It was a rainy September day as Hazel sat in the diner where she worked. It was a slow day as the customers trickled in like the rain outside. Hazel sat in the booth she was cleaning for a small break before the lunch rush. She looked out the window and watched the water drops slide down. "How did I end up here?" Hazel said to herself with a heavy sigh. Two years ago Hazel was a budding star in upcoming women's division for WWE's NXT brand, now she sits in a 50's style diner as dressed in a poodle skirt and saddle shoes. Let me take you back to where it all started just three years ago.
Hazel Parks was a small town girl with big dreams. She had always been a huge fan of WWE and other wrestling franchises. She grew up watching with her brother Bobby and her father. She and Bobby had always played out their fantasies of becoming the very first Mix Match Tag Team Champions. When Hazel turned 18, she and Bobby decided to go for their dreams. They packed up their lives, kissed their parents goodbye and took off for Tampa Florida.
"BOBBY! HURRY UP WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" Hazel yelled as she walked down the hallway of their apartment. "Chill out… We still have an hour and it's a 15 minute drive to the performance center" Bobby said while rolling his eyes as he emerged from the bathroom. "This is huge Bobby! I just don't want to be late. This is our shot, we've worked so hard to get this far and we both finally have a chance." Hazel said with butterflies in her stomach. The two siblings were attending open try outs for the WWE.
Hazel and Bobby arrived at the performance center early in hopes to see some of the WWE superstars practicing. They took seats with other hopefuls around the ring in the center of the room, to their dismay it was empty. Roughly 20 minutes later some of the NXT trainers arrived in the ring. Hazel's was start struck. In front of her stood two men she'd idolized for years, Matt Bloom and Michael Hickenbottom. Bobby looked at her, with star struck eyes himself, "I can not believe we're here, that this is real". Hazel looked at him with watery eyes and nodded in agreement.
"Okay everyone settle down, we've got a few things to discuss and then we will get you all the paper work and waivers needed to begin try outs." Mr. Bloom said. "First, we want you all to know how grateful we are to see we have had so many of you show up." Hickenbottom explained. "But we want you to know this will not be easy, chances are most of you won't show back up tomorrow" He finished. Multiple trainers passed out the paper work and when everyone had it completed they were split into groups.
Hazel was put into a group of other women to be put through numerous tests. They were weighed, measured and then sent to another area of the center. "Alright Ladies, I am Sara Amato and I will be helping you out over the next few days. Like Shawn told you out there, this will not be easy but I have faith in you." Sara Amato was the NXT Assistant coach and in charge of the female talent. Hazel sat quietly, palms sweating, as she waited to be matched up with her try out partner. She was paired with a very pretty blonde named Lacey. "Are you as nervous as I am?" Lacey asked as the girls waited for their next instructions. " Times 200" Hazel replied.
Over the course of the next 2 days Hazel and Bobby were put to the test both physically and mentally. The final day of tryouts was coming to a close and the siblings were finally brought back together around the ring for the announcements of who would be chosen as the next class to enter the NXT ring. They looked up into the ring and saw Paul "Triple H" Levesque. There stood Hazel and Bobby's two favorite WWE superstars, Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Although they had met Shawn on day one of try outs, seeing him in the ring with his former tag partner made it even more intense for them.
"Hello Ladies and Gents!" Paul said as he walked around the squared circle. "These trainers have told me that we have one hell of a bunch of recruits on our hands this year. Based on the footage I've seen, I'd have to agree." Hazel and Bobby sat squeezing each other's hand nervously. "I want to thank you all for coming out and giving this your all. We had room to take 10 of you this year. I have the list in my hand it and it will be posted outside the door within the hour." Matt Bloom said while holding a sheet of gold color paper. The trainers exited the ring area, leaving the hopeful recruits to wait a little longer before posting the list.
The recruits gathered outside the doors to the gym as Sara Amato hung the list. " You look, I can't" Hazel said to Bobby as she covered her face, hands shaking. Bobby walked up the list and slid his finger down searching for their names. They were there, at the bottom of the list, Hazel Parks and Bobby Parks. They did it. They made it to WWE NXT. Over the course of the next year they would be put through training session after training session. It was finally time, time for them to both make their NXT debut. It wasn't as the tag team they had always dreamed of but as single competitors. Bobby took the ring with his first opponent, a guy named Trevor Mann also known in the ring as Richochet. Bobby came out victorious and the crowd loved his gimmick. He was going by the ring name Bobby Roode.
Hazel had a brief celebration with her brother before her match. She was set to debut against another female superstar that was being called up to the main roster, Candice LeRae. Hazel had dominated most of the match but Candice was declared the winner by disqualification after being attacked by Bianca Belair. Hazel returned the backstage area and was congratulated by everyone for a very good debut match. As time went on Hazel became a contender for the NXT women's championship. Her brother Bobby soared through men's division and found himself ready for the main roster after just a few short months.
"Yeah, I'll tell her. Thanks mom, Love you too" Bobby had just gotten a phone call from home when Hazel came in the door of their apartment after a work out session. "Was that mom?" Hazel questioned as she grabbed some oj from the fridge. "Yeah. Haze, sit down" Bobby said as he tried to find the words he was about to tell his little sister. "Bobby what's going on?" She said with hesitation. "It's Maddie, There was an accident sis. She didn't make it." Hazel sat in disbelief of what she had just heard. Maddie was Hazel's best friend. They grew up together and were inseparable from the time they were 3. Maddie was just in Tampa for a visit 2 weeks before and they spoke on the phone everyday. "What kind of accident Bobby?" She nervously questioned. Bobby took a deep breath, "Joey." That was all he had to say.
