It was supposed to be one of those storybook romance moments: two lovers in Paris, the shimmering backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, a surprise proposal planned with care, and a lifetime of memories waiting. For Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and Arianna Grace, both rising stars in WWE NXT, the dream became real on December 26, 2024, when they announced their engagement from the City of Lights. But what began as a romantic gesture nearly spiralled into something much darker, a moment of sheer panic, confusion, and fear that felt more horror film than fairy tale.
Stacks had meticulously organized a special evening. Paris held special meaning for Arianna, and he wanted the proposal to be unforgettable. He enlisted the help of a local coordinator, plotted timing, chose the perfect spot, and expected a smooth, magical reveal. From his side, everything was sealed or so he thought.
What he didn’t anticipate was that the manager hired to carry out the surprise would take a wildly unexpected step. On arrival at the designated coordinates, a woman suddenly appeared, blindfolded Arianna, and bundled her away. In that moment, what was meant to be romantic turned terrifying.
“I thought, what if he thought we just paid for some engagement package, but instead we were being kidnapped?” Arianna later confessed. For the blindfolded woman in her arms, the world turned dark, and her imagination raced with the worst-case scenario. Stacks, watching helplessly, was in shock: “I didn’t pay for this package. What is this? This wasn’t the plan.” The panic was real, and the fear immediate.
He says he briefly thought they might truly be getting abducted. Every instinct screamed something was wrong. The urgency, however, had nothing to do with danger; this was supposed to be about catching the Eiffel Tower’s lights shimmering just right. But as heartbeats raced and confusion mounted, the line between love story and nightmare blurred.
Arianna, toes curled, palms sweaty, held onto his hand as the blindfold came off, and suddenly, everything changed. Instead of a dark alley or a scary car, she found herself facing a scene straight out of a romantic film: fireworks bursting softly, a saxophone playing, the gentle plucking of a harp, and the iconic Eiffel Tower glowing behind them. At that instant, the dread dissolved into awe and relief.
Stacks got down on one knee, the moment official. There was champagne, music, though not the song he had asked for (the band mistakenly played a different tune instead of his requested sentimental track), and the kind of magic he’d hoped for. All the terror, all the dread, vanished, replaced by joy and love. Arianna said yes.
Now, nearly a year on, both remain active on NXT: Stacks currently holds the NXT Heritage Cup Championship, wearing his new ring with pride, while Arianna continues her role as on-screen liaison between NXT and TNA Wrestling. The engagement they thought might go horribly wrong turned into a highlight not only in their personal lives but in wrestling lore, proof that sometimes, love stories survive even when they take detours through the unexpected.
