Naomi shares her rocky road to stardom in the WWE.
Starting her main roster career as a member of 'The Funkadactyls' was not the ideal career start for SmackDown Live star Naomi. After breaking out of the "backup dancer" role she aligned herself with "Team B.A.D." along with Sasha Banks & Tamina. In the summer of 2016, Naomi was drafted to the SmackDown Live brand and returned with an entirely new look, entrance and attitude. Naomi is now known for handing out the "glow" to the WWE Universe, and she knew that she wanted to be a part of this profession since the age of 21.
"I actually saw a live show when I was 21, and I thought that it was the coolest thing I?d ever seen. I was amazed by the women at the time. They had a six-girl tag match, and I was just blown away. Right then, I knew that it was something I wanted to try and experience. Then, from there, I got a tryout and I?ve been here ever since." Naomi told Rolling Out.
Along with being the covergirl for the latest edition of Rolling Out magazine, another achievement on Naomi's resume' is that she was able to capture the SmackDown Live Women's Championship in her hometown of Orlando, FL at last year's WrestleMania. Naomi knows very well how the amplified the crowd is during WrestleMania, and she expects nothing less from this upcoming WrestleMania crowd in New Orleans.
"It?s amazing because wrestling is global. No matter where we go in the world, it brings in the same love and response everywhere. It brings in so many different diversities and people from different walks of life. It doesn?t matter if you?re old, young, male, female; so many people who can relate to wrestling because it?s so colorful. There are so many characters and so many stories that people can relate to. Also, it?s entertaining. Being able to travel across the world and meet all the different fans is super rewarding."
In the summer of 2009, Naomi signed her development contract with WWE to their then-developmental brand FCW. The leader of "Glow Nation" would make her debut a month after signing with the company, but would be absent off of FCW TV until the summer of the following year. Even after making her way onto the main roster, TV time still was slim for Naomi, along with her wanting to be an in-ring performer opposed to a vale'. Discouragement and doubt made its way around her mind numerous times, but she persevered and continued to claw her way into WWE's women's division.
"Well, I can tell you it wasn?t real quick." Naomi expressed. "When I first started, I got signed to a developmental contract and I went through the process of learning everything I needed to learn to be a professional wrestler. Even after that, there?s no guarantee that you?ll make it on TV and get offered a professional wrestling contract, so it?s a hustle, definitely a grind. I was in developmental for two years doing local shows in front of 10-50 people in gyms and local facilities. I got my big break with my former partner Cameron and we debuted for Brodus Clay, and that?s how I made my debut almost 2 1/2 years ago.There were times when I got discouraged because I would wonder when I?m going to debut or be on TV. There were some girls who came in for only a few months and got on TV; some people get fired after a couple months, some people stay in developmental for three, four, five, years. I definitely was trying to find my niche. I was trying to figure out how I was going to stand out and set [myself] apart. Being an entertainer and putting that stress on yourself can be hard, but I didn?t give up."
The two-time SmackDown Live Women's Champion lives by the "glow", and she stated that it is not just a catchphrase.
"This isn?t just a gimmick for me, I really live by this phrase. Throughout my career, I really got down on myself and was lacking the positive mindset, but the second I changed that things started to change. The Glow is just about not giving up and finding that light in those dark times. You have to find that light in every situation, it?s always there. I live by that, and I think it translates in my performance, in my entrance, even when I interact with people. I think they get it."
Naomi would also discuss being a successful African-American woman in the wrestling industry, why she believes fans connect to her naturally, and more. To read the rest of Naomi's comments, click here.