After less than a year up on the main roster, Alexa Bliss heads into her very first WrestleMania as the SmackDown Women's Champion. It's been a sudden ascension for 'The Wicked Witch of WWE' who never even wrestled at an NXT TakeOver event, let alone held the brand's title. The moment and the pressure that comes with it isn't lost on Bliss though:
“There is a lot of pressure being the champion. I don’t think a lot of people realize that. When you have a whole locker room against you. I mean our division is amazing. The SmackDown women are constantly dominating. To have that caliber of women try to take what you have, it can be very intimidating. At the same time you have the mentality that you aren’t going down without a fight," Bliss told TV Insider.
At WrestleMania Bliss will certainly have her hands full too, with four opponents currently announced and surprises widely expected. However, there was a time when it didn't seem that Bliss would even make it to this point in her life, battling with eating disorders twice, “It’s something I never really came out with because I never really wanted people to one, judge me; or feel sorry for me. It’s one of those things that I’m really comfortable talking about now, so I wanted to have that moment to show there is somebody who has dealt with it and came out of it for the better. When I was going through it, I didn’t have anybody to really look at and look up to. It became something where I hated myself and hated who I was for my eating disorder. I wanted to be able to say, ‘It happened, and it’s okay. You can always turn your life around and make it something better.’ I never really used it as a crutch. It was more of a stepping stone.”
Bliss has certainly turned her life around and whilst this may be her first WrestleMania, most expect it will be far from her last. In fact, when asked the breakout star even has a future dream opponent in mind, “I would definitely pick Trish Stratus because I have always looked up to her and her work. I would love to have a match with Trish Stratus.”
Comparisons between Bliss and Stratus have been common for quite some time now and the match would certainly create some intrigue, even if it seems currently unlikely. Regardless, Bliss must first tackle her WrestleMania debut as she defends her title this Sunday in Orlando.
