WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.359 Hey, everyone. Welcome to the show. I was just 00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:04.839 thinking, you know. Yeah. Imagine a life lived 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:07.780 in the extreme. Oh, yeah. From wrestling in front 00:00:07.780 --> 00:00:10.759 of your family as a kid to battling addiction 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:14.060 under the bright lights of WWE. Right. And then 00:00:14.060 --> 00:00:17.260 finding your way back. Absolutely. That's the 00:00:17.260 --> 00:00:19.760 arena we're stepping into today. A world where 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:22.100 the lines between the personal and professional 00:00:22.100 --> 00:00:25.920 get really blurred. Exactly. We're diving deep 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:30.339 into hell and boots. The autobiography of professional 00:00:30.339 --> 00:00:33.020 wrestler Sarai Jade Bevis. Better known to a 00:00:33.020 --> 00:00:35.899 lot of people as Paige. Exactly. And this isn't 00:00:35.899 --> 00:00:37.960 just a wrestling story, though. Oh, no. It's 00:00:37.960 --> 00:00:40.920 a raw and intensely personal account of a life 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:43.579 lived under extraordinary pressure both in and 00:00:43.579 --> 00:00:45.619 out of the ring. It's like you get a backstage 00:00:45.619 --> 00:00:48.820 pass to a world that most people only see. under 00:00:48.820 --> 00:00:51.420 those bright lights but this one takes you into 00:00:51.420 --> 00:00:53.579 the dressing rooms into the family arguments 00:00:53.579 --> 00:00:56.579 and into some really really really dark moments 00:00:56.579 --> 00:00:59.159 yeah you're right there with her from her unconventional 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:01.960 upbringing in a wrestling obsessed family in 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:05.099 norwich england right through her meteoric rise 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:08.879 to wwe stardom it's quite a ride it is and what 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:12.859 makes this book so compelling is her unflinching 00:01:12.859 --> 00:01:16.700 honesty about the injuries the addictions, and 00:01:16.700 --> 00:01:19.560 the fight to reclaim her life. The book really 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:23.609 gives you a sense of how wrestling was... just 00:01:23.609 --> 00:01:27.090 in her DNA. It wasn't a career choice. It was 00:01:27.090 --> 00:01:29.430 the family business. Totally. Like a birthright. 00:01:29.609 --> 00:01:31.870 Yeah. I mean, you really get those vivid pictures 00:01:31.870 --> 00:01:34.269 of those early days, like crammed in the back 00:01:34.269 --> 00:01:37.129 of the van, surrounded by gear, listening to 00:01:37.129 --> 00:01:39.730 her parents map out the night's matches. And 00:01:39.730 --> 00:01:42.230 you can almost feel that energy of like the local 00:01:42.230 --> 00:01:45.150 corn exchange transforming from a livestock auction 00:01:45.150 --> 00:01:48.849 into this vibrant, sometimes chaotic wrestling 00:01:48.849 --> 00:01:51.250 venue. What stood out to you most about that 00:01:51.250 --> 00:01:53.439 early part of her story? I think for me, it was 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:55.540 that rawness. Like she doesn't romanticize the 00:01:55.540 --> 00:01:57.560 struggle of those early independent shows. You 00:01:57.560 --> 00:01:59.599 get a real sense of the dedication, the hustle, 00:01:59.799 --> 00:02:02.239 the close knit, almost tribal nature of that 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:05.260 wrestling community. And it really grounds the 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:08.500 later fame and fortune in this like really real 00:02:08.500 --> 00:02:11.460 hardworking context. It definitely sets the stage 00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:14.240 for understanding her resilience later on. Oh, 00:02:14.300 --> 00:02:16.879 absolutely. Because that upbringing. You know, 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:19.060 it wasn't glamorous. Right. But it instilled 00:02:19.060 --> 00:02:21.860 this certain toughness. Oh, yeah. This deep understanding 00:02:21.860 --> 00:02:25.219 of the business. Yeah. You know, for better or 00:02:25.219 --> 00:02:27.159 for worse. For better or for worse. And speaking 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:29.919 of resilience, that's another huge takeaway from 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:33.479 Helen Boots. You witness her facing some incredibly 00:02:33.479 --> 00:02:37.219 significant personal challenges, setbacks that 00:02:37.219 --> 00:02:39.340 would have floored many people. For sure. And 00:02:39.340 --> 00:02:41.860 yet she keeps finding a way to get back up, to 00:02:41.860 --> 00:02:44.199 keep fighting. Right. It's genuinely inspiring 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:47.150 to follow that thread through the book. Her journey 00:02:47.150 --> 00:02:50.210 definitely isn't a smooth trajectory. No. You 00:02:50.210 --> 00:02:52.330 know, the book lays bare the immense pressures 00:02:52.330 --> 00:02:54.849 of fame, especially, you know, arriving on this 00:02:54.849 --> 00:02:58.830 global stage of WWE at such a young age. Yeah. 00:02:59.050 --> 00:03:01.789 And you see the intense scrutiny that she was 00:03:01.789 --> 00:03:04.370 under and the battles that she faced, not just 00:03:04.370 --> 00:03:06.629 with her opponents in the ring, but also with 00:03:06.629 --> 00:03:10.039 her own inner demons. And the expectations placed 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:12.800 upon her. Exactly. It makes her eventual return 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:15.020 all the more powerful. Yeah. And you know what 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:17.180 surprised me, given some of the heavier themes? 