WWE recently launched its Next In Line (NIL) program in order to help collegiate athletes begin their journeys as prospective WWE Superstars.
Before the program produces its first official graduate, many fans are discussing Bianca Belair, among other examples, as individuals who have hit the ground running in WWE after their collegiate careers. Belair was renowned for her athletic abilities as soon as she joined the company, and they remain a distinct part of her character on TV. Still, she didn’t have a program to kick-start her career in wrestling. Instead, she, like many others, had to forge her own path.
In an interview with Kevin Kellam of Sportskeeda Wrestling, when asked whether she wished she was part of something like the NIL program, “The EST” emphasized that she appreciated the path she followed, but she thinks it’s “amazing” collegiate athletes will have the opportunity to launch their WWE careers directly through the NIL program.
“You know, when I first started in 2016, I used to always say, ‘Man I wish I found this a lot earlier,’ you know, I feel like I got a late start,” said Belair. “But I think my path is unique, and I love the path that I took. I think that if I would have started right after college, I would have never gotten to do CrossFit, I would never gotten to go into powerlifting, which I use, I pull a lot of things from CrossFit and powerlifting, and I use it in the ring. And it even molded me into the person I am, and a lot of that goes into who Bianca Belair is.
“So I love the journey that I had. I do think it’s amazing there’s a lot of collegiate that are getting this opportunity and are getting a head start.”
Belair then expressed her hope that she is an example of a former collegiate athelete who has excelled in WWE. “The EST” noted that these performers have several traits, such as “grit” and perseverance, that are important ingredients to success in WWE.
“And you know, I have to say, being a collegiate athlete, I hope that I’m representation and I’m proof that it can work,” said Belair. “And I’m not the only one in WWE that’s a collegiate athlete that’s being successful. You know, we have that grit, we have, we’re coachable, we know how to work hard. We know how to have downfalls but still be able to bounce back so I’m really excited about this program.”
Time will tell which members of the NIL program will find success; more information about the inaugural class is available here.
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