{"id":16973,"date":"2016-04-20T21:24:57","date_gmt":"2016-04-21T02:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=16973"},"modified":"2016-04-20T22:57:40","modified_gmt":"2016-04-21T03:57:40","slug":"16973","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/04\/20\/16973\/","title":{"rendered":"Collectibles Column &#8211; Exclusive Interview with Lucha Underground\u2019s Ivelisse"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2433701769\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>Ivelisse was a break-out character during the first season of Lucha Underground, thanks in large part to her unorthodox partnership with Son of Havoc and Angelico. She\u2019s been just as big of a part of the show\u2019s second season, challenging Mil Muertes for the Lucha Underground Championship on the season premiere and later regaining the Trios Titles with Son of Havoc and Angelico.<\/p>\n<p>But, for the real life Ivelisse Velez, finding success in the wrestling business has been a long, hard road \u2013 one she\u2019s still traveling today, always looking to improve. She began training as a teenager, and since 2011 has competed on WWE Tough Enough, NXT, TNA, AAA, and SHINE, among others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always been an athlete, ever since I was pretty much around eight-years-old,\u201d Ivelisse said during an exclusive interview with PWTorch. \u201cI\u2019ve always been attracted to the entertainment business as well, but first and foremost an athlete \u2013 anything I could get myself into.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ivelisse grew up in a family that loved pro wrestling \u2013 particularly her brother, who she described as a \u201csuperfan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy family was very into wrestling, specifically my brother, so I was exposed to it from a very early age,\u201d Ivelisse said. \u201c\u2026I remember that (Steve) Austin was a big character that I was really into. He pretty much had every video game system that\u2019s been created with all the wrestling games. (My brother) had a bunch of figures and a little ring, all that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As a teenager, Ivelisse chose to pursue a career in professional wrestling.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t start thinking it was something I could actually possibly due until I was a teenager,\u201d she said. \u201cSo once I turned 15, I started looking for ways to get myself into it innocently, not knowing how difficult it would be, especially without any ties to wrestling whatsoever. I\u2019m not a second generation wrestler or anything; nobody in my family has come close to doing anything like that. I pretty much just went out on a limb and embarked upon that journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Action Figure and Trading Card Debuts<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-524577110\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Ivelisse has seen a few different custom action figures that fans have made over the years. She often shares those pictures on Twitter and Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo me it doesn\u2019t matter if it looks like a work of art or whatever,\u201d she said. \u201cJust the simple fact that someone took the time to try to create something in my likeness like that is pretty cool to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fans of Ivelisse will soon be able to pick up her first official action figure. Ivelisse and Chris DePetrillo of Figures Toy Co. confirmed exclusively to the Torch that an Ivelisse figure will be included in Figures Toy Co.\u2019s upcoming Rising Stars line of action figures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey contacted me and I thought it was an awesome idea,\u201d Ivelisse said. \u201cIt\u2019s something I\u2019ve been wanting to do, and the opportunity was there. I\u2019ve seen a lot of fan created figures and stuff like that, and it\u2019s pretty cool. People will see those and say, \u2018I want one, where can I get it?\u2019 Now anybody who does want one for their daughter or whatever, finally they can have it. I\u2019m pretty excited to see what the product looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image2-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-16975 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image2-1-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"image2 (1)\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image2-1-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image2-1-731x1024.jpg 731w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image2-1.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><\/a>Trading card collectors can also chase Ivelisse\u2019s lone certified trading card, which was included in issue number 7 of the British wrestling magazine Revolution in September 2015. Those cards can be very tough to find, so collectors will need to be patient.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Connecting with Fans<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ivelisse sells autographed photos, DVDs, wristbands, and occasionally ring-worn gear directly on eBay under the username \u201civelissev.\u201d One $20 package, for example, includes a personalized signed 11&#215;14-inch photo of her battling with Mil Muertes, along with an 8&#215;10 and 5&#215;9 Lucha Underground card. Fans can also buy her officially licensed shirts from Pro Wrestling Tees at <a href=\"http:\/\/prowrestlingtees.com\" target=\"_blank\">ProWrestlingTees.