Valerie Loureda says joining WWE is a dream come true.
On June 29, the Bellator MMA prospect announced that she has officially signed with the company, and she will report to the WWE Performance Center in July.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Loureda personally shared the news of her move to WWE; she was fighting back tears as she described how much it meant to her.
“I have now become the first Cuban-American woman and I am now a WWE Superstar,” said Loureda. “I’m really excited my whole life to martial arts. And I feel like everything has come to this moment and this is my opportunity to showcase my culture and show the world the entertainer that I am.”
Loureda has a 4-1 record as an MMA fighter, and she has been passionate about the sport for the majority of her life up to this point. When asked whether she’s done with MMA due to her transition to WWE, she confirmed that she is now entirely focused on the world of entertainment.
“Yes, my mind has completely shifted from MMA to the WWE, and all that passion and energy I have for MMA, that I worked for five years, I’m now doing that in the training facility in Orlando,” said Loureda. “I love fighting, but this is my time. I’m turning 24 next month. My first day as an employee of the WWE at the facility and it’s the best birthday gift I can ask for…. My first day as WWE Superstar is on my 24th birthday, July 19.”
Plenty of other athletes from combat sports have made the jump to professional wrestling, and the adjustment can be quite challenging because they’re drastically different sports. Loureda discussed the transition and stated that while it will be a difficult transition, she has already fallen in love with wrestling.
“It’s extremely tough,” said Loureda. “For me it’s actually harder than MMA. But my first bump, I just knew I could do it. It’s weird, I have this just feeling in my gut, and my first bump, my first face bump, the rolls, hitting the ropes, I just fell in love with it and I knew I could do it. It’s tough, it’s a very hard transition. It’s very different than what I’m used to, but if you could just rewire your brain and change your mentality and realize what this is and how to be the best at it, you will be successful.”
WWE often changes performers’ names prior to their debut, and though Loureda would like to keep her name to some degree, she will trust whichever direction WWE chooses to go with it.
“I don’t know,” said Loureda. “Right now I just have to go to the institute, just work hard, prove myself, and I’m gonna trust what they say. I would love to have Loureda and some part of my name, or Cuban or Latina, something. Because I am the first Cuban-American woman, and for me I. Itself, that is just knowing I’m honoring my grandparents.”
The WWE newcomer hopes to hit the ground running, and she’s optimistic that she’ll make her television debut by the end of the year.
“I have big expectations for myself, but hopefully by the end of the year, I’ll be on live TV,” said Loureda. “Hopefully within a year, if I work hard, I will be on roster. But it’s just depending what they say and how well I develop and improve and how quickly, and I trust them.”
Loureda also made it clear that she never talked with All Elite Wrestling because she’s “team WWE” all the way.
“No. No. Team WWE all the way, and there’s nothing better,” said Loureda. “Nothing compares to WWE. It’s a monster of its own, and everyone knows that. There’s nothing [else]. It’s a global organization. There’s nothing that compares to a WrestleMania. Who could pull that off? Nobody. They’re the only ones.”
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