AEW's Zayda Steel Names Wrestlers Who Inspired Her Growing Up - Wrestling Inc.

In the present day, wrestling fans can catch Zayda Steel performing on AEW and Ring of Honor programming. Rewind the clock, though, and they'd see a young Steel glued to her television screen, watching her favorites in WWE.During a recent virtual signing with Captain's Corner, Steel revealed that most of her childhood heroes held either the WWE Divas or Women's Championships. Among their male counterparts, "The Phenom" managed to stand out as well."I loved like AJ Lee. I love, obviously, the Horsewomen. Who didn't love Kelly Kelly, you know? So I loved all the Divas," Steel said. "When it came to the guys, I only liked The Undertaker, the larger-than-life guys to keep my attention, but when I was younger, all the girlies. It was like Undertaker. Boogeyman weirdly played a big part of my childhood, so I have to throw him in there. I don't know what about him, but Boogeyman, you traumatized me still to this day. I'm traumatized. I'm giving him a shout-out because he did such a great job. I'm a wrestler now, and I'm still traumatized."In August, Steel enjoyed a full-circle moment when she collided with Mercedes Mone, a former member of the Four Horsewomen, in a match on "AEW Collision." "The CEO" went on to defeat "The Real Deal," courtesy of her Statement Maker submission.Mone, alongside Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and Becky Lynch, previously ruled the 2010s and early 2020s of WWE before the former Sasha Banks' departure in 2022. Mone later joined AEW in 2024.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Captain's Corner with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.