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m one that I don\u2019t like having extra bulk of stuff when I travel, so that\u2019s pretty much why I do most of my selling of my merchandise on eBay,\u201d Ivelisse said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot easier to do it out of my home; I prepare the package and send it. I know the traditional way in wrestling is to take your merchandise with you and (fans) can buy it then and there. Obviously, that\u2019s a more attractive way for people, but I\u2019m not a big fan of traveling with that much, and then I get afraid that it might damage the product.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1557644897\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Ivelisse enjoys connecting with fans, especially younger girls who attend wrestling shows.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is something that is very, very fulfilling for me as a woman, and I\u2019m sure for a lot of other female wrestlers, especially the ones that take their work seriously,\u201d she said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what situation we\u2019re put in, whether it\u2019s a guy or a girl or whatever, hopefully through my craft I can inspire them to be strong somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Road to Stardom<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ivelisse has been rehabbing an injury over the last several weeks, one that resulted in several missed opportunities, including wrestling shows in different parts of the world and an appearance WrestleCon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI should be back on my feet this week from my second injury. I\u2019m definitely cursed,\u201d she said with a slight laugh. \u201cThankfully I learned a lot from the first injury, and the recovery from this one has been quite rapid. I\u2019ve done everything in my power and my knowledge to make sure it didn\u2019t hinder me like the last one did.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome very important projects got derailed because of this, unfortunately. I lost a chance to challenge for the SHINE championship, which is something that I\u2019ve been wanting to attempt to get back. Also, I had a chance to make my debut in Chile and wrestle for their women\u2019s championship and become the first one, but that also got derailed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-16976\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image1-255x300.jpg\" alt=\"image1\" width=\"255\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image1-255x300.jpg 255w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image1-768x905.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image1-869x1024.jpg 869w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/image1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 255px) 100vw, 255px\" \/><\/a>While she\u2019s rehabbing her injury, Ivelisse has her sights set on one very specific goal. In June, she\u2019ll travel to Japan for the first time to wrestle for the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion, which has become a destination for female wrestlers and their fans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have a lot of time to bounce back and do my thing,\u201d Ivelisse said. \u201cThat\u2019s something that\u2019s really important to me and I want to make sure that when I go to Japan, I\u2019m in honorable shape. I\u2019m not gonna overbook myself anyway in that time. I want to make sure that when I go to Japan, I\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ivelisse noted that Stardom is a promotion with \u201camazing talent, and everybody knows that Japan is a very good milestone in your career. It\u2019s not like I haven\u2019t had chances before, but a lot of other things prevented that. But I\u2019m ecstatic to go. It\u2019s such an honorable art form over there in Japan. The style is something I really, really enjoy and I\u2019m really looking forward for the opportunity to learn more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Follow Ivelisse on Twitter <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/RealIvelisse\" target=\"_blank\">@RealIvelisse<\/a>, and on Instagram @IvelisseVelez.<\/p>\n<p><em>PWTorch Collectibles specialist Michael Moore can be reached at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/MMooreWriter\" target=\"_blank\">@MMooreWriter<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-822279713\"><div id=\"pwtor-2726870912\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Ivelisse was a break-out character during the first season of Lucha Underground, thanks in large part to her unorthodox partnership with Son of Havoc and Angelico. She\u2019s been just as big of a part of <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/04\/20\/16973\/\" title=\"Collectibles Column &#8211; Exclusive Interview with Lucha Underground\u2019s Ivelisse\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,29,52],"tags":[391,2500,717,987],"class_list":["post-16973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlightarticles","category-specialists_collectibles","category-opnionandanalysis","tag-collectibles-column","tag-ivellise-velez","tag-lucha-underground","tag-michael-moore"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/Ivellise_3x2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16973"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16977,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16973\/revisions\/16977"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}