WWE's reboot of ECW didn't leave many highlights behind, but the presentation of Kevin Thorn and Ariel stood out. Shelly Martinez, as Ariel, debuted in 2006 as an ominous tarot card reader before being partnered with Thorn. Their red-drenched ring entrances suggested a pairing brimming with sexual tension, but Martinez revealed that it was all just acting she and Thorn weren't exactly close backstage.
Speaking to "Ring the Belle" about their on-screen alliance,Martinez said, "Kevin and I often did not get along when we were working together ... I would talk crap to him when he would be like [close] to me. Like, 'Eff you, you a**hole' ... but I didn't realize how sexual [it looked]. I was just doing my thing."
Martinez didn't disclose the circumstances of her beef with Thorn, but she did mention some good moments, like when they both drank absinthe for the first time during an overseas tour.By the time she and Thorn were gone from WWE, they were not on speaking terms, but Martinez said a chance meeting years later helped clear the air.
"Iwas at the Applebee's that we'd always go and eat at, and I remember Kevin was there. And it was awkward. And then he had a private conversation with me, and he told me, 'You know, it wasn't until you were gone, I realized how important you were, and I didn't appreciate you the way Ishould have, and I didn't treat you the way I should have. I'm really sorry about that.' And that meant so much to me."
WWE released Martinez in 2007 after a rumored confrontation with Dave Batista, but she told "Ring the Belle" it was just one of several outbursts she was known for having with colleagues around that time. Martinez later reconciled with Batista as well.
