AJ Lee Profiled By New York Daily News, Speaks on Her Childhood, Getting Into Wrestling & More

December 2, 2012

AJ Lee NYDailyNews.com has posted an article profiling WWE Diva AJ Lee, real name April Mendez. The following are article highlights:

Before life as a WWE Diva, scraping for cash was the norm. AJ spent a hard-knock childhood eating at food banks and living in cars and motel rooms across the Garden State.

“I didn’t have the easiest time growing up; it’s no secret,” she said. “We were just poor.”

But she grew up watching wrestling on TV, and told her family at age 12 she wanted a career in the ring. And after working the independent circuit in her late teens, she was signed by the WWE at age 21.

Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.

Nick attended New York University and graduated in 2001 with a degree in Drama.

Nick first entered the internet wrestling community back in 2004 when he became the co-host of The Voice of Wrestling Radio Show. From there, Nick made the transition from radio personality to editor when he began working with WrestleZone in 2008.

Nick is a member of two Off-Broadway theatre companies, Another Urban Riff, and the Drama Desk Award winning Godlight Theatre Company. Nick has appeared in over a dozen Off-Broadway plays since he moved to New York City, and has shot several short and feature length films. In 2010, he completed principle photography on a film titled "How to Score Your Life," which also features TNA Knockout ODB.

Inspiration in his life has come from many people including his family, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson, The Beatles, and of course, Lassie.