Dawn Marie, a former WWE Diva and original ECW star, openly expressed her longstanding animosity towards Francine during a new interview with SoCal Val on The Velvet Ropes, exclusively featured on WrestlingNews.co. When asked about her experience in the WWE locker room, Dawn Marie shared that while she faced no issues there, her problems with Francine dated back to their time in ECW.
Reflecting on her arrival in WWE, Dawn Marie described the environment as professional but did not shy away from revealing her strong dislike for Francine, saying, “I hate Franny; I would piss on her if she was on fire.” She explained that their conflict began in ECW, where Francine was openly hostile towards her, stating, “She did not want me there.” Dawn Marie contrasted their personalities by noting that some wrestlers love what they do, while others love who they are when they do it—using this to highlight the divide between herself and Francine.
SoCal Val mentioned her own positive encounter with Francine, to which Dawn Marie responded that the difference stems from Val having a platform that Francine could benefit from and not working alongside her directly. Dawn Marie also spoke about Francine’s focus on targeting Tammy Sytch when she first joined ECW, which allowed her to rise quietly. After Sytch’s departure, Francine allegedly attempted to create such a hostile atmosphere for Dawn Marie that she would either leave or be dismissed for misconduct.
Furthermore, Dawn Marie recounted how Francine would refuse to communicate with her directly regarding match discussions, instead speaking through third parties like Lance Storm. She recalled stepping in to protect other women from similar mistreatment in ECW, which forged close friendships and helped her through those tough times. Dawn Marie emphasized that her WWE run was smooth thanks to her upfront nature and the relationships she carried over from ECW.
This long-standing feud has surfaced before, including a notable backstage incident at ECW One Night Stand in June 2005, where both parties accused each other of disrespect. Francine denied these allegations at the time.
Beyond Francine, Dawn Marie discussed other topics in her 82-minute interview, such as her unexpected ECW debut against Tammy Sytch, quitting a Manhattan real estate job to pursue wrestling, influential figures like Jimmy Snuka and George Napolitano, advice from Buddy Landel, mentoring Paige Collett (the Black Dahlia), defending the Divas era, and her current endeavors in content creation, nursing, and crystal energy healing. Fans can follow her on Instagram @ecwdawnmariewwe and X @WWEDawnMarieECW, and check out her OnlyFans. The full interview is available on the WrestlingNewsCo YouTube channel.
Fan Take:
This candid interview sheds light on the intense backstage dynamics that shaped the careers of early female wrestling stars, providing important context for how locker room politics influenced the sport’s evolution. For fighting fans, understanding these personal rivalries and struggles highlights the resilience of women in wrestling and underscores the ongoing need for a more supportive and professional environment within the industry.
Source: wrestlingnews.co
