NXT Superstar, American Ninja Warrior alum and Mae Young Classic participant, Kacy Catanzaro, was interviewed by Sporting News about the all women’s tournament for WWE. She also revealed that she had to adjust to the initial criticism from talent at the Performance Center who cited her as ‘inexperienced’ and having a target on her back.
Here are a few highlights from the interview, which you can read in full here:
RELATED: Kacy Catanzaro Talks Transitioning To WWE, American Ninja Warrior, More
On receiving the call from WWE:
“When I heard from them, I remember thinking to myself like, the real WWE called? It felt like this dream, this thing I had watched on TV that was a million light years away that wasn’t really because it was so incredible. I remember getting the phone call and being kind of stunned and trying to sound excited because I was not speaking because I was frozen. It was really surreal to think about that because as much as I always loved it, I didn’t think this is where my path would lead. But now that I’m here, I’m like wow; this is what I was meant to do.”
On proving her worth to her critics and peers:
“I do understand that, in their mind, it may seem appropriate for them to think ‘Oh, she’s never wrestled, why is she here?’ I think it was difficult for me to feel that that way, to feel that people thought that I didn’t deserve to be here or that I didn’t earn it or that I didn’t belong because that’s a terrible feeling. It was really, really hard for me and it did get me down and I think that I realized that I can either be upset that they feel that way or I can just prove to them that I do belong here. But every day I step into the Performance Center, I prove to people that I don’t expect to be there and nobody owes me anything to be here. I’m grateful to be here and I’m going to work hard every day to keep my spot here.”
Kacy Catanzaro
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Dallas" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Peter Larsen/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Dallas" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Peter Larsen/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Kacy Catanzaro visits the SiriusXM Studios on July 21, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Kacy Catanzaro visits the SiriusXM Studios on July 21, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 24: Kacy Catanzaro and Comic-Con attendees are treated to customized shaves by professional barbers at the Schick Hydro shave station at the Assassin's Creed Experience at Comic-Con on July 24, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images for Schick Hydro)
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Kacy Catanzaro
HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 13: TV personality Kacy Catanzaro attends the 3rd Annual Reality TV Awards at Avalon on May 13, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 13: Reality TV Personality Kacy Catanzaro attends the 3rd annual Reality TV Awards at Avalon on May 13, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
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Kacy Catanzaro
HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 13: TV personality Kacy Catanzaro attends the 3rd Annual Reality TV Awards at Avalon on May 13, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Lilly Lawrence/WireImage)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Houston" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Bob Levey/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Houston" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Bob Levey/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Las Vegas Finals" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: David Becker/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
TODAY -- Pictured: American Ninja Warrior contestant Kacy Catanzaro appears on NBC News' "Today" show -- (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
TODAY -- Pictured: (l-r) American Ninja Warrior contestants Brent Steffensen, Rob Moravsky, Kacy Catanzaro, Jamie L. Rahn, Joe Moravsky, Brian Wilczewski, Chris Wilczewski, Mike Bernardo, Noel Reyes, and Luciano Acuna Jr. appear on NBC News' "Today" show -- (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
TODAY -- Pictured: (l-r) American Ninja Warrior contestant Kacy Catanzaro and Shailene Woodley appear on NBC News' "Today" show -- (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
TODAY -- Pictured: American Ninja Warrior contestant Kacy Catanzaro and Jacque Reid appear on NBC News' "Today" show -- (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Dallas" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Peter Larsen/Esquire Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Dallas" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Peter Larsen/Esquire Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Dallas" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Peter Larsen/Esquire Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Dallas" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Peter Larsen/Esquire Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 14: Kacy Catanzaro arrives at the 2016 Winter TCA Tour - NBCUniversal Press Tour Day 2 at Langham Hotel on January 14, 2016 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - AUGUST 24: (L-R) Competitor Jessie Graff, hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila and Matt Iseman, and Kacy Catanzaro attend the screening event of NBC's 'American Ninja Warrior' in celebration of the show's first Emmy Award nomination at Universal Studios Hollywood on August 24, 2016 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - AUGUST 24: Kacy Catanzaro attends the Screening Event Of NBC's "American Ninja Warrior" at Universal Studios Hollywood on August 24, 2016 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)
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Kacy Catanzaro
THE RED NOSE DAY SPECIAL -- "American Ninja Warrior" -- Pictured: (l-r) Stephen Amell, Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "San Antonio Qualifier" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Felicia Graham/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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Kacy Catanzaro
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "San Antonio Finals" -- Pictured: Kacy Catanzaro -- (Photo by: Felicia Graham/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
