Former WWE Superstar Shotzi Blackheart says the promotion blocked her from working with TNA despite their working relationship.

Former WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion Shotzi Blackheart recently signed with TNA Wrestling. During her recent appearance on the Generation Of Wrestling Podcast, she was asked how she got in touch with TNA and what led to her signing.

Shotzi Blackheart said she was in conversations with TNA while she was still signed with WWE. The two promotions have an ongoing working partnership, and Blackheart said she “begged” for a crossover after she returned from an injury. However, the Stamford-based company eventually didn’t allow.

After WWE released her last year, Shotzi wanted to spend some time in the indies to regain her confidence. More than a year later, she signed another big contract, saying she came to TNA with the “most confidence and the biggest balls” she ever had in her career.

“I was kind of talking to TNA when I was still signed with WWE. When I had just gotten back from my ACL surgery, I was really hungry to get in the ring, and I was begging WWE to let me have a run with TNA. I was talking to Tommy Dreamer for a little bit, and he was totally down, but for some reason, I wasn’t allowed to,” Shotzi began.

“Then when I got released, I needed like a second to just be on the indies and do me before signing another big contract. After a year and a half of just doing me and gaining my confidence back, I felt like, ‘Okay, this is time for me to get back on TV, me to come to TNA on absolute fire with the most confidence and the biggest balls I have ever had in my career.’ So, I’m really coming to TNA fired up,” the former WWE star said.