Raw Superstar Maxxine Dupri sat down recently with Ryan Satin on Out of Character. Dupri, formerly know as Sofia Cromwell in NXT, was called up to the main roster and originally places as manager of the Maximum Male Models. Now she is the woman in charge of Alpha Academy.
While talking about her time in NXT and her call up along with being injured, she states – (per Fightful)
“I signed in October 2021 and then I went up in July (2022). I was only on TV for a month or two,” she said about her NXT run. “I fractured my fibula. That happened in May or June. In hindsight, I think that was a really big blessing because I wasn’t doing much in NXT because I was injured. When they were looking at who was going to be Maxxine, that ended up being a positive and allowed me heal. I was in NXT working with Von (Wagner) and (Robert) Stone, which was amazing and so much fun. I obviously wasn’t doing very much because Stone was managing Von, and I was with him, and I would get a few lines, but it was still ‘she’s new, let’s dip our toes in it.’ They started advertising this new character Maxxine was going to join Maximum Male Models. They promoted it for like three weeks, and I didn’t know that whole time, I had no idea.”
She continued, “The week before, they were in Orlando, we all went and watched, they advertised it again and I thought, ‘it has to be someone who is LA Knight’s sister, there’s no way. I’m not ready yet. I’m not healed.’ The next week, the week Maxxine is supposed to debut, I go to sleep on Wednesday and don’t get a text. ‘Okay, it’s not me,’ but I had this weird gut feeling. ‘It’s not me, next opportunity.’ I wake up on Thursday to go to training at 7 AM and I have a text from travel, ‘we need you at SmackDown tomorrow.’ I text the lead writer at NXT, ‘I’m heard I’m needed for SmackDown. Do you know what’s going on?’ I go to skull to watch film, I pulled my coach aside, ‘I got this text, I don’t know what’s going on.’ ‘No stress, they probably want to see you in person or maybe they’re bringing Von up for a dark match.’ Now, it’s 10 AM and I get to meet with the lead writer and he’s like, ‘What’s going on?’ ‘I don’t know, I heard I’m needed for SmackDown.’ ‘Let me check my email. Alright, you’re Maxxine. You’re flying out today.’ My flight is in four hours. I ran home, had to get a spray tan, packed my bag, hit the road, and took off from there.”
She was asked further if she questioned why she was selected to be in the Maxxine Dupri role –
“I didn’t. I think I got lucky and maybe somebody saw something special in me that they thought would work well as Maxxine, I’m not sure, I’m just so thankful for the opportunity.”
Dupri also talks about her training. She states that she is being trained most by Norman Smiley but also works with Dana Brooke and Nikki Cross before Raw.
When talking about what inspired her to want to become a WWE Superstar she gave that credit to Total Divas. Adding to that she says how the show opened the door to many more fans of WWE. She cites Nikki Bella as her favorite.
The full interview can be viewed below –