00:03:17.460 --> 00:03:20.199 Yeah. Was the undercurrent of humor throughout 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:23.699 the book. Yeah. Soraya has this really engaging 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:26.719 way of looking back at even the most difficult 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:30.780 times with a kind of dark wit. Right. It prevents 00:03:30.780 --> 00:03:34.439 the narrative from becoming purely bleak. Yeah. 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:36.759 And actually makes her more relatable. I think 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:39.240 so. Did you find that as well? I did. I think 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:43.080 that that ability to inject humor into challenging 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:46.280 situations. Yeah. It often speaks to a person's 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:48.639 strength and their perspective. Right. Like she's 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:50.800 saying, yeah, that was rough. Right. But I got 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:52.659 through it and I can even find a bit of irony 00:03:52.659 --> 00:03:54.800 in it now. Right. Did that humor ever feel out 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:56.419 of place to you? You know, there were a couple 00:03:56.419 --> 00:03:58.740 of moments where the juxtaposition was stark. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:01.060 Yeah. But overall, I think it served as a really 00:04:01.060 --> 00:04:04.159 effective way to break the tension and keep you 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:07.120 invested. Yeah. It felt authentic to her voice. 00:04:07.419 --> 00:04:09.259 However, and this is one of the things I found 00:04:09.259 --> 00:04:12.180 more difficult about the book, there are definitely 00:04:12.180 --> 00:04:15.659 accounts of exploitation that she endured. And 00:04:15.659 --> 00:04:18.660 those were tough to read. It's a crucial, albeit 00:04:18.660 --> 00:04:21.199 uncomfortable, aspect of her story and potentially, 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:23.639 you know, the broader industry. Yeah. Her willingness. 00:04:24.430 --> 00:04:27.449 to share those experiences as difficult as they 00:04:27.449 --> 00:04:29.810 must have been. You know, it provides a valuable, 00:04:29.889 --> 00:04:32.769 if disturbing, insight into some of the darker 00:04:32.769 --> 00:04:35.370 realities that can exist within this world. Absolutely. 00:04:35.610 --> 00:04:37.670 And it raises important questions about protection 00:04:37.670 --> 00:04:39.550 and accountability. It does. And on a personal 00:04:39.550 --> 00:04:42.009 level, watching her struggle with self -destructive 00:04:42.009 --> 00:04:44.730 patterns at times was frustrating. especially 00:04:44.730 --> 00:04:47.329 knowing the immense talent and potential she 00:04:47.329 --> 00:04:49.410 possessed. Right. You wanted to reach into the 00:04:49.410 --> 00:04:51.750 pages and offer some kind of guidance. That's 00:04:51.750 --> 00:04:53.930 a natural reaction when you become invested in 00:04:53.930 --> 00:04:56.930 someone's story. Yeah. And I think those periods 00:04:56.930 --> 00:04:59.389 of struggle, they often highlight the complexities 00:04:59.389 --> 00:05:01.709 of addiction and the internal battles that people 00:05:01.709 --> 00:05:04.050 face even when they seem to have achieved external 00:05:04.050 --> 00:05:07.329 success. Yeah. And it underscores that recovery 00:05:07.329 --> 00:05:09.550 isn't always a straightforward path. So taking 00:05:09.550 --> 00:05:11.970 everything into account, the captivating family 00:05:11.970 --> 00:05:15.470 story, her incredible resilience, the surprising 00:05:15.470 --> 00:05:18.610 humor alongside the difficult realities, I'd 00:05:18.610 --> 00:05:21.629 give Helen Boots a strong four out of five stars. 00:05:21.889 --> 00:05:24.689 Wow. It's a compelling and unflinching journey 00:05:24.689 --> 00:05:27.269 that offers more than just wrestling anecdotes. 00:05:27.350 --> 00:05:29.769 Right. It's a story about survival and finding 00:05:29.769 --> 00:05:31.990 your way back. It sounds like a book that will 00:05:31.990 --> 00:05:33.930 resonate with you whether or not you're a wrestling 00:05:33.930 --> 00:05:36.290 fan. I think so, too. It's a testament to the 00:05:36.290 --> 00:05:39.290 human spirit and... The power of perseverance. 00:05:39.649 --> 00:05:42.009 If any of what we've discussed has piqued your 00:05:42.009 --> 00:05:44.069 interest. And believe me, we've only scratched 00:05:44.069 --> 00:05:46.990 the surface of what's in this book. You can find 00:05:46.990 --> 00:05:49.170 a link to pick up Helen Boots on Amazon in the 00:05:49.170 --> 00:05:51.370 description below. Yeah. And if you're finding 00:05:51.370 --> 00:05:54.430 value in these deep dives, please hit that like 00:05:54.430 --> 00:05:56.910 and subscribe button so you don't miss out on 00:05:56.910 --> 00:05:59.470 future explorations into fascinating stories 00:05:59.470 --> 00:06:01.709 and ideas. We really appreciate you spending 00:06:01.709 --> 00:06:04.629 your time with us today as we delved into Soraya 00:06:04.629 --> 00:06:07.459 Jade Beavis's powerful autobiography. Thanks 00:06:07.459 --> 00:06:09.220 so much for tuning in. We'd love to hear what 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:11.300 resonated most with you. What was your favorite 00:06:11.300 --> 00:06:13.660 moment or your biggest takeaway from our brief 00:06:13.660 --> 00:06:15.800 discussion today? Share your thoughts in the 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:17.759 comments below. We're always interested to hear 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.639 your perspectives. And please do share this deep 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:22.500 dive with anyone you think might be interested 00:06:22.500 --> 00:06:25.480 in Soraya's incredible journey and the many important 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:29.680 themes explored in Helen Boots. Yeah. Let's keep 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:31.680 the conversation going and see what insights 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:33.100 others have gained from her story.