Femme Fatales champion Azaelle is finding a new side of her in the darkness. The “Angry Red Woman” nickname is one that she’s earned in the ring. It’s not just because of her hair. When she gets in touch with her dark side, it’s tough for her opponents to overcome.
“I think I’m just letting my intrusive thoughts win and trying to get the darker version of myself,” said Azaelle — Janik Bélanger — in an interview with SlamWrestling.net.
Azaelle defends her title in a four-way match against Zoe Sager, Midianne, and Dani Leo on Saturday, December 14, at the Centre Horizon: Salle Madeleine Fradette Letellier in Quebec City. She won the belt from Nicole Matthews in September, at the 15th anniversary of the promotion.
Bélanger, who works as a telecommunications customer advisor, was introduced to wrestling a bit later than most but has still gained so much from pursuing her dream.
She came into pro wrestling a little later than most. “Unlike most wrestlers, I discovered wrestling when I was 20 years old so I never really looked up to someone. A friend in college was reffing a show and he invited me.”
Since then, wrestling has been a passion for Bélanger.
Pat Laprade, a wrestling commentator and co-promoter of Femmes Fatales, has seen Azaelle’s work first-hand. He spoke highly of both the person and the wrestler.
“Janik is a very determined woman,” began Laprade. “I also like the work and the grind she’s put over the past few years, improving her skills and her wrestling, making her the wrestler she is at the moment. In the ring, Azaelle uses her size and power moves to put away her opponents. The nickname is ‘The Angry Red Woman’ because of her hair color, but also because when she gets angry, she’s seeing red and usually, it’s not good news for her opponent.”
Her opponents this Saturday are sure to get a very real taste of that anger as she looks to retain her Femmes Fatales championship.
Some may see the name ‘Azaelle’ and think they’ve heard that name somewhere before. “I’m a big fan of the Supernatural television series and there’s a demon called Azazel,” Bélanger explained. Brainstorming with one of her first trainers, they came up with Azaelle “so it would be more feminine.”
The unique and imposing eyebrow paint is another unique aspect of her wrestling persona. “I saw people that had scars or shaved lines in their eyebrows and I always liked it but it wasn’t really an option for me. I started doing it with makeup and it’s nice because I can change it with every [outfit] I have,” she said.
For Azaelle, the growth has come in a unique way. She has played the good girl for the vast majority of her career, thought she has found being a heel is coming more naturally than some might expect. Being sick doesn’t stop her, either.
“I really love letting my intrusive thoughts win,” she confessed. “Last show I had a lot of difficulty with my voice, my throat and everything, so talking was out of the picture. There was a guy in the crowd that wouldn’t stop yelling at me and everything, and I had a piece of gum in my mouth, so I just let my intrusive thoughts win, and I spit my gum [at him].”
Darkness prevailed.
The fan in the audience was someone Azaelle knew well, so the heckling was in jest, but it made for a memorable moment.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be a problem, but it’s not usually the kind of thing that I do,” she said. “I really like that part, just being able to answer whatever I want to answer. I can do it like everything that goes through my head. So it’s really that part of being a heel, just letting the darker side of myself come out and being a brat.”
Being a villain is fun, but Bélanger has to work at it. “I’m thinking way more of what I’m doing when I’m a heel than when I’m a face. Because being a face for me is natural, I’m just I’m a people pleaser in real life. So I’m when I’m wrestling, I’m the same people pleaser that I am.”
Her theater degree has aided her in taking on the evil person. Bélanger is used to playing characters and separating herself from the role, a sometimes tricky aspect of wrestling to navigate.
“The challenging part was much more the physical aspect of it but I’ve been putting so much work into that lately that I’m happy about it. I think there’s a reason why everything happened that way and I wouldn’t change it for the world. It was tough but it made me the person I am today and I’m so grateful for that,” she offered.
Wrestlers don’t always need to be inspired by others to be effective heels. That being said, she does have wrestling mentors. “My friend Angie Skye has been my wrestling mom since I’ve started to wrestle. She has been the one helping me find who I am as a wrestler and she makes me look good since she’s my seamstress too!”
As for what the future of her career holds, Azaelle is happy being in the moment.
“My main goal in life was getting in NSPW on the main roster, which is done now. [Now], my main goal is giving to wrestling what wrestling gave to me.”
Tickets for the Femmes Fatales show on Saturday, December 14, can be purchased here.
TOP PHOTO: Azaelle takes in the crowd reaction before a match. Photo by André Beaupré.
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