What’s the story?
WWE Diva and manager of the Bulgarian Brute Rusev, Lana appeared on The Tomorrow Show with Keven Undergaro and revealed how popular television show Game of Thrones was the inspiration behind the creation of her character for the WWE.
Speaking to Undergaro, she revealed WWE Chairman Vince McMahon’s love for the show saying:
“I know Vince loves Game of Thrones. Yeah, he loves Game of Thrones and he loves Cersei.”
In case you didn’t know...
Lana first appeared on the main WWE roster programming in January 2013 as the manager of Rusev, who had debuted at the Royal Rumble only five days earlier. She has since continued in her role as the Brute’s glamorous, gorgeous wife (the couple were engaged and married in in-ring ceremonies) and manager, apart from a brief period where her interests lay in Dolph Ziggler.
She has become a fan favourite villain in the WWE with her anti-American rhetoric and matches dedicated to her hero, Vladimir Putin. Apart from her stint in the ring, she has also appeared in three video games for the WWE network. She is also the main cast member for the sixth season of the WWE Divas show.
In the popular TV show, Daenerys Targaryen is a queen who has freed a city of slaves and given birth to dragons. Targaryen cannot be harmed by fire and claims to be the heir to the throne of Westeros, the mythical land where the show is set.
The heart of the matter
In her interview, Lana revealed that her character was heavily inspired by Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen, more famously known as the “Khaleesi” who has given birth to dragons and controls them. The idea behind the creation of Lana was to have a similar character, where Rusev would be controlled by Lana.
Lana also revealed that her brief on-screen flirtation with Dolph Ziggler was again inspired by Game of Thrones character Cersei Lannister, who is a conniving and cunning woman, and said that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had come up with the Dolph Ziggler storyline from the Game of Thrones.
What’s next?
Lana had recently stated her ambition to become the Women’s Champion having made her wrestling debut at Wrestlemania 32. Although she has gone back to managing Rusev in the ring, Lana has been improving her fighting skills and fights in the NXT from time to time. The WWE Diva will now headline the hit reality TV series Total Divas.
Sportskeeda’s take
The Game of Thrones formula seems to be a winning one as Lana has become a fan favourite with WWE followers in the same way as Daenerys and Cersei have their own sets of fans. The inspiration from Westeros seems to be working and the WWE could perhaps look at a character inspired from Brienne of Tarth, who terrorises both male and female opponents alike.
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