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Naomi debuted a stunning new look and entrance when she returned from injury on SmackDown during the summer. In an exclusive interview with WWE.com she discusses her inspiration behind the look, her passion for dancing, and much more.
On the movie that inspired the look and feel of her new entrance and character: “It was actually inspired from a movie a lot of people probably don’t even know about. It’s called “The Last Dragon.” It’s a movie from the ‘80s. The whole philosophy and concept behind “The Glow” [a mystical force that hero Bruce Leroy must unlock to achieve martial-arts mastery] is pretty much about believing in yourself and being confident, no matter what you go through or experience. The good times and the bad. You always have to believe in yourself and not let your confidence fade.”
On choosing the right materials for her gear: “For me, it all started with the sneakers. The glowing sneakers. It actually took me close to two years to get this entrance on TV. This is something I’ve been thinking of and creating, and it’s slowly been evolving over the past two years. It started with the shoes, but on TV it wasn’t enough. I needed more stuff that glowed so when the lights went out you could actually see me the whole time. So I slowly built it from there. I wanted everything to glow. I want my hair to glow, I want my nails to glow, I want my eyes to glow, I want my lips to glow, you know?”
On how she decided to debut her new entrance on television: “After Team B.A.D. split and the Brand Extension, I got injured and took some time off. Tamina got injured [too] and took some time off. So our team was done, and both of us were off TV. Coming back after being off for several months, I needed to come back with something new, something refreshing, and it was time for me to evolve on my own. That’s what I wanted to come back and do. So I pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed. I talked to Vince [McMahon] about it, and he finally said, “Okay, we’ll let you try this out.” That was nerve-wracking but they loved it! Vince told me great job and he was excited to see it evolve.”
On her passion for dancing and incorporating it into her character: “Dance is universal. I think everyone enjoys dance. You can express yourself through dance; the audience can see through dance that you’re happy and you’re excited. Me being a former dancer makes it second nature to me. It’s something I’m good at, and it’s something people enjoy watching me do, so why not do it? There have been parts of my career where I didn’t dance, and I feel like I’m most entertaining and at my best when I’m just being me. Dance is a part of me.”
What do you think of Naomi’s new entrance and gear? How would you book her in the SmackDown division? Sound off in the comments below.
