Fans of WWE Raw Women’s Champion, Bianca Belair, already know she’s the “EST” of the squared circle (that’s strongEST, fastEST, and toughEST). Still, they’ve seen her dominate in yet another field thanks to her recent surprise appearance and subsequent victory at the WBFF Atlantic City ProAm. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the 33-year-old made her posing gear to showcase her rock-solid physique.
“For the past 10 weeks, I have been training for the 2022 WBFF Entertainment Pro Atlantic City ProAm, and this weekend all of that hard work got to play out on stage!” shared Belair (real name: Bianca Blair Crawford), in an emotional Instagram post following the competition on Dec. 3, 2022.
“This journey has taught me so much about myself and how much I have grown and evolved from that little girl in high school and college, who was obsessed with being the best but took it too far and constantly overtrained.” As Belair opened up, she reflected on eating disorders suffered during her youth, and says she found that even the mere mention of the word “diet” was triggering. With all this on her mind, preparing to compete on stage meant slaying some of the demons that had dragged her down in the past.
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“I wanted to push myself, test myself… see if I could commit without taking it too far, see if I had learned to listen to my body, see if I could diet again and have self-control without going off on the deep end,” she shared. “I truly faced my fears with this one. I invested these 10 weeks in relearning myself, and it took me on a self-discovery journey of self-love, commitment, and dedication to myself. It was physically challenging to find time to train consistently between my WWE schedule of being on the road for live events, TV, traveling internationally to Mexico and Saudi Arabia, having historical matches like the Ladder Match, Last Woman Standing Match, and 45 minutes in a War Games match the WEEK BEFORE the competition!”
Despite the bumps, bruises, sweat, and countless hours of travel, Belair never wavered in her commitment to presenting the best version of herself in front of the World Beauty and Fitness Fashion judges.
“It was so hard, but I gave it my all,” says the shining star. “Sometimes, after my matches and shows, I was in the gym late at night getting my workouts in, and constant travel, with meal prep food to stick to my diet… but just as much as it was physically challenging, it was more so mental! I have evolved. I have matured. I do have self-control. I have learned the importance of balance, and I listen to my body now! I have fallen in love with who I have become, and I will forever be grateful for this journey.”
What Did Bianca Belair Win at the WBFF Atlantic City ProAm?
The current WWE Raw Women’s Champion earned her Pro Card, taking home first place in Wellness and second place in Fitness. The Wellness division is a relatively new addition and sits between the Bikini division and the more muscular Fitness grouping.
“One of the things that drew me to WBFF Entertainment is the FASHION aspect, and yes, I strutted on that stage with my rhinestone cane!” glowed the champ. On the night, Belair wore a shimmering red bikini and followed that up with a stunning gold number that she described as paying homage to both Beyonce and the movie “Coming to America,” all emblazoned, of course, with hundreds of rhinestones that she had painstakingly sewn on by hand backstage between matches with and late at night in hotel rooms from town to town.
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How Did Bianca Belair Prepare for the WBFF Atlantic City ProAm?
Anyone familiar with WWE will know that its performers are elite athletes who risk their bodies for our viewing pleasure. They often crank out four to five matches per week. They keep their physiques in television shape while circling the globe. So, preparing for a bodybuilding contest and holding a WWE title simultaneously requires next-level effort. Belair was coached by Nathan Harwood of Domin8 Squad, who has coached athletes toward 61 WBFF World titles.
As for posing, Belair thanked the WBFF’s stage manager, Michelle DesOrmeaux, for her invaluable help and support in this area. Belair, a standout track and field star, trained hard for most of her life, resulting in quads of granite.
Undoubtedly, the WBFF was the perfect fit for Belair, as beauty met brawn, and she could showcase both her sculpted physique and charismatic sense of fashion. Take a look at her recent workout with Sheamus on “The Celtic Warrior Workouts” to see how hard she trains in the gym. Whatever the “EST” decides to put her mind to next, expect her to find success.
Featured image: @biancabelairwwe on Instagram
