Leva Bates, better known to NXT fans as Blue Pants, recently spoke with the folks at Rolling Stone for an interview. Below are some of the highlights:
On how she got into NXT: “They have a recruiting page online, and I filled it out and they got a hold of me through that. Actually, my first time I did anything with WWE was being a Rosebud. So when they called me for NXT, I assumed it was another Rosebud gig, which I was all for. Then they told me I was going to be on NXT doing a match. That’s kind of how it went down. They actually called me the day of the show, so thank God I was local. I ended up just leaving Universal and going straight there.”
On if she’s surprised she’s become a fan favorite: “It was definitely unexpected. I didn’t expect to be called Blue Pants, I didn’t expect it to catch on like it did. And then when I got called back the second, and even third time, I didn’t expect for the chants to keep happening. Whenever I get those “Blue Pants” chants, it just blows my mind. I think part of it was Carmella though, whenever her character would be disgusted with me, and then I’d come out all excited, the crowd just ate it up. It really was just right place, right time; the stars aligned, and now the sky’s the limit.”
On if she’s worried about becoming a permanent enhancement talent: “Not really. I’m getting a lot more attention now. I’ve gotten more opportunities in wrestling, my fans have increased, a lot of doors have opened for me. I still do a lot of things outside of NXT, and people get that. Some of my fans have actually gotten more upset about that than me. They talk about how I’m not Blue Pants, I’m Leva. But I really don’t mind it. I have a lot of creative ideas, and I don’t think Blue Pants will hinder those ideas, even if they get to know me as her.”
On if she’s sensed any jealousy backstage in regards to her crowd reactions: “No, not at all. I do hear a lot of disbelief that I’m as over as I am, but everyone has been really nice and supportive. One person even told me that I make superstars, or villains, which was really cool. Everyone has been super nice; they even celebrated my birthday the last time I was there. All of that caught me off guard. That was incredibly heartwarming. The thing is, if one person succeeds, it proves that success is possible. Everyone just stays positive there, which is great for me, since I’m a super-positive person.”
On if there’s been talk of her signing a WWE developmental contract: “We’ve talked about doing more house shows in the future, which is a lot of fun. I think I’m kind of creating something new with them. I’m sort of a free-agent regular. I can do my things, but also appear on their shows. If they do offer me something though, that would be awesome. If they don’t, that’s still great, because I get to live my dream. I get to work with WWE. That’s always been a dream of mine. I’m just looking at everything positively. You have to enjoy the moment. I could be sitting here concerned about if they’re going to be offering me a contract or not. Instead, I’m enjoying every time they’re calling me. I can say I’ve won a WWE match now! I can cross that off my bucket list. I got to wrestle the NXT champion! I got be on Raw! Cross all that off my bucket list. Instead of worrying what comes next, you have to enjoy what you’ve accomplished so far. I think so many people, especially wrestling fans, are concerned about what comes next. I don’t know what’s going to happen, I just ride the moment. You never know when it’s going to end. I’ve had an awesome ride.”
Check out the complete interview at RollingStone.com.
