WWE has come a long way with diversity, representation and providing opportunities for its Black talent to shine. With the addition of super couple Bianca Belair and Montez Ford to the wrestling franchise, it’s been a sight to see how the two are creating their own lanes and making history in the ring.
Fans will get to watch more of their journey in a new reality show on Hulu, “Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez.” The eight-part series premieres Friday.
During her tenure with WWE, Belair has won three back-to-back singles matches at WrestleMania. She also had the longest reign as a women’s champion, holding the now-renamed WWE Women’s Championship title for 420 days. She recently broke barriers as the first Black woman featured on the cover of a WWE video game, appearing alongside Rhea Ripley for the deluxe edition of WWE 2K24.
Belair and Ford spoke to HuffPost about overcoming impostor syndrome, how they inspire each other in the ring and how their love balances each other out.
In the Hulu series, Montez Ford, you say, “I want to be there, on the main event scene, just like Bianca Belair.” It’s rare to see Black wrestlers in the main event. What are some conversations that you have with Bianca to motivate you to realize that dream?
Montez Ford: Everything she’s done in her career thus far is not only an inspiration for little boys and girls but for me as well, and how she continues to raise the bar. We have this huge internal motto where if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. So I’m constantly staying sharp, staying ready and staying locked in. I’m not paying attention to outside sources that can hinder us from what we want to do.
Bianca Belair: I always tell him it’s never a matter of “if”; it’s a matter of “when.” It’s all about timing. Patience and timing — it’ll happen for him.
Bianca, you shared that you questioned whether you belonged with the belt walking into WrestleMania. How do you both work to overcome impostor syndrome?
Belair: For me, I look back on everything that I was able to accomplish, and knowing I accomplished it because of my hard work. I never imagined being a WWE superstar, so now I can’t imagine doing anything else, which contributed to my impostor syndrome. It lets me know that I was born to do this and it was meant for me, to keep pushing forward and chip away at my impostor syndrome. Also, cutting my in-ring promos encourages people. I have to take my own advice that I preach to other people.
Ford: Anything you put energy into, whether it’s your house, car or relationship — if you put the effort and the work in, then you should be appreciative of the benefits and the rewards received. I know how much time and dedication I put into this, so if you want to achieve the same thing, outwork me. If you have that confidence and put the time in, nobody can take away the fact you put in time. If you want to be the greatest, then you have to stay the latest.
What is one thing you love about each other’s in-ring ability and agility that you would want for yourself?
Belair: I love Montez’s ability to do something that shocks everybody and become a meme on the internet. He’s always doing something that isn’t planned because he’s spontaneous and does improv. I wish I had that, because I over-prepare and think about everything — he comes off so charismatic. I also wish I could do a frog splash like him, too.
Ford: I wish I was as skrong as her — not strong, but skrong. [Laughs.] There’s a difference.
Jacqueline, Jazz and many other Black women have entered WWE in the past and, unfortunately, didn’t get the chance to have such high-profile matches. How do you think this era of WWE has evolved, especially for women of color?
Belair: I think it’s given me the freedom to be exactly what I want to bring to the table. I’m able to show up — and showing up as myself is enough. I’m able to be unapologetically myself and be bold, loud and given opportunities to be the first Black woman to be in the main event at WrestleMania, to be on the cover of a WWE 2K video game, and being the first Black woman to win the Royal Rumble. I was presented with these opportunities, but it was only possible because of the women you just named. So when you see me in these positions, you have to see them, too. I’m a testament of their hard work, and I’m able to run because they walked.
How do you think you balance each other out?
Belair: We are alike in a lot of ways, but we’re also different in a lot of ways. I’m more shy, while Montez is more outgoing, and he brings out the charismatic side of me.
Ford: Also, I typically live by the rule of “whatever happens, happens,” but Bianca is more structured and a planner. I love that we balance each other out. It applies to wrestling and life.
What do you hope viewers take away from this new show?
Belair: I hope the viewers see that wrestling is cool and it’s evolved. You can watch wrestling and find someone who looks just like you that you can relate to. Sometimes people have a misconception on what they think wrestling is about, so we’re here to show them wrestling is cool and what it takes to be a WWE superstar. They see us in the ring having a 10-20 minute wrestling match, but they don’t see what all goes into it.
So we filmed this show as our Road to WrestleMania, which Montez compares to our playoffs. We show the travel and hard work, and what it’s like being a married couple and learning how to balance that with our personal life. We hope we bring more eyes to the product and show a different side of us.
Why do you think it is important to show your love story alongside your WWE journey?
Ford: We use love to carry us through our situations. We’re both WWE superstars, we both have different things happening in our careers, and sometimes distance plays a factor. The importance of the show is to show us how we are being supportive in the midst of all the chaos and opportunities. We show that our foundation is love. And when you love something or someone, you love everything that comes with them, whether it’s opportunities or being busy. We want to show how we’re appreciative of it.
What kind of legacy do you hope to have for the future of wrestling?
Ford: I want to have an impact that lasts for millennia, because I know the impact professional wrestling has made on me as a child. The WWE superstars I work with now inspire me to do bigger and greater things. I want to continue to inspire others to aim higher than me. I hear kids who say they want to be just like me when they grow up, and I tell them to aim higher.