Sexy Star talks boxing, Rosemary, apology after CCW match in her Miami debut
Sexy Star, who has been a hot-button topic stemming from a AAA Triplemania incident in August, made her South Florida debut by wrestling Lucha Underground standout Ivelisse in the main event of a Coastal Championship Wrestling Cinco de Mayo show at Coyo Taco in Miami-Dade County.
Star and Ivelisse entertained the large crowd outside Coyo Taco with their hard-hitting and fast-paced action.
Respected veteran wrestler The Latina Sensation Mercedes Martinez, who also was on the show, said: "I really enjoyed their match. Very hard-hitting and a lot of back and forth with kicks, strikes, holds and moves. Two female wrestlers I love watching and have respect for. They mesh so well in the ring, and this match showcased their talents. I'll be looking forward to seeing them wrestle each other in the ring again. Maybe we can add myself to the mix. Lol."
Following the solid matchup, Star conducted an interview with me where she discussed her Miami debut, working for CCW, wrestling Ivelisse and her boxing career, which is her primary focus these days. CCW manager Erik Effron translated some of the conversation into English.
In August at AAA Triplemania XXV in Mexico, Star retained the AAA Reina de Reinas title by making Impact Wrestling star Rosemary submit to an amrbar in a four-way with Ayako Hamada and Lady Shani. Afterward, Rosemary claimed Sexy Star purposely injured her. The wrestling community, including some top named wrestlers, criticized Star, vowing not to work a show with her. She lost some bookings and AAA even stripped her of the title.
Later, in an audio interview in October, Rosemary believed Star did not try to intentionally injure her, but she was still upset because she said Star did not check on her after the match nor apologize for the incident/injury (strained bicep and tricep).
In more of the interview I conducted with her after her late-night CCW match, an emotional Star also addressed the controversial Triplemania incident as well as her boxing career and her fans. She said it was not her intent to injure Rosemary, and she did check on her afterward. She apologizes for everything that happened and feels badly about it. Effron continued to translate some of the conversation into English.
Star, 35, hails from Monterrey, Mexico. She debuted in 2006, and since then won the Lucha Underground title, the Lucha Underground Gift of the Gods title and the AAA Reina de Reinas championship (three times). She was ranked No. 9 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the Pro Wresting Illustrated Female 50 in 2016.
In 2016, Star competed against the hard-hitting and physical Martinez on an all women's card at Shimmer 89 in Berwyn, Illinois.
Martinez, who has wrestled 18 years (and counting) throughout the world, said: "I highly enjoyed my match with Sexy Star. It was the first time we have ever met personally and in the ring. We got along very well, and I believe our styles complemented each other to produce a very good match. I have a lot of respect for her and all her accomplishments thus far in wrestling. I wouldn't mind getting in the ring with her again and creating an even better match than what we had our first around."
Star (3-0, under her real name Dulce Garcia) will box again on June 9 in Mexico. Her husband is Mexican pro boxer Jhonny Gonzalez (66-10 ), the WBC Latino super-featherweight champ. The 36-year-old is a former WBO bantamweight champ, WBC featherweight champ and IBO featherweight champ.
Ivelisse, 30, from Ponce, Puerto Rico, is one of the top talents on the current roster of Lucha Underground, which premieres Season 4 on June 13 on El Rey Network. Debuting in 2002, Ivelisse is a former Lucha Underground Trios Champ and a former two-time Shine Champ. She is a current Shine Tag Team champ, teaming with Mercedes Martinez, who was also on the CCW Cinco de Mayo show. A former WWE developmental talent, she ranked No. 7 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the Pro Wresting Illustrated Female 50 in 2014.
More action from the Sexy Star vs. Ivelisse match at CCW
YouTubeSexyStarIvelisseCCWStart
YouTubeSexyStarIvelisseCCWFinish
Martinez, who competed in the WWE Mae Young Classic last year, added: "It wasn't hard for me to keep the respect factor with [Sexy Star]. What happened at AAA Triplemania is unfortunate. In this business, we have to have facts before judging someone and accusing them of something that could’ve been avoided or misunderstood. I only know one side of the story and what I saw on video from that match. It is not my place to go to Sexy Star and bring up what happened as that is her business, and I don't hold any grudges because I don't know what was going through her mind in that match or why things happened they way they happened.
"In the end, she apologized and took her consequences like a professional and kept moving forward. This business is crazy, and I will always have my wrestling sisters back, if it warrants it. I won't hold my tongue either, if I know something wrong has happened, but I don't overstep my boundaries, especially if I don't know the full story.
"So all in all, being on a show with Sexy Star wasn't uncomfortable or anything for me. I am a professional and will always treat wrestlers with respect unless something happens for me to lose that respect toward them. I found Sexy Star to hold the same respect for me as well. We said hello, hugged and asked about each others well being and such. Why would I feel any animosity toward her when nothing was done to me personally to warrant any negativity toward her. I respect and like Sexy Star as a wrestler and a person."
About CCW
CCW, run by Dan Evans and Pablo Marquez, is an established, long-time indie wrestling group in South Florida. The company runs about eight shows a year, drawing roughly 350-700 fans per show, sometimes more if part of a special event (Cinco de Mayo in Wynwood), festival (Our Town in Coral Springs) or sports function (Florida Panthers Pro Wrestling Day at the BB&T Center in Sunrise).
CCW is about second chances, which is why Marquez booked Star for the Cinco de Mayo show.
CCW is attached to the Main Event Training Center, a pro wrestling school in Fort Lauderdale, also run by Evans and Marquez.
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This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Sexy Star talks boxing, Rosemary, apology after CCW match in her Miami debut."