Written By Kimmy Sokol
“Introducing first the challenger: fighting out of Staten Island, New York wearing the red and black of the warrior nation she is Jade.”
On December 4th, 2021 over 250 people chanted Jade’s name as she was about to make Warriors of Wrestling history becoming the youngest female champion at only 17 years old. This was the biggest match in Jade’s career going up against a three-time Warriors of Wrestling champion Nikki Adams, you can almost say this was a passing of the torch moment.
Wrestling has been a passion for Jade ever since she was 11 years old and once you get hooked on the wrestling bug, it is truly hard to get out of it.
“Me being the introvert that I am, my mom went to this party with my sister and I didn’t want to go because I don’t like parties so I stayed in the car. I was bored. I went on Youtube scrolling and I found wrestling.”
The connection between a fan and the wrestling product is truly astonishing. Once you get hooked on it you keep digging and learning. Although wrestling isn’t everyone’s typical favorite sport once you find wrestling it sure does become fascinating.
“I found AJ Lee vs Paige and I watched it and I said wow this is good I want to watch more of this and I kept watching till my mom came back and we got home and I said mom I want to become a professional wrestler and she laughed in my face and said what? And I said I am going to be a professional wrestler. I’m serious.”
Claiming you want to become a professional wrestler at the age of 11 seems like a far-fetched dream many kids say, but Jade was determined that her dream was going to become a reality. Watching and studying the likes of Brooke Adams, Alexa Bliss, and Chris Benoit, it was really AJ Lee that stuck out the most to young Jade.
“I just watched a lot of AJ [Lee] and I was like, if she can do it, why can’t I?”.
Dreaming and executing your plan are two different things. Trying to find a wrestling school in New York can be difficult because there are so many, but luckily Warriors of Wrestling fell onto Jade’s lap almost accidentally.
“I was 15 at the time and my sister had flag football at Fun Station USA and my mom heard a bunch of banging and even though this was four years later this was still a dream I still got laughed at for it. My mom found Joe Bellini (the owner and founder of Warriors of Wrestling) and she asked what this is and he said it was wrestling and my mom was like “Oh my daughter wants to be a wrestler.”
The Staten Island native started training when she was 15 years old at Joe’s school and even though he had to wait to put Jade on shows until she was older he was able to see a lot in her.
“I had other girls I would feature, but she would still train with me until she was the only girl I had left. I asked her if she was ready for it and she said yes, she had a lot of passion which is hard to teach.”
Warriors of Wrestling’s 14th-anniversary show took place on December 4th, 2021. Jade was about to make history as the youngest champion in the company’s history. As Jade’s dream was about to come true of winning her first wrestling championships, the nerves and excitement were definitely a factor.
“I always get really nervous, I’ll be sitting in the back freaking out before a match and my opponent will always tell me to stop because I am making them nervous, but I just can’t. I care a lot about what I do and I want to do a good job.”
Being surrounded by her friends, family and fans is a truly surreal moment especially after achieving a dream that was “far fetched”.
“I was a little emotional. I’m not gonna lie, I liked the match. I thought it was a really good match. I saw everyone and everything went mute and I just told myself, ‘Wow okay cool I’m the youngest world champ!’”
As a trainee watching their student it was a proud moment for Joe as well, not only for Jade winning the title but also because he looks as Jade as his own daughter.
“I’m really hard on her but that’s how I teach her, I look to her as one of my own and I was so proud of her it almost felt like I was winning the title. Seeing all that hard work put in is something truly special to see.”
The bond between a teacher and a student is always important in the wrestling business. The students also have to trust their trainers with the right decisions they make and with their safety in the ring.
“Joe helps me a lot. He’s taken me under his wing and has helped me in a short amount of time. He has taught me everything and put a lot of time into me.”
Jade was also able to make history in another way. Her first title defense was the fourth ever women’s main event of a Warriors of Wrestling show. She was wrestling independent wrestling star Brandi Lauren as she successfully defended the title.
“I was nervous and excited, actually I was calm until the show started. It’s weird when I’m back there and I hear bells ring. That means it’s getting closer so every time I hear a bell my heart goes to my stomach. When I was sitting there and I heard them I kept thinking we have time.”
Jade, aka Joelle, also gets the opportunity to learn from wrestling veterans as she works with wrestlers at different conventions. This gives her the opportunity to seek advice and network for more opportunities down the line.
“I like asking questions to the wrestlers and getting any sort of feedback and knowledge I could possibly get. I’ve learned a lot from Brooke Adams. She’s watched my matches and has given me advice. I even took her close to them. They are a part of my comeback.”
Being a representation for a female audience is a big deal this day in age. Only being 18 Joelle can inspire many girls that in this male-dominated world, women can succeed.
“Don’t get frustrated and doubt yourself. A lot of girls always say I can’t and I hate that they don’t say I can’t if you didn’t try. When you’re thrown into the water you can either swim or drown and I refuse to drown.”
