Chelsea Green is one of the most recognisable faces in all of WWE and captivates her audience the moment they hear her entrance music say “Pledge your allegiance”.
Chelsea Green also just so happens to be a fantastic pro wrestler. The moment that bell rings, and you can bet that she’ll be one of, if not the most entertaining, matches on the card. Oh, and she just so happens to be the first ever and longest reigning Women’s United States Champion of all time.
Love for the Nintendo Classics
Ahead of the premiere of Netflix’s documentary series, WWE: Unreal, for its second season airing today, I had the chance to speak with the greatest Canadian of all time, Chelsea Green. Growing up, Chelsea was a big gamer, and still is today.
“Mario Kart 64 was my jam. Living on an island just off Vancouver, our parents didn't really let us sit inside all that much. We were always hiking in the mountains and going to the beach. However, our next-door neighbour had all the gaming systems,” Chelsea recalls.
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“I used to love playing on their N64, whether it was Mario Kart 64, Mario Tennis or Mario Golf, those were the best days playing games with friends. I think I must have spent every day in the summer at my neighbour's house.
“The gaming culture has changed so much now with people playing online, rather than in person and being able to monetise it. Monetising gaming comes with its own pressure of making money, as opposed to playing for fun and being easygoing. But those who stream are amazing, and it’s just a different way to connect.
“Matt [Cardona, husband and fellow professional wrestler], and I still have an N64 in our house, and we love to play that when we get time, and we get competitive. We love playing retro games most of all, and during COVID, we played so many. Nostalgia really works in our house.”
One of my favourite video games to play every single day is WWE 2K25, and this year, we’re getting the latest annual release with WWE 2K26. Intergender matches returned last year, and they will be back in the upcoming game.
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Could We See Matt Cardona in WWE 2K26?
With Chelsea Green already being an established playable character in the series, and with Matt Cardona returning to WWE after a near six-year hiatus, killing it on the indies as the “Deathmatch King”, could we see Chelsea and Matt team up in WWE 2K26 to face the likes of Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch and CM Punk/AJ Lee?
“Ok, so I would absolutely love that,” rejoices Chelsea. “I could see that happening. Matt still has a very similar move-set from his previous stint in WWE as Zach Ryder. So maybe they (the Visual Concepts developers) can alter his character model, his gear and name, but everything else is really the same.
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“I was recently at the 2K studios in California to do my motion capture and some new moves, and one of those moves added to my arsenal was Matt’s ‘Rough Ryder’ finisher. That was exciting. But I don’t know if the developers will be able to get him in the game quickly enough.” For the record, Chelsea was responding to my unfounded hopes for WWE 2K26 and her husband’s inclusion.
As mentioned earlier, season two of WWE: Unreal premieres today on Netflix. In case you didn't know, WWE: Unreal is a series that gives fans a peek behind the curtain, not only with how matches are put together, but it also gives us an insight into the lives of WWE Superstars.
The Reality of WWE: Unreal
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In WWE: Unreal, we get to see how much joy the industry gives the Superstars of the company, but also the physical and emotional strain of performing in front of thousands in attendance and the millions watching at home every week. Some pro wrestling fans love to see what goes on behind the scenes, while others have a more old-school mentality and might prefer secrets being kept under wraps.
“I've always kept the same mentality that pulling back the curtain is going to be great for WWE,” Chelsea explains.
“We have this really strange problem where we sit somewhere in the middle of sports and entertainment. Literally, we’re ‘sports entertainment’. But the sports world doesn't necessarily fully embrace us, and Hollywood doesn't necessarily embrace us.
“I think that pulling back the curtain allows not only the sports world, but also the entertainment world to see how hard we work, how much we travel, how much we put into the full production, how hard the training is, and I think it allows them to respect us a little bit more. So I think there are only positives about WWE: Unreal.
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“Obviously, I hear what the other side of the fanbase is saying, I get that. But I grew up loving Total Divas, and I love reality TV. So, being involved with unscripted TV is an easy choice for me. We need to have that aspect in WWE, one way or another, whether it's pulling back the curtain or not. I always think that we should have some sort of unscripted reality.”
Custom Gear and Future Money in the Bank Winner?
No one in WWE quite makes a grand entrance like Chelsea Green, with all eyes on her as she struts and rants down the aisle. However, Chelsea is known for wearing awesome, customised ring gear, an aspect that helps set her apart from others.
One piece of ring gear that stands out is the one that we saw in season one of WWE: Unreal, with her face all over it. It was also on the night, when she became the first-ever women’s WWE United States Champion at Saturday Night’s Main Event on 15 December 2024, defeating Michin.
For years, fans have been calling for Chelsea to win the ‘Money in the Bank’ ladder match, and if she were to win that illustrious match one day, could we see a custom-made ‘Money in the Bank’ briefcase to cash in on her unfortunate victim to win the WWE Championship of her choosing?
“So, Tiffy [Stratton] has already had the pink briefcase and with her being the ultimate pink Barbie girl, that worked for her. So I would have to create one with my face on it. Like, hello, I’m a raging narcissist. I have to have my face all over it,” Chelsea declares.
Continuing to Break Through the Glass Ceiling
Having watched WWE or WWF, as it was known back in the day, since the late 80s, as a fan, I’ve seen my fair share of good and bad, especially during the ‘Attitude Era’ of women’s wrestling, and the dark ages of ‘Bra and Panties’ matches.
Today, it is rightfully placed alongside the men and in a lot of cases, such as the Triple Threat match on Night Two of WrestleMania 41 in 2025 between Io Sky, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, the women tend to steal the show.
“I think about the ceiling of women’s wrestling all the time. Over the years, we’ve had the ‘Give Divas a Chance’ movement, the Evolution PLE, our first Money in the Bank match, the Royal Rumble and main eventing WrestleMania,” recalls Chelsea.
“I don't feel like there is a ceiling at all. I feel that anything we fight for, we will get it. But sometimes, we still have to fight for it. I’d love there to be a time when we don’t have to fight for it anymore. I don’t want to be considered a ‘women’s wrestler’ but a ‘wrestler’, and I feel we’re on that course.
“Triple H has done an amazing job of making women feel seen, making them feel equal, and worthy of the moment. From the Intercontinental and United Championships, to the first-ever women’s Dumpster Match [another first for Chelsea]. It’s moments like that which solidify our place in history as equal to the men.”
Finding Joy in the Hectic Life of a WWE Superstar
“I have so much joy in being a face of WWE, in terms of media and appearances. I feel so grateful that, after all this time and all this hard work to get to WWE, they trust me to represent the company and speak for them. This is everything I could have ever dreamed of when I first got into wrestling.
“In my personal life, Matt and I just built a new dream home. We’ve moved in, our dogs are happy, our cats are happy. We’re living in the moment of ‘WOW’, this dream job has given us everything we ever wanted.”
Episode one of WWE: Unreal is available to stream on Netflix right now, with each of its following four episodes airing every Tuesday.
Topics: Features, Interview, Netflix, WWE, TV And Film