During a recent interview with The Independent, Bianca Belair commented on her Royal Rumble win, coming into WWE from outside wrestling, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On her Royal Rumble win: “Being the first black woman to win a Royal Rumble match is an honour. I take my platform very seriously and representation is a huge, huge thing. I’m so glad that I can be a part of it – I get to go down in the history books and it is amazing. What I pull from that is that I had no idea that statistic existed until I got backstage when someone pulled me aside and actually told me. I didn’t even realise I was creating history in the process of being unapologetic in who I am in going after my goals. I just want that to be motivation for everyone else out there that you don’t always have to go through the history books to find history. There’s history within your own self and you can create your own… there’s history within your own family. Just by staying true to yourself and going after your own goals and accomplishing them, you are creating history for yourself. I want everyone else to see that and use that as an inspiration.”
On coming into WWE from outside wrestling: “I’m someone who had a unique journey to get to WWE. I didn’t come from [within] the wrestling industry. Sometimes through life, we have plans and things change, and you end up somewhere you’d never thought you’d be, and you realise this is what was meant for you. So my story just shows that the possibilities are endless in life. In NXT with the people who are coming in and just getting started, I was there and was just getting started five years ago. I didn’t know anything, I didn’t know how to do a headlock or a wristlock, and I’m here now. I hope that does inspire the wrestlers down in NXT. I know the positions they’re in and how much of a grind it is, and that you have to fight to get to where you are – the patience of it all. It is possible and it happens, and I’ll tell you this – the journey might be wild and might get tricky with some ups and downs, but when it all comes together, it all makes sense and it’s all worth it. You won’t have any regrets.”
On her motivation: “At this point now. I feel like I’ve learned so much about patience and about focusing on the things that you can control. Your happiness is the most important thing and I say all the time that I just want to be happy. I want to enjoy what I’m doing and don’t want to be frustrated, and angry and bitter with what I’m doing. I always try and find a purpose in what I am doing – even when it comes to wrestling… when I go into a wrestling match I’m trying to find a purpose for why I want to win. Through that, it brings happiness. I think i am just evolving as a person and no matter how old you get, you’re never gonna stop learning. I’m never going to know it all and I’m always thirsty to get better. I want to get in the ring with as many girls as I can, with Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte, Nia Jax – all these women I want to get in the ring with and learn, and keep getting better. Winning the Royal Rumble match, I feel like I am getting started… I haven’t even scratched the surface yet.”
