Despite being one of WWE’s top stars, Bianca Belair admits that stepping into a leadership role in the company wasn’t always easy. In a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri, the former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion reflected on the challenges of moving from a rising star to a veteran presence in the locker room.
When I first came onto the main roster, I was thrown into things very quickly,” Belair recalled. “I won the Royal Rumble, I main-evented WrestleMania. But I was used to being led. I was in the ring with a vet like Sasha [Banks], then Becky [Lynch], then Asuka, then Bayley. I wanted to soak up and absorb as much as I could from them.
That dynamic changed when she became one of WWE’s most decorated superstars.
I remember when I became Raw Women’s Champion, and all of a sudden, I was like, ‘Oh, okay… I’m not in the ring with them anymore. I have to lead now,’” she admitted.
“I got a little uncomfortable because I was so used to feeling safe. I knew we were going to have a great match, and they were leading me. Now, I was in this new role where I’m looked at as the vet, but I still felt like I was learning.
Belair’s evolution extended beyond singles competition. Her time as a tag team wrestler alongside Naomi has helped her grow in new ways.
I’ve learned more in a different way this past year than I’ve learned on the main roster,” she said. “I’ve learned how to be a better partner, how to take the ego out of things, and that it doesn’t always have to be about you for you to accomplish something.
As she prepares for Elimination Chamber and a potential WrestleMania 41 showdown with Rhea Ripley, Belair continues to embrace her role as a leader.
The division needs to evolve. That’s the whole point of all of this,” she said. “And I want to be part of that.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 takes place this Saturday, March 1 from Toronto.
