Bianca Belair is about to be the WWE star in 2021.
The Royal Rumble represents a great opportunity for Belair. She starred in last January’s event, registering eight eliminations and is currently a favorite to win this year. If she wins the Rumble, it will put her on a collision course in WrestleMania 37 with Sasha Banks, who is the female champion of SmackDown.
In addition to the potential of a program with Banks, another great opportunity is actively occurring for Belair in his storyline with Bayley, who is one of the best performers in the entire industry.
Belair spoke to Sports illustrated on Wednesday, discussing his program with Bayley, the opportunity to win the Royal Rumble and challenge Sasha Banks on WrestleMania, and your next Chronicle which is set to air on the WWE Network.
Sports illustrated: Every day during the pandemic it feels a little bit like a Wednesday. Today, in fact, is a Wednesday, but this day was so uplifting, especially after hearing the poem read by Amanda Gorman during the presidential inauguration.
Bianca Belair: My husband [Montez Ford] and I, we were watching. I was just broadcasting again on my phone; it was fantastic.
SI: Looking at your career in WWE, there is a lot of optimism for a successful year in 2021. But before we discuss your work, I hoped we could start with a few words about Bayley. She did such a masterful job of completely reinventing herself from “the Hugger” to “the model.” What do you respect most about Bayley’s work and her as a person?
BB: When I arrived at NXT, Bayley was still there. I was there when the first draft happened [in 2016] and people are divided between brands. We came to the Performance Center for that event so that it could be televised. Bayley was not summoned to Crude or Smash. Everyone she worked with at the Performance Center moved Crude or Smash, but it looked like she had been left behind. But she always finds a way to make everything work. It moves forward and adapts, just as it did with the change from “the Hugger” to “the model”. She’s still teaching me lessons just by watching her.
I am very lucky and I am happy to work with Bayley. She’s coming out of this huge, long title reign, and I’m still the new girl on the block. Being on this big stage, learning every step of the way, I couldn’t ask for anyone better to work than Bayley. I admire Bayley a lot. She is a great performer, a great wrestler and always has good fights. It also elevates each person with whom it comes in contact. She doesn’t just go to the ring and gets up. She goes to the table to eat, but also pulls out a chair next to her. That’s where I am now, learning from everything she does.
SI: Bayley is also a skilled storyteller. I liked your appearance on your new talk show last week Smash. Instead of attacking you, like she did with Sasha Banks a few months ago or Asuka before that, she is challenging you on an obstacle course at the Friday night show. There are a few different directions this can take to get to the next point in the story, but what was the most significant part of plotting the story with Bayley?
BB: It was very funny. I didn’t watch wrestling while growing up, so I feel like my perspective is unique. I sailed my own way and I am very grateful to work with someone as creative as Bayley. We want to bring something new, something new and fun to what we’re doing, and it’s easy to play with Bayley. I think it appears on the screen, and we are planning to go further to do magic together.
SI: You are operating in new territory, as you are climbing on the card and becoming one of the signature stars of Smash brand. What helped you to handle the transition with such confidence?
BB: I’ve been an athlete my entire life. I’ve been playing sports since I was five years old. Competition is part of who I am, and I have always wanted the chance to live up to the occasion. My father always taught me to never be afraid of anything, so whenever there is a challenge, I am thrilled to face it and then to overcome it.
When I joined NXT, I was the girl who had no experience. I didn’t come from the indies, so I felt like I was constantly trying to prove myself. I had a journey unlike any other, but I still worked hard to get there. And work has not changed. I have appeared and appeared, and now the opportunity is manifesting. That’s what I’ve been working for.
I’m proving myself all over Smash. I am ready to take any opportunity that arises and make the most of it.
SI: When we talked a month ago, you went into detail about your debut at the Royal Rumble in 2020. Although you didn’t know until that weekend that you would be at Rumble, you had one of the defining performances of the night. The expectations are huge at this year’s Rumble, especially considering the growing desire to see you fight Sasha Banks in WrestleMania 37. What is your mindset when entering this year’s Rumble?
BB: My whole mindset last year was, “You may not know who I’m coming in, but you sure will when I leave.” Many more people know me this year. I’m excited about that. There are many different angles as well. I’m there to win and face Sasha Banks in WrestleMania, but I’m also focused on Bayley. There is also the story of Shayna Baszler – we are both tied for eight eliminations. We will both be trying to eliminate each other. There are so many different elements at play, which really excites me.
SI: You had a lot of fun meeting the WWE audience, and that feeling was matched. Your new Chronicle on the WWE Network, which airs this Sunday, offers viewers a chance to really get to know him as a person and an artist. What can we expect?
BB: I’m excited, but I’m also nervous. I’m practically an open book, so find out exactly who the person behind Bianca Belair is. You enter my childhood, my parents were interviewed, and take a look at my house. There were intimate conversations and moments with my husband, and it’s all about my journey to WWE and what I’m looking to do with this opportunity.
It was filmed for a few weeks and it was almost therapeutic. I was talking for five hours straight and telling memories of my childhood. This brought me even closer to my parents and brought up some very intimate moments. It was strange that the camera was there to capture, but I’m happy that it was there to capture.
SI: Looking to the future, what is the next big goal for you?
BB: I try to focus on what I can control. My next biggest goal is to have a singles match in WrestleMania. I’d love to win the Royal Rumble and face Sasha Banks in WrestleMania. My focus is always on making great fights, that’s what I intend to do every time I enter the ring.
Justin Barrasso can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.