WWE’s Rosa Mendes Talks First ‘Total Divas’ Season Fears And WrestleMania 31 With Fandango! [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

You may know Rosa Mendes from WWE, but you are about to see a whole different side of her now that she is a part of E! “Total Divas” for the third season of the wrestling inspired series. The WWE Diva sat down with Latin Times, revealing that although she does have a few reservations about watching her personal life unfold on TV for fans, she admits that after watching the third season she learned about herself personally, professionally and spiritually. Rosa gave us some background on her eclectic childhood in Vancouver that combined her practical Czech father, and Latina mom who instilled the importance of dance and music in her. Find out how Rosa got her start wrestling with the WWE, and what’s next for her and her upcoming appearance with Fandango at WrestleMania 31 in March of this year!

Latin Times: You have Czech and Costa Rican roots and grew up in Vancouver, that’s incredibly diverse, what was growing up in your house like?

Rosa Mendes: It was very cool because I got the best of both worlds. Growing up, my father was always listening to Mozart and I like to call him a walking encyclopedia, however my mother, is a loving Latina who loves to cook, and loves to listen to merengue really loud. So as a kid I learned how to dance merengue and salsa from my mother, while my father was always teaching me historical things.

LT: You started your professional career as a model, what prompted your transition from modeling to wrestling and now to being a WWE Diva?

RM: I was always an athlete, I played soccer, basketball, and mainly I was just an athletic tomboy. At first modeling was never really my thing, I looked at fashion magazines, but I didn’t initially love it. Now, I enjoy the artistic part of modeling, not just simply sexy photos, but being on location, traveling the world, and learning new cultures while I’m there. Unfortunately, I just got really bored with modeling, so when I started wrestling it was a whole new adventure.

LT: What was the most difficult aspect of the career change?

RM: When I first began wrestling, I thought I would pick it up quickly, what I didn’t realize was that wrestling is really hard to learn, you never have the same match, and you are never in front of the same crowd, meaning that it’s always different. I have been wrestling for 9 years now and it’s never boring, it’s always surprising so I have definitely found my calling at the WWE.

LT: What are you most excited for in season 3 of “Total Divas?”

RM: I’m still very nervous about my role on E!’s “Total Divas,” but one of the best things about the series is that two of my best friends, (whom Rosa considers her locker room “sisters”) Paige and Fox were also added to the cast. I was so excited about that; the three of us are so close and very adventurous. If there is an issue and something arises, we got to each other right away and talk it out, with us, what you see is what you get. I love the fact that the WWE fans get to see a completely different side of me because my true best friends are also on the show.

LT: And are you nervous about the show airing certain moments?

RM: Absolutely, because even though the cameras are around, things still happen, many embarrassing, awkward and private moments occur with the cameras rolling. In addition, I sometimes forget that the camera is there, and I relax and obviously I am just being myself but then when I watch it back on E! I end up learning a lot about myself. I learned how to NOT act on dates, I never realized how I sounded, and I thought “Wow! Maybe I shouldn’t have said all that, maybe I should have been a touch more mysterious.” So overall I learned a lot from watching myself during the third season.

LT: How have the WWE and “Total Divas” fans been?

RM: The best part about the show is the WWE and “Total Divas” fans reactions. They are so loving, some of the things that I thought they would be turned off by, they have been understanding and compassionate. Fans get that I am a human being, and I go through struggles and success just like everyone else. Now that I know how the fans will react towards me, I am little more relaxed when I start to think about certain moments airing during the season.

LT: Have any of the other Divas, or your parents, given you advice on how to navigate reality TV fame?

RM: My parents raised me to be humble, and people always tell me that even since I started wrestling I have not changed. If anything I have changed for the better, just growing up and becoming a mature woman with life experiences. No matter how much attention comes my way, I never want to change, I want to be grateful every day for everything. I am very spiritual; I thank God everyday for the food on my table, and the roof over my head.

LT: Do you have any WrestleMania scoop for us?

RM: I am looking forward to WrestleMania 31 with Fandango; I am hoping that I will have a mixed tag match with him. I love working with him, he has totally different wrestling skills, and he has been wrestling for 15 years so I learn a lot by being his valet. He is incredibly athletic in the ring, and I look forward to working with him at WrestleMania 31 in March.

Want to learn even more about Rosa? Tune in and watch the third season of "Total Divas" on Sundays at 9/8c on E!