Lana On Whether Her Character Is Still The Same, Her Journey To The Ring

Lana will wrestle the first televised singles match of her WWE career this Sunday when she challenges Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank. Ahead of the match, Lana spoke to USA Today‘s For The Win.

Her in-ring journey:

“I’m really excited about showing my in-ring journey because I have been training a lot over the last year. It wasn’t always a skip in the park, but I was just so hungry to learn. My past is very, very different than [the other performers]. But I am a strong believer to follow your own path, no matter what people think.”

Not being a different character:

“I’m the same ‘Ravishing Russian’ that you’ve always known. It’s funny to me when I hear people say that it’s a new character. I embody ‘Ravishing.’ I come out in the most ravishing dress. I have a ravishing entrance. I’m ravishing people’s hearts. I was managing Rusev and wearing a suit because if you’re managing someone or an agent in real life, you are going to wear a suit to work. Right now, I’m the focal point, I’m the one competing. If people know anything about Russians, we do things really over the top. We wear high heels everywhere. We show up in the most extravagant outfits. I am just embodying how I was raised and what I grew up in. Some people might think we’re extra, I just think we’re ravishing. I’m the same woman, I’m just going to be crushing people myself.”

Being bred for the entertainment industry:

“If you have an idea of the stereotype of a Russian teacher and their type of discipline, that was my teacher. They came with little paddles and threw shoes and the more they screamed at you, the more they believed in you. You wanted them to scream at you and call you stupid. That bred me for the rest of my life. That prepared me for the entertainment industry – ‘It’s OK. Don’t believe in me, laugh at me, think I’m not going to succeed, but I’m going to prove you wrong.'”