She is temperamental in the ring, even a little hot-headed, but funny. She is tough and relentless against her rivals, but noble in combat. Above all, she is a strong and persevering woman who proudly embraces her Latina identity. It's no exaggeration to say that Johnnie Robbie is a fighter like no other. "You're going to have to beat me senseless before I tap out," warns Johnnie Robbie, from Los Angeles. "And I'm going to have fun and laugh at you while you do it, even if you're hurting me." This is the biggest week of the year in the world of wrestling. WrestleMania 42 is taking place in Las Vegas. And Johnnie Robbie is in town as an independent wrestler, giving it all in the ring to pursue his dreams and, why not, try to one day reach the so-called "Super Bowl" of wrestling. Only, for her, everything has been more difficult in life and in the complicated business of wrestling, especially because of her humble origins and the obstacles she has had to overcome, such as homelessness and, more recently, a dangerous neck injury. “They basically told me I shouldn't wrestle again,” the wrestler admits. Johnnie Robbie decided one day not only to watch, but to practice wrestling. When she was very little, Johnnie Robbie watched wrestling with her brothers. One day, as an adult, a friend introduced her to the ring. “I was watching wrestling and I thought that instead of just watching it, I could practice it, because I had already done other sports when I was little and this could be a new option.” Her interest in wrestling began to grow as she understood, with her keen eye, the discipline and everything that surrounds it. Stephanie Vaquer, Liv Morgan, AJ Lee, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair are some of the star wrestlers who will be part of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this Saturday and Sunday. Several of them inspired Johnnie Robbie in his wrestling career.

While those gladiators will be performing before 60,With 1,000 spectators in the Raiders' stadium and millions around the world watching on screens,Johnnie Robbie will be very active in independent events in Las Vegas scheduled around WrestleMania. On Wednesday, she had an event for Pandemonium Pro Wrestling and another for Unapologetic Pro. On Thursday, the San Gabriel Valley native will be on a West Coast Pro card (7 pm) and later on a Marvelous card (10 pm). She will close out the season with appearances at PrideStyle shows on Saturday (9 pm) and Sunday (8 pm). “We independent wrestlers definitely depend on the fans,” Robbie explains about the companies she usually works for, noting that the economy has forced many of them out of business. There's none of the glitz and glamor of giants like WWE or AEW there, although she has appeared in the latter.

Her Magical Moment at Arena Mexico

Johnnie Robbie's orbit is mainly around companies like NJPW (her home), Ring of Honor, Stardom, Pro Wrestling NOAH, Marvelous, Sendai Girls, and the legendary Mexican World Wrestling Council (CMLL), where she has delivered some very good performances.

In fact, she considers fighting in front of 20,000 spectators at Arena Mexico as part of CMLL to be one of her best moments in wrestling. "I was in shock, amazed," she recalls.

Then came the neck injury and the uphill battle, both physically and mentally.

"I had to work really hard to come back. Going to Japan and having my first match was when I realized that something I had worked so hard for had finally come true." That's when, says Johnnie Robbie, she realized that wrestling was her calling, and more importantly, "that everything was going to be okay."

Neck Injury Scare and an Exemplary Return to the Ring

After a very promising start to her wrestling career after learning the discipline at the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) dojo, Johnnie Robbie was poised to become a future star of the sport, especially on the West Coast. Her daring style in the ring, and also her "chicana" attitude, as she calls it, helped her earn a place in the wrestling world.

But Johnnie Robbie injured her neck in 2023. She says the injury occurred during training and it felt like she had broken it. The medical diagnosis was a serious ligament tear. She was forced to rest, uncertain if she would ever return to the ring. It was more than a year of inactivity, during which time the Los Angeles woman limited herself to roller skating. However, she never gave up on wrestling. “Johnnie's story is truly inspiring,” says wrestler Rocky Romero, who works with NJPW and AEW. “After overcoming a difficult injury that could have ended her career, she fought to return and has been able to fight around the world.” The trainer and promoter has also witnessed Johnnie Robbie's hard work, as the Los Angeles fighter has trained under his guidance in Los Angeles.Romero believes she will become a star.

“Her work ethic, perseverance, and talent make her someone with all the tools to become a big star in the wrestling business. She continues to lead by example at the NJPW Academy and is more than ready for the next level.”

Robbie, describing herself as a wrestler, says, “They'll see someone who isn't the tallest, who isn't the strongest, but who isn't willing to back down. That's the way people with our roots are: they teach us to keep pushing no matter the obstacles, whether you were born here or not. It's not an easy balance to maintain in her field, and it often involves very little sleep. The wrestler says she was recently in San Francisco on a Sunday around 7 pm after a show and returned home to Los Angeles at 2 am on Monday. She had to get up at 5:30 am to get ready for her job, which is in an administrative area. "That gives you an idea of ??what sleep schedules are like and a clue as to what traveling is like in this job," says Johnnie Robbie, who points out that she also has to make time to train during the week. She says she tries to do it five or six times a week. But training is more complicated if she's in the middle of traveling for shows. Then there's the nutrition aspect, which isn't easy either. "Many wrestlers struggle because, again, we're constantly on tour. Traveling makes it difficult to prepare food, and many of us have nine-to-five jobs if we haven't signed that big contract yet," she explains, admitting that sometimes the easiest thing is to stop along the way for tacos.

The goal is the big contract, but enjoying the journey

Johnnie Robbie's goal is, obviously, to succeed in wrestling, to be recognized, and to be able to travel more to perform in other countries, especially Japan, where she has had enriching stays. But she humbly explains that the journey to reach that goal—and not just the coveted contract—is part of the charm.

“Obviously, the biggest goal would be to have that big contract, But I'm very happy building my name if that's what I need to do… Latinos, Latinas, we always lead the way. So I'm going to keep doing it until I have to stop,” she says. The mere fact of being in this position is already an achievement for someone who at some point had to deal with homelessness. Having been homeless is something that has made Johnnie Robbie mentally stronger and given him a broader perspective. “I grew up with parents trying to survive in California, trying to be able to live in the United States like everyone else,” she shares."But they're just trying to make ends meet. I'm a product of that." “I am the product of parents who came from parents who had nothing.”

If the poverty of her past didn't stop her, if a dangerous neck injury didn't hold her back either, and she continues to dive from the top rope to satisfy the fans, then perhaps nothing will stop Johnnie Robbie in her fight to reach her goal. Her hunger is limitless.

“Excuse my language, but to hell with it all,” she says about the risks in her profession. “I'd rather do this than anything else in the world.”