Chelsea Green Explains Why She Chose to Pay Homage to Cactus Jack

Chelsea Green went all out for her WWE Women’s United States Championship street fight against Michin on the March 7 episode of SmackDown, not just in the ring, but in her look. Green stepped into Philadelphia fully decked out in Cactus Jack inspired gear—rocking flannel, a custom “Wanted” shirt, and Cactus Chels pants. The tribute was impossible to miss, and it turns out Mick Foley himself was in on it from the start.

Speaking at the Pennzoil 400 Press Conference, Green explained how the idea came together and how she personally reached out to Foley before making the tribute official. “You probably know if you’ve followed my career that one thing that I do is I dive head-first into everything, whether it’s my gear, the character, the storyline, the feud, whatever it is. So I knew going into this street fight that I had to make it special, and I wasn’t sure how,” Green said.

After debating different ideas, she realized that tapping into Foley’s Cactus Jack legacy was the way to go. “I kept playing with the idea of, is it a look? Am I bringing something back that’s nostalgic for the fans? That’s how I landed on Mick Foley. I love Mick Foley. I’ve had a great relationship with him for the past ten years. So I texted him, and I said, ‘How would you feel if, not only I dressed as Cactus Jack, but I also came out with a shirt that was a parody, a play on the shirt that you came out with back in the day?’ He loved it, he was supportive, and I just knew that was the right decision.”

For Green, everything about the tribute made sense, especially given the Philadelphia crowd and the city’s deep ECW and hardcore wrestling ties. “I think he was the perfect person to kind of do that for, and we’re helping each other in a sense as well. I’m reminding people of how amazing he was, and he’s reposting my photos and my shirt. It’s just the best. I do feel like Mick Foley is one of those people, when they say you don’t want to meet your heroes or your idols, that does not exist with Mick Foley. He is just as amazing as you could imagine.”

Green also shared that she constantly thinks about how to keep fans engaged, making her choices based on what would create the biggest impact. “I put myself, and I kind of get in the headspace of, ‘What do the fans want to see?’ The fans don’t care if I come out with specific colors on. Maybe they care if I’m wearing an Eagles jersey in Philly, but that doesn’t resonate with all of WWE. That just resonates with the people in the audience, in Philly, and I’m always trying to think, how do I get the entire WWE Universe talking?”

And it’s not just the fans that matter—she wants her peers to notice too. “Not only that, if I’m backstage and people are stopping me, my coworkers are stopping me and telling me how awesome this outfit is, I did my job. I’m just always trying to get in the mind of fans, but it’s hard, and I’m learning as I go, too. People tell me on Twitter and on social media whether I did something right or wrong. Thank god that was correct [laughs].”

Green backed up her bold look with a win, successfully defending her WWE Women’s United States Championship and adding Alba Fyre to her growing list of conquered challengers. With the victory, she continues to cement her place in history as the longest-reigning and youngest WWE Women’s United States Champion of all time.

Do you think Chelsea Green’s Cactus Jack tribute was a great choice? And should WWE give her even bigger moments with the Women’s U.S. Title? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!