has right now.

Shalonce Royal:

Mhmm. And it's very, very disappointing that they're not capitalizing on it and giving these people like this. Yeah. Because I think

PJ Jones:

I think we have some very entertaining

Shalonce Royal:

Even backstage things or even like because it doesn't have to be like, we understand. It doesn't have to be TV all the time.

Jackman Ochs:

You know?

Shalonce Royal:

Right. But I definitely think since they put us together, they should they should use us. But

PJ Jones:

Yeah. There was times too last year where because I'd since my daughter was born and then my son, I pulled back from doing stand up because I just didn't feel like being on the road all the time. Right? But so I didn't I'd you know, I'd write some funny stuff, but it was mainly just dad jokes for my kids. You know?

PJ Jones:

But, like, when we were doing that stuff last summer, that really, like, clicked something in my creative like, it got me creatively feeling like, alright. How can we do this? Look. That making a shirt, writing these funny promos, doing the even the, you know, the puppet idea was all out, but, like, how can we do how can we take this to the next level? Her dropping me in that that wheelchair.

PJ Jones:

We did have one thing that I thought was really funny, but we we didn't get to do it. But since we were hate we were feuding with Haley and Maria, I thought we could dress up like lumberjacks and, like, you know, because we're cutting down the family tree. Like, there's a bunch of like, that was my opportunity to really be creative, and I do wanna be able to to do that again, like, have a storyline where we can be just super creative, come up with stuff, and be as entertaining as we were last summer. So I thought we did a pretty fantastic job, and I don't know anything. So

Shalonce Royal:

I think what really makes and, again, everyone has a story. So me saying what I'm about to say, I'm not discrediting anybody else because I've listened and chat with, a lot of people on the roster or people that come through, and it's incredible. I don't think a lot of people really get to know what really happens. He has a whole family. He has a career, a I don't know if you can say your job, like, your

PJ Jones:

career. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

But then he also is a comedian, and he has his his battle. And I I can't, like, speak for you.

PJ Jones:

Speak for me all day.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. But I know, like, for me, it's like no one cannot tell me that I don't want this. Mhmm. I live in Georgia. I drive 8 hours, sometimes plus, to OVW, sometimes the day of I have to wrestle.

Shalonce Royal:

And imagine how that feels when your hip is busted and you're stuck in that position for for a hot minute. Yeah. And

Jackman Ochs:

it's not exactly a pretty drive. It's a

Shalonce Royal:

pretty drive. Not a pretty drive.

Jackman Ochs:

No. No. Not a lot going on.

Shalonce Royal:

I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla. Bless her heart. Whoop. Alright.

PJ Jones:

I don't know.

Shalonce Royal:

And, but she don't come with the bells and whistles. I drive and put a lot of miles in that car and money and that gas tank. And sometimes it feels like I'm traveling on hopes and dreams. And I get there, and you do what you're told no matter how big it is or small it is. And you see ladies come and go, you see people get opportunities or not opportunities, car is subject to change, you're just ready, And then you deal with injuries, like I said.

Shalonce Royal:

I was I've been injured since March of last year up until again, I love to entertain. I wanna make you laugh. I wanna make you feel. I love it when people boo me or I love when people think that they're cheering me when I'm like, you just don't understand how great I am. But I work my butt off.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. Like, I want this. I wanna go to the next level. I want people to know, like, no matter where you freaking come from again, I mentioned earlier, a low income household where we had illegal cable. We had probably a lot of things illegally.

Shalonce Royal:

And things, I lost touch with the world and I came back. And I did opera, I traveled, I lived in South Korea for a little bit. I lived in Italy to perform. Things that I never would have thought that little girl that was sitting here trying to enjoy illegal cable for as long as she could never thought. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

I mean, gunshots outside the house, house broken into several times, car broken into, bike in the front yard after I'm thinking I'm doing something. I'm riding. Well, someone is riding because they took it and stuff like that. And now I'm here and it's not a glamorous life, but

PJ Jones:

You make it look glamorous.

Shalonce Royal:

Thank you. But I when I walk out there on the stage, I get to be like, I I loved anime and video games. I get to be a real life superhero to someone. Mhmm. I get to be someone else for a little while.

