- 注册
- 2002-10-07
- 消息
- 402,183
- 荣誉分数
- 76
- 声望点数
- 0
Erica Wiebe will be delivering earth-shattering slams of a completely different nature if the scouts from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) get their way.
The 27-year-old native of Stittsville became a global wrestling phenom this summer by winning a gold medal at the Rio Olympics in Brazil, capturing the attention of scouts from WWE who are currently working overtime to increase the appeal of women’s professional wrestling in the global brand.
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), is known for producing superstar talents like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker. It took notice of Wiebe’s accomplishment and has been pursuing her to join the global entertainment brand.
“They were there (in Rio) scouting the best athletes in the world,” said Wiebe. “There were so many things happening when I got back from Rio. This was one of the things that was really exciting. I understand the huge cultural phenomena that is the WWE.”
Wiebe would add a massive shot of legitimacy to the WWE Women’s’ division, which it has been pushing in recent years in a bid to build up more female talent. The company is also reportedly in discussions with mixed martial arts superstar Ronda Rousey, who has already made an appearance at the company’s showcase annual event Wrestlemania and happens to be a big professional wrestling fan.
Wiebe, on the other hand, hasn’t been exposed to the world of professional wrestling at all.
“I have an older sister and she was in rhythmic gymnastics. So, WWE was not a thing that we watched at home,” she said. “I’m keeping my options open and thinking about how I can use this and be authentic to who I am.”
Wiebe knows that the on-air scuffles that WWE Superstars get into are scripted and controlled by a team of writers, much like any television drama is. She realizes that those writers could cast her in the role of a villain, forcing her to lash out at other characters on screen.
Surprisingly, she said playing the villain may be the part she would most look forward too.
“I think my biggest fear is that I would actually really like it,” she said. “It’s so interesting and such a humbling offer that I’m just this girl from a small town. I’ve worked so hard. There’s been all of these amazing opportunities that have come out of it. I don’t know what the future holds for me.”
Wiebe said, while she is entertaining the offer from WWE, she still wants to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and try to retain her gold medal.
However she will be taking the trip to visit WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in the coming weeks to continue talking with the company about any opportunities they may have for her. The Performance Centre is where the company’s top athletes train and hone their in-ring skills. It’s also home to the company’s NXT wrestling brand, which is where entry level professional wrestlers get their start with the company before moving onto either of its big weekly TV shows; RAW and Smackdown.
Should she decide to join the company, Wiebe won’t be the first Olympian in WWE history. Kurt Angle skyrocketed in popularity after making his first WWE appearance in 1999. Angle won gold in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Charles Betts, known on TV as Chad Gable, competed in the 2012 Olympics in London. Several others in the WWE have an extensive history in freestyle wrestling, including one of its current top stars, Brock Lesnar.
查看原文...
The 27-year-old native of Stittsville became a global wrestling phenom this summer by winning a gold medal at the Rio Olympics in Brazil, capturing the attention of scouts from WWE who are currently working overtime to increase the appeal of women’s professional wrestling in the global brand.
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), is known for producing superstar talents like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker. It took notice of Wiebe’s accomplishment and has been pursuing her to join the global entertainment brand.
“They were there (in Rio) scouting the best athletes in the world,” said Wiebe. “There were so many things happening when I got back from Rio. This was one of the things that was really exciting. I understand the huge cultural phenomena that is the WWE.”
Wiebe would add a massive shot of legitimacy to the WWE Women’s’ division, which it has been pushing in recent years in a bid to build up more female talent. The company is also reportedly in discussions with mixed martial arts superstar Ronda Rousey, who has already made an appearance at the company’s showcase annual event Wrestlemania and happens to be a big professional wrestling fan.
Wiebe, on the other hand, hasn’t been exposed to the world of professional wrestling at all.
“I have an older sister and she was in rhythmic gymnastics. So, WWE was not a thing that we watched at home,” she said. “I’m keeping my options open and thinking about how I can use this and be authentic to who I am.”
Wiebe knows that the on-air scuffles that WWE Superstars get into are scripted and controlled by a team of writers, much like any television drama is. She realizes that those writers could cast her in the role of a villain, forcing her to lash out at other characters on screen.
Surprisingly, she said playing the villain may be the part she would most look forward too.
“I think my biggest fear is that I would actually really like it,” she said. “It’s so interesting and such a humbling offer that I’m just this girl from a small town. I’ve worked so hard. There’s been all of these amazing opportunities that have come out of it. I don’t know what the future holds for me.”
Wiebe said, while she is entertaining the offer from WWE, she still wants to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and try to retain her gold medal.
However she will be taking the trip to visit WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in the coming weeks to continue talking with the company about any opportunities they may have for her. The Performance Centre is where the company’s top athletes train and hone their in-ring skills. It’s also home to the company’s NXT wrestling brand, which is where entry level professional wrestlers get their start with the company before moving onto either of its big weekly TV shows; RAW and Smackdown.
Should she decide to join the company, Wiebe won’t be the first Olympian in WWE history. Kurt Angle skyrocketed in popularity after making his first WWE appearance in 1999. Angle won gold in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Charles Betts, known on TV as Chad Gable, competed in the 2012 Olympics in London. Several others in the WWE have an extensive history in freestyle wrestling, including one of its current top stars, Brock Lesnar.
查看原文...
