MJ Jenkins Reveals What Inspired Her ‘A Whole Lotta Woman’ Character
MJ Jenkins is a whole lotta woman, but the inspiration goes deeper than a wrestling persona.
Jenkins, who was recently released by WWE on April 15, spoke with Gary Cassidy of Sportskeeda about her release and what’s next for her. During the conversation, Jenkins spoke about where the inspiration came from for her catchphrase, and she explained how music played an important role in her life.
“It comes from all the influences around me. Music, I am an avid fan of Beyoncé. Even from Destiny’s Child Era. I always followed her career, her movies and, not for nothing, I love to sing as well!
It’s just been developing as I’ve developed as a woman, as I’ve developed as a performer and a professional. Even on the independent scene, I’ve done AIW, with Girls Night Out, and shows everywhere. I would literally be like, “I want to sing my own entrance”. That was a part of it. Then I added dance moves to it, and then the whole aura of her, she’s just confident, she’s sassy, she’s full of herself but in a good feeling way.”
Her declaration of “I’m a whole lot of woman!” has another tie to Beyoncé, as that was her catchphrase as Foxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember. Jenkins says she found a way to relate to it, and WWE let her have some freedom with creating the entrance but it’s really just an extension of herself.
“It was just taking things that I love – music, I love movies – then morphing them around me. A Whole Lot Of Woman is really just like an extension of who I am. The true person. That’s why it’s so easy to play her because, in instances, it actually is me, you know?
Being there with WWE, I had a lot of creative direction and they gave me a lot of leeway to do what I wanted and we’ve had like showcases where I’ve pitched me singing my entrance and they were like… “Whoa”. They liked the whole entrance, I had the whole red carpet, I had the lights flashing, the music background of dancing moving behind me. It was just that and then, you know, it really is basically an extension of me and my influences. It makes me glow!”
Related: Former NXT Name MJ Jenkins Would Love To Go To AEW, Discusses Friendship With Sonny Kiss