It’s that time of the year again as the road to WrestleMania kicks off officially with the Royal Rumble on Jan. 31. At that event, we will see what has become the annual 30-women Royal Rumble match. One of the favorites to win the rumble this year and earn a shot at a championship at WrestleMania is the EST – Bianca Belair.
Already declared for the match, this will be Belair’s second year entering into the Royal Rumble. She entered the 2020 match at the number two spot, lasted over 35-minutes, and eliminated eight competitors. This ties Shayna Baszler as the most eliminations by a woman in a rumble match.
Belair recently spoke with Sporting News about this very topic along with the importance of representation. The growing star was asked if she feels the pressure knowing that she is a favorite to win the Rumble and go on to the biggest event of the year.
Belair responds, “I don’t feel pressure, because what are you doing in this business if you’re going to crumble underneath it? My motto is to be ready so you don’t ever have to get ready. I love the fact that people want me to win because, listen, I want to win too! Last year I didn’t have time to think about it. I found that I was in it the night before, so I went out there to prove myself and get people to know who I am. That was my goal. I’m trying to figure out how I can top my performance last year. The only way is to win.”
She continues, “There are so many elements heading into this year’s Rumble. I have a back and forth with Bayley and I will probably have her coming at me the entire time. I’ve got Shayna Baszler in there and we’re tied for most elimination in the Rumble with eight, so we’re definitely going to be trying to get the record. And then I have to win to set myself up for WrestleMania.”
If Belair could outlast 30 women and take one of the biggest accomplishments in WWE as her launching pad, she could possibly face Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Title. Having two Black women headlining a major match at WrestleMania would be the ultimate representation in this industry.
“Everything I have approached in WWE I do it looking for a purpose. When I think about a dream match, Sasha Banks would definitely be at the top of my list. And to think about headlining WrestleMania with Sasha Banks, that would be more than just a match. It’s more than having a great match with an effort to tear the house down. Nah, that’s top-level representation that will go down in the history books for multiple reasons. It gives me goosebumps. That would be a dream come true not just for me, but for many people. That would be a very special night, and I can’t even explain what it would mean to me.”
Sporting News confirmed if this were to happen that it would be not just history but Black History.
Belair responds, “Yeah! That’s exactly what that is. I just want it to happen. It’s not just to feed my ego. It would be a part of Black history.”
For the full powerful interview with Belair, you can click here to see the full article. Thank you to Sporting News for this article and the transcriptions.
Do you think Belair and Banks has a spot on this year’s WrestleMania card? Could we be seeing history…no…Black history in 2021? Leave your thoughts below.
