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Bianca Belair is the current WWE RAW Women's Champion. The EST won the title at WrestleMania 38, defeating Becky Lynch in a hard-fought one-on-one bout at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
It was the second year in a row that the Knoxville-native had won championship gold at The Show of Shows. She overcame Sasha Banks the year prior at WrestleMania 37 to win the SmackDown Women's Championship.
The 2021 Women's Royal Rumble Champion has had an incredible rise since signing for WWE in April 2016. After first being spotted by Hall of Famer Mark Henry, Bianca went on to train at the Performance Center before making her televised NXT debut in May 2017. She ultimately made her main roster debut the night after WrestleMania 36 in 2020.
Before Belair pursued becoming a WWE Superstar, she played a number of sports, including track and field. The EST also became a CrossFit competitor. CrossFit involves a high-intense programme incorporating a variety of sports and exercises.
So why did Bianca Belair retire from CrossFit?
She was forced to retire due to intercostal chondritis, which is better known as shifting rib syndrome. It is described as inflammation of the cartilage that connects the rib to the breastbone.
In an interview with ESPN, Belair further detailed the injury that forced her to quit her CrossFit career. She spoke about the struggles she faced finding a way to get the problem fixed.
"I have shifting rib syndrome. There's no treatment, there's no surgery, there's really nothing you can do for it. I went to a million doctors and chiropractors, and nobody could tell me what was wrong. I was really defeated." (h/t ESPN)
It was upon receiving the news that the condition was untreatable that she sought an avenue to perform for WWE. Bianca entered her details into the prospect database provided by the company and the rest, as they say, is history.
What are your thoughts on Bianca Belair's current reign as RAW Women's Champion? Let us know in the comments section below!
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
