JCW’s Paige Collett Admits She Never Grew Up a Wrestling Fan Before Becoming “The Ring Rat”

Paige Collett, better known to wrestling fans as The Ring Rat, just dropped a detail that flips the usual pro wrestling origin story on its head.

During a recent interview with ParkyStreams, Collett revealed she didn’t grow up watching wrestling, didn’t idolize the industry, and had zero knowledge of the biggest names in the business before stepping into it herself.

In a world where most wrestlers can recite their favorite WrestleMania matches from childhood, Collett says her story is the complete opposite. While explaining how she first got involved in pro wrestling at 18, she made it clear she wasn’t one of those kids glued to the TV every Monday night.

“So, like in the business the majority of people were fans — like I noticed that, like, ‘cause I was just 18 years old when I got involved. I saw that a lot of people were marks for the community or like grew up watching it. Like for example, my caregiver Nathaniel who takes care of me with my CRPS, he's a professional wrestler and he has the exact opposite story of me. Like where I never grew up watching wrestling and I never was a fan and my family — I didn’t come from a household that was of wrestlers.”

That’s not just unusual — it’s almost unheard of in pro wrestling. Collett explained that most wrestlers follow the same pattern: childhood fan, inspired dream, wrestling school, then the grind. That wasn’t her path.

“So that’s the usual story — is you’re a fan, you grow up watching it, you’re inspired, you go to school for it, you become one, right? Me… my story started very, very odd.”

Instead of coming from a wrestling background, Paige entered the business through modeling and acting. She was cast into wrestling without knowing what she was walking into — and she meant that literally.

“I ended up becoming homeless because I chose wrestling. It’s a unique story because I was just this homeless kid that fell in love with the sport that got involved, and at the time I was just a manager. I wasn’t a wrestler yet. And I remember the way I stumbled into it was I was casted because I was a model, an actor. And when I got casted, I knew nothing about the business.”

She admitted she didn’t even understand the backstage language wrestlers were using.

“People were speaking carney and I did not understand obviously a word that they were saying.”

And when it comes to recognizing the biggest power players in wrestling history? She says she wouldn’t have had a clue.

“You could have had Vince McMahon and all the top names in WWE at the time — you could have had them in front of me and I wouldn’t have known who they were.”

For someone who would eventually risk everything for the business — including stability and housing — that admission is staggering. Collett stressed that wrestling was never the childhood dream. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nePD7vwLlw

“Getting involved with wrestling was something I never planned, something I never dreamed of, something I never aspired to be.”

“So when I got involved, I truly fell in love with it and took it seriously.”

That love pushed her beyond simply appearing at indie shows. She wanted a real career — and she approached it like one.

“Being on the indies wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to make a career out of it. And if you want to make a career out of something, you go to college, you do research, you go to schools.”

That mindset would eventually lead her to formal training, major sacrifices, and a journey far more complicated than most wrestling origin stories. Paige Collett didn’t grow up idolizing wrestling rings and championship belts. She walked into the business by accident — and ended up falling in love with it in real time. That alone separates The Ring Rat from most of her peers.

What do you think about Paige Collett admitting she never grew up a wrestling fan? Does that make her journey more interesting — or does it change how you view her in the ring? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.