Erica Wiebe Talks About Being Surprised By WWE Tryout

In an article for CBC Sports, Canadian freestyle wrester and Olympic gold medalist Erica Wiebe spoke about her first experience with WWE and being surprised by how hard the “fake wrestling” was. Here are highlights:

On getting the tryout offer from WWE: “Anyone who knows me knows that “joie de vivre” runs deep in my veins. I seek out new adventure, new opportunity, and most importantly, new challenges. So, when the WWE approached me and offered a visit to watch the Mae Young Classic finale in Las Vegas with a follow up stop at the Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., I’m not going to lie, I was immediately intrigued by just about everything that this opportunity would involve.”

On walking the red carpet: “I had never watched a single WWE event before I walked into the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas. The moment I entered the building, I was ushered backstage, walking through private dressing rooms, and getting my makeup done for the red carpet alongside Stephanie McMahon. Ronda Rousey and the cast of G.L.O.W. — Netflix’s series on women’s wrestling — walked the red carpet just before me. Needless to say the media was less interested in a relatively unknown Canadian freestyle wrestler, but the entire event was celebrating a new era in women’s WWE wrestling. This era disrupts previously conceived notions of Divas and embarks on a new voyage in which women are recognized for their athleticism, and diverse notions of femininity are celebrated. Now this is a WWE I could see myself in!”

On approaching her first day in a WWE ring: Two days later, I walked into the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and laced up my shoes for my first foray in professional wrestling. To be honest, I was pretty cocky as I climbed between the ropes. I had dedicated the past 10 years of my life to mastering the craft of freestyle wrestling — how hard could a little fake wrestling be? We started off with some basic tumbling (skills I do every day at wrestling practice) and I felt immediately comfortable. We quickly moved on to the fundamentals of professional wrestling. I was honoured to be working with former wrestler Norman Smiley and a number of the resident wrestlers who have moved to Orlando from all over the world to pursue their WWE dreams. As we worked through various basic skills, I quickly realized that every instinct I had as a freestyle wrestler was counter to what was needed in this ring. As a freestyle wrestler, you need to be low, heavy with your hands, pummeling your opponent, wearing them down, and eventually twisting and torquing their body to your will (at least, that’s my usual modus operandi). In the world of professional wrestling (despite how it may appear on TV) every movement is carefully executed, as you work in sync with your partner’s movements. The intensity comes through your own actions rather than the actions you impose on others.”

On trying a flip-bump: “I was scared. It seemed like such a simple skill but it was something I had never done before, with a group of strangers watching, and all the expectations on me to perform. I asked if there was a mat to try it on first (there was)… I took a deep breath and I kicked myself over. Boom. I landed, no brain rattling this time. I did it.”

On if she would try WWE again: “As for the WWE, everyone there knows I’m committed to Tokyo but they have left the door open for me to try again after the Summer Games. Will it lead to a life in professional wrestling? Only time will answer that question.”