Question of the day…. Well it’s a question of my life….. Who is Gabby Gilbert?
If you are reading this you are probably asking yourself the same question. Or something more like… What happened to Roxie Cotton? Why did Roxie Cotton retire? Is Gabby Gilbert & Roxie Cotton the same person? I have been asking my self the same things. And the answer is… in the blog lol.
I have been wrestling for ten years. Under a few names, trying to find what works for me. What has worked the best is “Roxie Cotton”. It was fun, catchy, something you could remember. But some remembered it for the wrong reasons. It sounded like the drug Oxycottin. When some friends of mine were helping me come up with a name we didn’t even think of the drug till like two weeks later.
It was funny cause I talk so fast and I’m such a funny, outgoing person that people would always make the joke I must have been on drugs. The real funny thing is that I don’t do drugs, I never have. I never did a single drug in my life. I never had a puff of a cigarette. I had two beers in my life and they were like three months apart. I had four shots in my life and that was for someone’s B-day or someone’s funeral. I had a drink on my 22nd B-day. Yup I said 22nd, not even on my 21st B-day. I just never cared for it. I hated the fact that people would do things when they were drinking and blame it on “I was drunk.” I think that is a cop out. If I was going to do something stupid I didn’t want anything to blame but me lol. Don’t get me wrong, I love going clubbing and out to bars, I have friends that drink & other stuff. I just personally didn’t want to do it. I don’t mind being the designated driver. It’s everyone’s choice and this was mine. So here I am. A Straight Edge and I’m remembered by a drug name.
Now most people know that Roxie Cotton isn’t my real name. lol The funny thing is a lot of people really thought it was my real name. At least part of it. If you don’t know that wrestlers use stage names you must be five years old. Some do use there real names. But if you really think that Undertaker is his real name just stop reading now. Wrestlers have a character which is just an enhanced version of themselves. But after people meet me they are like “Wow, you really are your character.” Like, who else would I be? With that in mind, I was asked before if I ever got signed to a major pro-wrestling company and had to change my name what name would I use? Well, I had a few in mind, cause it depends what character they would have me doing. But the name I mostly had in mind was mine… Gabby Gilbert.
So to answer the question... Who is Gabby Gilbert? Its ME!!! Its your very own real “Roxie Cotton”. Gabrielle is my real name and my whole life I’ve been called Gabby. The way I talk is anyone really shocked? Haha. Gilbert is a family name. I told some friends that I was going to go by my real name and they weren’t happy. I love the name Roxie and a lot of people only know me as Roxie. Its ok, I understand I made my name as “Roxie Cotton” & I will always be remembered as that by some. But this is a new chapter in my life.
I have been wrestling for ten years. My parents have only been to one of my shows. One show in ten years. How crazy is that? What’s even worse is that my Dad always wanted to be a wrestler. So not only am I living my dream but I’m living his. Yet, he still won’t come see me wrestle. It’s like they are a shamed of me. I know my Mom hated the name “Roxie Cotton”. Plus I don’t think that she liked wrestling anyway (most moms don’t!). But she used to go to wrestling shows with my Dad all the time. That’s how my Mom realized she was pregnant with me at a wrestling show. I was a wrestler from the first kick. Get it??? But she did tell me that way before I ever wanted to be a wrestler. Hmm…
Anyway, I recently went to Japan which was one of my biggest dreams in life. And I got there and it was so cool. I had fans calling out my name. Then I got to realize it wasn’t really MY name. I think that’s where it really hit me. I want people to remember MY name. Not some fake name. Even though they were seeing the real me out there, they didn’t know the real me, my name, Gabby Gilbert.
Now everyone don’t be scared, I will still be the same fun, happy, gitty, silly Roxie Cotton you all know and love. Roxie Cotton IS the real Gabby Gilbert. I’m just more focused now. I have so much fun in the ring. But if I want to get to that next level I need to be more serious, focused and all around better. Plus, I have to think about my family. Not only my parents but my boyfriend and his son. I’m kinda a stepmom, so what role model would I be for him? Plus other fans and little girls that look up to me. I don’t want them thinking drugs/alcohol when they think of wresters. It was time for a change.
The time is now. Time to move up and move on. It’s time to shine. What time is it? It’s MY time. Time for Gabby Gilbert.