Santana Garrett shares her secrets for helping women in wrestling – Muscle & Fitness

Santana Garrett is a shining light in the rings of WOW (Women of Wrestling) and has seen the larger-than-life body slamming business evolve tremendously since debuting for her father’s wrestling promotion as a newcomer. Now, Garrett not only guest coaches at the WWE Performance Center, but continues to pass on her wisdom to the women of WOW. And this strong woman reassures M&F that despite the ‘old boys club’ attitude displayed by some intimidated male professional wrestlers of the past, there were always household names willing to hone her skills.

Garrett’s journey to life between the turnbuckles took place when she was young and watched in awe as her father said:TNT” Kenny G captivated grapple fans and inspired her to lace up the boots herself. When Garrett made her debut for his High Voltage Wrestling promotion nearly two decades ago, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. “The first time I walked through the curtain, I saw my dad grinning from ear to ear, and then I started crying because he was so proud of me,” she tells M&F. While her father is no longer with us, his courageous daughter continues the family legacy, not only as a wrestler, but also as a valued teacher.

Santana Garrett was the only woman at the wrestling school

As fiery female WWE superstars like Trish Stratus, Lita and Chyna began to make their mark in the new millennium, there was a gradual growth in the number of women daring to join a predominantly male club. “I was the only girl at my wrestling school,” Garrett recalls. “I went to school in St. Louis, Missouri, and I decided to train there. At first they weren’t very accepting of me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a woman, or because my dad was a wrestler and they wanted me to earn it… but they sure did.”

To prove her passion, Garrett threw herself into training, flipping old tractor tires and bumping herself around the mat like a rag doll. Still, as she progressed, the young upstart found mentors like Sean “X-Pac” Waltman and Scott “Razor Ramon” Hall, two of the biggest names of the Monday Night Wars era. While training at the Team Vision Dojo in Florida, Garrett learned from the best. “I’ve had to do matches with them over the years, whether they were in charge of me or in an intergender tag match, and they made me the first lady of the WolfPac,” Garrett says. “So you take bits and pieces from every person you meet.”

Garrett’s ability to absorb the wisdom given to her was put to good use when she became the 2015 NWA Women’s World Champion. Her run with that title included a successful defense in Japan, marking the first time the belt had been defended there in 36 years. TNA (Total Nonstop Action) Wrestling fans will remember Garrett’s run under the name Brittany, while WWE fans will remember her time toiling in NXT. She also entered the 2021 Royal Rumble at number twelve. However, since 2013, WOW – Women of Wrestling – has been an enduring part of Garett’s crushing career, where she has held the WOW Tag Team Championship and even reached the top of the mountain with the WOW World Championship in 2016.

Santana Garrett continues to make professional wrestling history

In October 2025, Garrett was part of the first professional wrestling card ever staged on Fremont Street in Las Vegas. Now, not only is she a mat technician, she’s also a valued mentor, passing on the same wisdom that industry icons gave her. And as a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center, the pioneer is excited about the future of women’s wrestling and sees only the positives of future superstars being plucked from a variety of environments, from small unknown wrestling outfits to celebrated college athletes from other fields. “This is one of the things I like most about WOW,” she explains. “We have independent wrestlers who have been grinding since the beginning of time. We have models, we have actresses, we have stuntwomen. I love that they come from all walks of life, all shapes and sizes are represented, and I’m happy about it. You know, if someone wants to wrestle, it doesn’t matter that they haven’t done it all their life, that they haven’t had this dream, this passion all their life like I have, because it’s something that they can develop. And the fans will decide whether they want to do it whether we have it or not, but I think everyone deserves a chance.

Just don’t try these moves at home!

To watch Santana Garrett teach the girls of WOW a lesson they won’t soon forget, you can stream all the action on Pluto TV, or via the WOW Superheroes official YouTube channel.

To follow Santana Garett on Instagram, click here.