Thea Trinidad understands that the grief of someone losing a parent isn’t greater or less than any other. Hers just comes with a different reality attached to it and a bond that continues to inspire her.
The former WWE star’s father, Michael, was a telecommunications analyst for Cantor Fitzgerald and died in the 9/11 attacks at the age of 33 while working on the 103rd floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Michael made calls from the tower a little after 9 a.m. — including to his kids — to say goodbye. She was 10 at the time.
Her dad was the person who got her interested in wrestling. Watching Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero at WCW’s Halloween Havoc in 1997 sealed her desire to get into the business. They watched WWE, ECW and WCW together and so much of Trinidad’s WWE and wrestling dream is tied to his memory and the connection they forged.
“If somebody lost a father and they lose them to a heart attack or something, it’s not any less important than how I lost my dad. The only difference is I have to be reminded of it and watch it,” said Trinidad, who is currently wrestling under the name Xelina. “I could literally physically watch my father die every single year. Sometimes you will be watching a movie, and randomly they’ll show a clip of it. You will be watching the news and all of a sudden they’ll show a clip of it or someone on Instagram or Twitter will be trolling about it. It’s insane that this is where we’re at this year.”
