I first discovered GLOW towards the end of season two and quickly became a fan of several characters, including Hollywood, Vine, and Tina Ferrari. When the show moved to a different station for season three, almost the entire cast changed, and Tina was no longer part of it. This was disappointing, but I enjoyed the matches I had on VHS tapes and thought Tina was one of the most amazing ladies of GLOW.
Lisa Moretti, known to us as Tina Ferrari, graduated from USC in 1984 and had cheered for the L.A. Express in the United States Football League. Between jobs, her friend Nadine convinced her to join a boxing gym in Watts, where Mando Guerrero was training young actresses in wrestling. Despite the grueling training, they were invited back and eventually headed to Las Vegas to shoot a pilot for GLOW. Lisa was super nervous for her first wrestling match and felt completely unprepared, but watching the pilot episode, you'd never know. GLOW's mix of quirky characters, fun costumes, and comedy sketches allowed everyone to get creative. Lisa as Tina fit right in alongside Nadine, who became Ashley Cartier.
Matt Cimber named their tag team "T&A" (Tina & Ashley) as a cheeky nod to their most obvious assets. David McLane and most of the original cast stayed at the Riviera Hotel for nine months to finish two seasons of GLOW. Tina roomed with Ashley and reconnected with their friend Annette from cheerleading, who became GLOW’s Jungle Woman. Even without professional training, the ladies of GLOW made their characters memorable, crafting their own rap lyrics and designing their costumes. Tina credits the other performers for making her look good and acknowledges David McLane's continuous support for women's wrestling.
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| Me, Ashley Cartier, Pedro & Tina Ferrari |
In 2017, I had the incredible opportunity to cruise with Tina Ferrari and her partner Ashley Cartier on the Norwegian Dawn, where I learned that after wrestling, Lisa transitioned to running a small pet services business. She found fulfillment in caring for her four-legged clients, providing a safe and loving environment. We had an amazing time in Mexico, Honduras, and Belize, and Tina was every bit the superstar I had hoped she would be. While in Cozumel, she and I raced on waterslides and played in a human-sized hamster wheel, where I inadvertently knocked her over, and she accidentally kicked me in the chest, leaving me with a huge bruise for a few days. It was AWESOME.
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| Tina and I in Costa Maya |
One of the most amazing facts I learned about Lisa that week was that she had been taking singing lessons and became active in regional theatre. She was preparing to take on the role of Velma in a production of Chicago and treated a few of us to an impromptu performance of a full-on belted version of "All That Jazz." If I didn't already love Tina Ferrari during her wrestling days, hearing her sing a random show tune like that was enough to make me a fan all over again.
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