Bianca Belair. While we typically journey into a WWE superstar’s past before they come to the promotion, this week’s reflection is slightly different. Bianca Nicole Blair has proudly turned the WWE on its ear.
Unapologetically strong and confident, Belair’s journey into professional wrestling began when she entered her information into the database of the WWE Performance Center, but that came after being tired and feeling complacent.
Bianca Belair – The Pursuit for Something Greater
“I was just settling and trying to live the life I felt was the hand I was dealt. I thought there would be something bigger, but this is what it is”.
– ESPN.com
As a sales representative in Atlanta, Georgia, Belair wanted more, and in doing the show, she looked into different options. A track star from the University of Tennessee, Belair was capable of so much more physically.
Her athletic prowess was evident. After completing college, Belair also joined the Crossfit craze that swept a nation a few years ago, but an injury prevented that from becoming more.
“I have shifting rib syndrome (formerly known as intercostal chondritis). There is no treatment; there’s no surgery; there’s nothing really you can do for it.
I went to a million doctors and chiropractors, and nobody could tell me what was wrong. I was really defeated”.
With some, an obstacle such as this could set someone back. When you are an elite athlete, the caliber of Bianca Belair, it was crushing. What were her options? The answer was simply – anything she put her mind towards.
She recalls having to overcome this obstacle and sharing that she wanted to become a wrestler. Unlike some whose passion for wrestling began as childhood fans, Belair’s was different.
Her interest came about through her brother’s love of wrestling. What was remarkable was something as simple as just entering her information into a database of sorts led to an incredible message a week later.
The Message from Mark Henry
She received a message from WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry asking her if she’d be interested in trying out. Belair excelled at the WWE Performance Centre’s combine with no wrestling background but a strong athletic background.
It is a test of one’s physical, mental, and internal drive to succeed. After strong performances, she eventually signed with the promotion. Her nickname ‘The EST of NXT’ is tied into what she boasts about being.
The fastEST, strongEST, quickEST, roughEST, and toughEST may have won the combine but hadn’t completed it yet. But that would all soon change.
Upon her own reflection, the athlete Belair was accustomed to having an endpoint. The former track athlete would have a finish line as her main goal. The goal was to get to the finish line before anyone else.
Now it wasn’t about getting to the finish line as the hurdles of competing, putting on a convincing match, selling your offense, and showing your skills were all vital.
“Every single day, I’m here to prove [Mark] right and show him that what he saw in me is there…It’s been a challenge, but I’m extremely grateful to be here and am excited for what’s to come.”
Bianca Belair Comes To The Mae Young Classic
After competing in the inaugural Mae Young Classic, Bianca Belair has risen through the ranks of NXT. She went on an undefeated streak to start her career. After an undefeated streak that went over a year, she finally lost a match.
Her loss, however, came at the hands of Shayna Baszler and for the NXT Women’s Championship. Even as she was falling victim to Baszler, fans could see there was no quit in her eyes. With that loss, it seemed as though Belair underwent a bit of a new direction for her career.
She wasn’t an outright heel but wasn’t necessarily a face, either. As a tweener, Belair worked alongside the likes of Io Shirai and Kairi Sane, but that was short-lived.
Belair didn’t seem right to work alongside them as her aspirations were for professional growth and not personal friendships.
She ultimately needed to recapture what made her the EST of NXT. After a short time together, Belair ultimately faced Baszler once again for the NXT Women’s Championship. She once again was unsuccessful in capturing the championship.
Feuds
After some time, Bianca Belair feuded with NXT newcomer Mia Yim. The two would ultimately battle for bragging rights between them. It became all about who was better than who.
After exchanging losses to one another, the two-faced each other as part of a fatal four-way to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women’s Championship.
Belair would eventually challenge NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley for the title despite not winning the match. Today, Belair’s quest for the finish line is far from met.
She quickly sees that her quest is less of a sprint and more of a marathon. While the parallels between track and wrestling are similar in that both have hurdles, the end goal has yet to be reached.
This doesn’t appear to be an issue for Belair. She is earning opportunity after opportunity. With each match comes a new opportunity to show her worth. A current feud involving herself and Charlotte Flair, along with Rhea Ripley, is also showing her value.
Bianca Belair: Women’s Champion
She has competed for the NXT Women’s Championship, competed as part of NXT TakeOver events, and been a part of NXT’s Survivor Series team.
Belair continues to make herself heard and relevant. With an athletic background as the foundation of everything she does, Belair is genuinely remarkable.
There is no reason to think she won’t continue to succeed with a character that is unapologetically proud of who she is. Bianca Belair continues to grow as a must-watch talent. Her risks in the ring are as calculated as her confidence on the mic.
She doesn’t pull punches and doesn’t back down. Her confidence is another reflection of why she is what she says she is: the EST of the WWE.
As a multi-time champion now as part of either the Raw or Smackdown roster, Bianca Belair has proven that hard work, commitment, and determination were the intangibles that have made her as successful as she has been and will likely continue to be.
All quotes courtesy of Sean Hurd and ESPN.com
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