Ex-WWE Superstar Shotzi Talks MLW, Adoption Plans & Wanting to do ‘Ghost Adventures’

Scott Fishman October 22, 2025, 8:29 am

When WWE parted ways with Shotzi in May, the “Ballsy Badass” didn’t let that get her down. Instead, she hit the ground running and became one of the busiest stars in pro wrestling today. The 33-year-old, real name Ashley Urbanski, has redefined who she is as a performer while getting back to her roots. It didn’t take long for the green-haired talent set up shop in Major League Wrestling at Summer of the Beasts in June.

Shotzi has not only enjoyed facing off against some of the best the promotion has to offer, but also lean into horror movie fandom. Given recent appearances across the country, one could argue the former WWE NXT Halloween Havoc host is the Elvira of the ring. She even helmed her own talk show segment The Graveyard Shift at Slaughterhouse in October. This was just one spooky-themed stop in a series of bookings this season.

Here Shotzi opens up about her next chapter.

How would you say things have panned out for you since your time with WWE ended?

Shotzi Blackheart: I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I was coming back to the independents because I hadn’t been in the indies since 2019. I just didn’t know if anyone was going to vibe with me. I also hadn’t been on TV for the past year-and-a-half because I tore my ACL before getting released and then wasn’t on TV very much. I just thought nobody would be rooting for me. To come back and just be killing it and having so much fun, and to do it way more I’d imagine doing only a few months back on the indies is pretty wild.

How has it been working for MLW?

MLW has honestly been my favorite place to work for right now. It kind of reminds me of my first year at NXT. When I got to NXT, Hunter [Triple H] really got me. They gave me the opportunity to host Halloween Havoc and really let me be me and my character and really understood me. MLW really understands the “Ballsy Badass.” I came in and every creative thing they have given me, they totally get my character. From promos to giving me my “Graveyard Shift” talking segment. Just letting me be myself and understanding my character. MLW gets me. It’s a breath of fresh air to be somewhere where someone enjoys your character and appreciates what I bring to the table and highlights it.

MLW has the “Symphony of Horrors” special coming up where you’re facing Brittini Brooks. What was it like facing her?

She is a star in the making. She is so cool. I’m excited for everyone to see us wrestle because she is going to do big things. To have a match with her while she is coming up is really awesome.

You mentioned doing things like the “Graveyard Shift” in MLW. How is it for you to have this creative outlet where you can really dig into your horror movie inspiration?

Halloween Havoc was always my favorite part of being with WWE. For me, my first year signing with them to give me Halloween Havoc to host was a dream come true. Coming back to the indies, I had to do something of that nature. I feel like this entire month has been me hosting every cool Halloween indie promotion and then getting my own show with GCW (Game Changer Wrestling) this weekend in House of Horrors. I brought back the “Spin the Wheel,” and we’re doing all the craziest matches. GCW gets a little more wild, bloody and violent than you would see on WWE TV. I’m in my element right now for sure.

WWE

Where did your interest in the horror genre come from?

My dad always had horror movies playing on the TV and always terrified me. I was always really scared of them, but I liked being scared. So, it was my dad playing horror movies. He would take me to Blockbuster every weekend, and I would just choose movies based on what the cover looked like. I would always choose the scariest looking cover, and just watching it, yeah, that’s how it started. Now I’m a huge horror fanatic.

Outside of wrestling, you and Scarlett ventured into the paranormal investigating space with your show Chamber of Horrors. Would you say there is a crossover between the two fan bases?

It’s funny because I feel like wrestling fans and horror fans cross a lot. They just go hand-in-hand. I think it’s the violence and the kind of outrageousness of horror and wrestling that go together. Also, the paranormal, any time I do meet-and-greets people always bring up Scarlett and I’s Chamber of Horrors. I think that’s so cool. It’s just a fun and creative outlet away from wrestling. Just the paranormal world and spirit realm really interests me. Like what happens after life? Do ghosts really exist?

I’m surprised we haven’t seen you on Ghost Adventures yet.

Me and Scarlett have talked to Zak [Bagans] before. He has actually been really cool and supportive. I’m hoping he brings us on his show one day. He opened up his Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, and he let us have it for the night. He didn’t charge us and just opened it up to us. He let us do a full investigation in his museum. It was one of the scariest episodes we’d ever done. We brought Rey Mysterio with us. He was freaked out. I just want to talk to Zak and see if we can collaborate some time.