Shalonce Royal:

All those sacrifices, all that, Shlonce comes out. And I don't have to deal with that until I'm out, until I come back through the curtain. Every wrestler has a story. Every wrestler has a story. And I know some of you people love being on the freaking Internet and saying whatever you want to say, but remember, every wrestler has a story.

Shalonce Royal:

And while you're watching, just enjoy the story that we're presenting to you because you don't know the one that we're hiding. But I want this. You're doing a fantastic job. I at least know that you are wanting this, like, while we're presenting this. And I thank you so much for like partnering with me because he could've rejected me.

Shalonce Royal:

He could've been like, I don't know who she is.

PJ Jones:

It would've been a dumb movie. Why would he want to?

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. You know, but if you see his family, you would see like why he could just easily be like, ah, forget this. He has a beautiful family. He's a really good dad. There was one time he even scared me.

Shalonce Royal:

He like said something sternly to his daughter and I almost did it. I was like, oh, I'm sorry. I was like, oh, you're not talking to me? I'm sorry. He's awesome.

Shalonce Royal:

He could be spending time with them. He could be anywhere else. He could be touring with like comedy. And yet on Thursdays, he decides to come and be there with me in the, what is it, the puppet show?

PJ Jones:

The puppet show.

Shalonce Royal:

And, even outside of that. And he checks on me outside. Just just a side note. I know this is, like, going forever, but I have to put him over. No.

Shalonce Royal:

There was a moment that I was, like, I'm gonna drive in into oncoming traffic. I can't deal with this anymore. I don't know what my life is, but I know what it wouldn't be if I wasn't breathing. I was having one of those moments. And, I you messaged me for something or I messaged you for something, but either way we were texting and you were like, hey, I'm at a, no, I think I saw you on Instagram or something.

Shalonce Royal:

I don't know. But regardless, I texted him and he was like, hey, I'm at a comedy show and it was with Jay Ferrell.

Brian Hines:

Oh, wow.

Shalonce Royal:

And I was like, my husband.

PJ Jones:

I'll tell him that again.

Shalonce Royal:

And I was like, look, just saying. So I was just like, oh, it's whatever but seeing that and I'm just like, oh my gosh, I'm so jealous that you're here. Tell him I said hi or something like that. He was like, I'll FaceTime you when he gets back there. And I'm like, no.

Shalonce Royal:

He's not gonna do it. So I agreed. I was like, yeah. Go ahead. Now granted, I was wigless for once because I was doing my natural hair.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. So at first, I'm like, I didn't think he was gonna really do it. And it was getting late, and I'm just, like, struggling with my hair. And he Face Ties me and there's Jay Pharoah right there seeing all my natural see he saw my real hair so we have to be married now. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

And he chat with me knowing that he's probably tired. It's like late.

PJ Jones:

It was, I can't remember if that was it might have been after this the last show Saturday, I think. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

And I know he was tired, and I know he was tired. But he did that for me, and I'm like, someone cares about me that much. I can't drive into in oncoming He's also encouraging. Like, he's been hitting the gym and losing weight, so I'm like, oh, I can look good to you. You can't look you can't look better than me.

PJ Jones:

No. I'll start eating tonight.

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. Please. But and and then, like, he goes above and beyond to make sure that he can make us look good. He goes to training. Yeah.

Shalonce Royal:

He doesn't have to freaking train.

PJ Jones:

No. I do I go every Monday with shout out to Doug Basham for allowing me to hang out. He invited me, and I've been taking advantage. Because I like, to me, I'm not trying to be full time wrestler or be you know, I'm not putting on a 5 star matches anytime. Right?

PJ Jones:

But my part of the show is this much. But I want I want that part of it to be as good as I can make it.

Brian Hines:

Yeah. And Sure.

PJ Jones:

And it's if I'm, like, just like the cherry on top of a show or something, like, that's fine. But I just wanna make it as good as I can and go into those like, I'll I'll usually go to the training, and then everyone else will do the drills, and they'll have, like, you know, these, like, match scenarios, and I'll just ref them for the most part.

Jackman Ochs:

Yeah.

PJ Jones:

But as long as I'm in there and just kinda getting that, you know, ring learning ring psychology and and how to do stuff, then it's been a blast. I mean, I don't plan I would love to do a special guest referee angle with you now that I've been reffing stuff. That would be a lot of fun. But, yeah, I just go every Monday, and I'm trying to learn what I can so that way I can make my small part as good as I can make it.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. He's freaking awesome. I don't know what I

PJ Jones:

I don't know about all that, but I'm trying. I'm trying.

