Renee Young Recalls WWE Making Her Drop Her Canadian Accent
Despite departing WWE last summer, Renee Young has stayed active in the professional wrestling community. Since starting her podcast, Oral Sessions, Renee has had big wrestling names such as Jon Moxley and CM Punk on as guests.
Speaking on Oral Sessions, Renee revealed that she first began to take an interest in wrestling when she was very young.
"So, I guess I got interested in wrestling probably back in what would've been, I was in fourth grade?" Young said. "'95, I would've been in fourth grade, something like that. I was very much into wrestling at that point. It was Undertaker, Stone Cold, The Rock was coming in. I remember all my friends loving Kane, big Kane fans.
"I think it was a Monday Night RAW in Toronto. I got to go with my dad. He was a concert promoter and he worked all of the arenas in Toronto. So, I got to hang backstage and meeting, Mick Foley and Chyna. I will always remember that so vividly."
In the time since attending her first RAW in the '90s, the WWE landscape has changed drastically. Despite the shifts over the past two decades, Renee says her favorite wrestler has always been a certain bizarre superstar.
"The character I always look back to is Goldust. To me, he's always been my favorite," Young said. "I have a whole different level of respect for what he does now. First of all, in terms of the way he still moves and what he pulls off in the ring is amazing, but the way he truly cares and helps the next generation. I love watching him work with people like that. He just loves wrestling, but my own fandom, Goldust was my absolute favorite."
Growing up in Toronto, Renee had a slight Canadian accent. When she eventually made the jump to the United States to work for WWE, she recalled having to classes to suppress her accent.
"When I first signed to WWE, they made me take classes to get rid of my Canadian accent," Young said. "I'm sure it's more than it is now, but it was very faint and everything. I had to go to Manhattan once a week with this woman and she had to give me words I have to read during the week to make sure that I didn't mispronounce vowels."
As a member of WWE's announce team, Renee's on-screen moments mostly came at pre-show panels and behind the commentary desk. WWE has seen broadcasters make the odd in-ring appearance, infamously evident by Michael Cole's match against Jerry Lawler at WrestleMania 27, but Renee never saw herself lace up for an actual match. She did have on specific angle-related moment, which was rumored to lead to a match, but never materialized into one.
"The only in-ring thing I ever did was when I slapped Mike [The Miz], which I said this in interviews before, I actually missed when I slapped him," Young said. "He just sold it like a champ, because that's The Miz. That's what he does. He's amazing.
"So, I was nervous going out to do that, because I never slapped someone in the face. As an adult, I have not had to strike anybody. So, I was a little bit nervous when I had to it. Everyone's like, 'Just make sure when you clock back, you don't take your eye off your target.' My dumba– clocks back and moves my head back. When I swung, I had no target and missed, but nobody would know. It was close. I grazed him."
Since leaving WWE, Renee has been exceptionally busy. Not only has she released a cook book and a new podcast, but she is also expecting a child. Renee had previously revealed that she was having a girl. On the latest Oral Sessions, Renee updated listeners with how far along she is.
"I'm exactly 17 weeks pregnant today," Young said. "I think the first part of the pregnancy, I had this mental clarity. I'm like, 'I'm not drinking at all. I feel great about that. I felt great about my body.' This week, I'm like, 'What the f–k? I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I am thinking. I need a nap now.'"
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Oral Sessions with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Mehdy Labriny contributed to this article.
Mehdy Labriny contributed to this article.