Rage filled Hazel's eyes. Joey was her best friends abusive boyfriend. She had pleaded Maddie to stay in Tampa with her and Bobby and not go home to Joey. Maddie didn't of course because all she knew was their small home town in Wisconsin. Hazel and Bobby had time approved to go home for the funeral. While home, Hazel spent some time with a few other old friends. She showed up at Maddie's funeral drunk and high on oxy. She hurt from the loss of her friend and blamed herself because she couldn't get her to stay in Tampa and start over with her.
Bobby noticed that Hazel was a little off during the funeral service but he didn't push anything, knowing how upset she was. He didn't want to make things worse. He figured she'd sleep it off like she had done in high school and be fine once they got back to Tampa and back to work. The next day they boarded a flight back Tampa for that weeks NXT taping. Hazel hid the fact that once she got home she kept popping pills, any pills she could get her hands on. She had finally earned a match for the NXT women's championship and the stress of the situation had gotten to her.
Hazel's match was set for NXT take over New Orleans. Just 2 days before wrestling's biggest event, Wrestlemania. New Orleans, one of America's biggest party towns. Hazel showed up at the venue that day with glassy eyes but told everyone she had slept much due to the excitement. They all bought it. Bobby joined her backstage that night along with their parents. This was a huge weekend for their family between Hazel's championship match and the match Bobby was set to have for the United States Championship on the grand stage at Wrestlemania. The time came for Hazel's match. She wasn't in gorilla where she was supposed to. Bobby ran to the locker room and no one had seen her. He frantically searched for her. He found an unlocked office, as he opened the door he recognized Hazel's wrestling boots sticking out from under the desk.
"HAZEL, NO" Bobby screamed. Another NXT superstar heard him scream and ran in. "Bobby what's going on?" He asked. "Johnny, go get help please. Get Paul, get an EMT. She's not breathing" He cried. Johnny took off out the door. Just as Paul and the EMT's ran in Bobby found an empty bottle on in his sister's hand. "Bobby come one, I'll take that. You go get your parents and head for the hospital" Paul said reaching for the bottle as the EMT's began CPR to revive Hazel.
"Mom, Bobby?" Hazel asked groggily as she came to in the hospital room. Tears filled her mother's eyes as her brother stared at her with a cold stare. "What the hell were you thinking Hazel?" Bobby chastised. "You had 4 different drugs in your system. I let it go when we were back home because I knew you were hurting after Maddie but you just blew your career." He said while shaking his head. Tears formed in Hazel's eyes. She knew she had let down her biggest supporter. "Bobby, I" She started to talk when she was cut off. "Save it. I'm tired of it. All through school you battled with this shit, why do you think I pushed so hard to get you to go to Tampa in the first place?" and with that Bobby left the room.
A few days later Hazel was set to be discharged from the hospital. She was getting herself ready to go when a nurse came in and said she had visitors. Her worst nightmare became reality when she emerged from the bathroom to find Paul and Stephanie in her hospital room. She held her head, as she could see the looks on her face weren't good. They broke the news that her contract was voided as she broke the zero tolerance drug policy. They wished her the best and offered to help her get the treatment she needed in a top of the line rehabilitation facility. Before they left she asked if she'd ever have a chance at coming back. "Take it one day at a time kid, we'll figure that out when you're well" Paul said as he shut the door behind him. Hazel buried her head in her pillow. Her discharge orders were ready and her mom sat outside waiting to take her home. After 6 months in rehab, it was time for Hazel to go home. She wasn't sure where home would be or if she'd have anyone in her corner.
Hazel walked out of the gates of the rehab facility to find her brother waiting for her beside his car. She embraced him tight and asked, "you don't hate me?" Bobby looked down at his sister, "Hate you? No. Was I was upset? Very. I avoided you for the last 6 months and I'm sorry for that but they said it was best." Hazel understood. "so where are we going?" She asked. "I helped mom set up an apartment for you not far from here. She got you a job at the diner she's been managing the last few months to help you get back on your feet. You start tomorrow." Bobby said as he bucked his seat belt. "My career is over isn't it?" Hazel asked unsure. "Think of this as your opportunity to find yourself again and get back your dream" Bobby said, pulling away.
Hazel snapped out of her walk down memory lane when she heard the bell above the diner door ring. It had been almost 8 months since she had seen anyone from the WWE other than her brother. "I hear this place has the best burgers and shakes around," Hazel looked up to see Matt Bloom making his way to the counter. "So they say," Hazel responded slightly nervous. She jotted down a quick order and handed it off to the kitchen. "You got a few minutes?" Matt asked while looking around the empty diner. "We've been doing some talking at the office lately. We want to offer you a second chance. Mind you, you will be under a microscope. You'll be coming back to developmental and will have to earn your spot back on NXT tv and prove to us that you can do this." Hazel took a deep breath, " I can do this, I can make this work" She answered. With that Matt thanked her for lunch and told her to be expecting a call soon on when she was expected back at the performance center.