Shalonce Royal:

And so as one awesome person to another awesome person, but no. Super thankful for him. And, yeah, we might be, like, on a hiatus or on the low swoop right now, but, clearly, this is not the end of, like, and PJ.

Brian Hines:

Mhmm. It better not be.

PJ Jones:

Not by a long shot.

Jackman Ochs:

No. And I I've I've touched on this earlier, but I I really do wanna say it again. Wanna thank you guys both for being for showing us this part of you guys. Like, this has been a really, really, really tremendous interview, and it was because of your guys' connection and your the love you clearly have for each other. And I just wanna say you made my job very easy today.

Shalonce Royal:

Oh, thank

Jackman Ochs:

you. Easy today. Thank you.

Shalonce Royal:

But thanks for creating a safe space and for having us.

Brian Hines:

Yeah. Yeah. It's our pleasure.

Shalonce Royal:

And for the whiskey. What was

PJ Jones:

that? That was really good.

Brian Hines:

Oh, that is what was left of inclusion caramel stave as, brought to us by our bourbon steward, Chad. Hi, Chad.

PJ Jones:

That was fantastic. Thank you, Chad.

Jackman Ochs:

If Chad's still running around here, we might see if we can get you guys another glass of something before you leave.

Shalonce Royal:

Thank you. Nice.

Jackman Ochs:

Can can can you plug your social medias now?

Shalonce Royal:

Yes. We'll save the rest for part 2.

PJ Jones:

We have another hour and a half of stuff we need talk about.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah. Okay. Let's go. I came all the way from Georgia. So, just saying.

Shalonce Royal:

No. So I am on YouTube. It's the fighting siren, the fighting siren. I'm also on Twitch, which is Chalanse Royal. I am on Instagram and the app formerly known as Twitter x, I'm on there, also as Chelancey.

Shalonce Royal:

It might be chelancey_royal, but, I mean, Google me. You're going to find me. And I do like, I go live on Twitch, so feel free to follow and subscribe if you care and same thing with YouTube. I'm on Cameo, so if you want a personal song or a happy birthday or if I just have to sing aggressively at someone you don't like, I I will do that. So you can find me on, like, all social medias.

Shalonce Royal:

So Yeah.

PJ Jones:

Yeah. For me, I am mainly on Instagram. I have Facebook, but I don't really use it. But you can catch me on Facebook at just Patrick Past. If I hop on, I'll fringe you.

PJ Jones:

Instagram, I have 2. My personal one, Patrick p Comedy. So that's you're gonna see comedy, wrestling, family. It's all just me. And then there's pj_jones_esquire.

PJ Jones:

So that's

Shalonce Royal:

Oh, wow.

PJ Jones:

Just straight up wrestling. No. That's full on character. There's no, hey. Look at my family here.

PJ Jones:

And then I've I actually have some shirts on pro wrestling tees. So go get it. They just it's got my face on. You. Yeah.

PJ Jones:

She's got them by her shirts. Buy her shirts.

Shalonce Royal:

But, no, his is

PJ Jones:

It's got my face and it says PJ Jones or tell him PJ got you off. And, so there's a couple different colors. Yeah. Go check that out. And, yeah, hit me up.

PJ Jones:

And keep watching OBW.

Shalonce Royal:

Yeah.

Jackman Ochs:

Thank you guys so much for coming by today. Thank you

PJ Jones:

for your time. Thank you guys for having us.

Creators and Guests

Brian Hines
Host
Brian Hines
Southern Ohio native, life long wrestling fan, connoisseur of cups of damn fine coffee.
Jackman Ochs
Host
Jackman Ochs
Host of WRFL’s “Asleep At The Wheel”
Malachi Woodard
Editor
Malachi Woodard
Sound boards and editing bays.
Producer
"Tyni" Brian K Woodard
Co founder of BlackLiteMoon Productions, host of BlueGrass HomeFront.
X
Victor Anderson
Producer
Victor Anderson
The boss.
X
OVWP Interview 23 Shalonce Royal and PJ Jones: Royal Entourage

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