Layla Recalls the Creation of Extreme Exposé in ECW, How She Became William Regal’s Manager

During a recent interview with Wombreezy, former WWE Superstar Layla recalled the creation of the team of ECW dancers, Extreme Exposé, which she took part in earlier in her WWE career after winning the Diva Search. According to Layla, her joining Extreme Exposé was because WWE didn’t want her to train in developmental, and it was a way to have her on TV while also training on the road and learning how to work.

Layla also discussed how she became the manager of William Regal. Below are some highlights:

Layla on Why She Joined Extreme Exposé

“So, when I won the Diva Search, I didn’t get to train. So, basically, my contract was you’re already on TV. You don’t go developmental. You don’t pray. You train on the road. We don’t really want you to be a wrestler, but we’re going to put you out there and wrestle. So, I was I was doing trying to do an angle with Miz, Kristal Marshall, and myself. So I end up in a singles match with Kristal Marshall, and it was my first match ever, ever, and he was on it was on Smackdown, and I remember the ref goes go home, and I didn’t know what that meant. Like, I didn’t know what that meant. So I thought, go home was I lay down. So I just laid there and she pinned me and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, oh my god.’ And I felt so bad Kristal didn’t get to do her finisher. So they were like, ‘Okay, what are we going to do with Layla?  She’s not ready to wrestle right. So it’s like, ‘Oh, we got Kelly, and we were going to build a dance group, or what about we just put Layla in there? That way, she can train on the road. She can do the choreography and do the dance on ECW, and we bring an extra girl, and then she can train while on the road.’ So that’s what they did, and it was basically a saving grace for me because otherwise I don’t know what my career would have been like. I think I would have been very injured, or I probably would have been five about a year and a half for sure.”

On How She Became the Manager of William Regal

“Oh my god. I don’t even know how that like, honestly. I was so surprised because William Regal is so prestigious and so respected in the wrestling business, and then there’s just like me. Just like I guess on ECW, you know, fighting Kelly Kelly, whatever. But I think what happened was I think one day we were in England, and Michael Hayes, who was the head writer for Smackdown, and he said to they were in the production meeting before every show, and I think he told Vince, ‘Layla’s from here,’ and Vince goes, ‘No, she’s not!’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, no. Layla’s from here. She’s British,’ and he didn’t believe it. So then they kind of, after a while, once they realized that I was British and stuff like that, then they thought, ‘Oh, Layla,’ and they just kind of just put it together like that. I didn’t even pitch it cuz I, you know, just like that.”

Layla would eventually retire from wrestling after exiting WWE in July 2025. During her career, she became a one-time WWE Women’s Champion and a one-time WWE Divas Champion.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Wombreezy, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.