You’ve also been busy working conventions. What have been some of your bucket list meetings at these?

I used to be a horror convention nerd. I used to go to all of them in California when I lived there, even before I wrestled. To now be a guest at horror conventions is crazy, and be alongside people I’m obsessed with. Elvira, every time she is at a horror convention, I always go to meet her and see her. It’s cool now because she has hosted Halloween Havoc. For me to go and see her and be like, “I’m a huge fan. Also, I also hosted Halloween Havoc. I don’t know if you remember doing that back.” It’s cool to have that connection with my horror goddess.

What was her reaction when you showed her you dressed as her?

She thought it was so cool and just called me beautiful. We just totally vibe. That was a moment for me.

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Your husband [Jesús Alfaro] looks to be supportive of your career. I love the story of how you two got married in Vegas in the spur of the moment and then you wrestled on a WWE show that same night in your wedding dress. How would you describe your relationship?

My husband is my rock. He is also an even bigger wrestling fan than I am. I think that’s why we are so together. I’m a huge theme park nerd. I love the parks. I love Disney and Universal, and he is an architect for them. So, our interests just meld together so well. He is my number one supporter. He comes to any shows he can, runs my merch table. It was fun for both of us to have that moment where we got married and he watched me wrestle in my wedding dress. The WWE live event was kind of like my reception. Then we got to party with all my co-workers in Vegas. It was perfect, spur of the moment good time. We weren’t stressed about it at all. We didn’t really plan anything. We just kind of showed up in Vegas and booked the little white wedding chapel. It was just a good time.

You recently spoke about how you two were looking at adopting during Saraya’s “Rulebreakers” podcast. What’s been the response since?

I’ve actually had a lot of fans come up to me at my meet-and-greets and tell me how cool it is or open up about their stories about adoption. They would give me information about agencies. It’s really cool. It has opened up this community who know about adoption, have been adopted, and tell me their stories. I’m really excited for the journey. I don’t know what’s to come or don’t even know what the process will be really, but I’m excited for it.

Where are you in the process?

I haven’t really planned it out too much. We’re just kind of going with the flow and seeing what happens. I would love to. If it happens sooner than expected, we can bring the baby on the road. I think it’s a fun thing. Maybe it will give my child some awesome experiences. We’re going to figure it out when it happens.

I’m sure seeing colleagues be able to manage both has helped show what is possible.

Yeah. I would see Becky [Lynch] and Seth [Rollins’] kid in catering all the time running through. Seeing all my coworkers bring their kids on the road and seeing how much they have fun just playing in the WWE ring before TV starts. All of them interacting, I think it could be a really cool childhood. I feel like I would have loved that as a kid.

Now that you’ve had this experience on the other side, would you want to go back to WWE at this point?

Right now, I can genuinely say if WWE offered me another contract I’d be like, “call me back in six months.” Ask me again in six months because I’m just having so much fun right now. I feel like I’m growing so much as a performer, an in-ring wrestler and a ring leader. I don’ t want to stop that right now. I’m learning so much about myself. I don’t trust I would be able to do that there. I just want to develop myself and regain all my confidence and just have a good time right now and not rush back.

MLW

Any update if you’ll get your tank back from them?

That’s a good question. I don’t know. I’m hoping they come around to it, but I just don’t know. I would drive to Connecticut to pick it up at the warehouse if I have to. I would rent a U-Haul to get myself and load it up myself. I will pay whatever they want for it. What are they going to do with it? It will just be chilling in the warehouse collecting dust. I’ve been to that warehouse. I know where it’s don’t’ t know what they would need it for. I just want my tank back.

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What are your movie recommendations for people to get in the spirit of the season?

Pumpkinhead is at the top of my list. That’s my number one favorite Halloween time movie. It’s also one of my favorite horror movies ever. I just love Pumpkinhead. He is just the coolest looking monster. Of course he is, because the guy who created the Alien Xenomorph created Pumpkinhead. Hocus Pocus is actually a go-to for me. Trick ‘r Treat is good. I just watch horror movies all month wrong. If we’re talking about fall and Halloween, those are at the top of the list.