'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
The first ever female professional wrestler from India has reported to WWE's Performance Centre, as first reported by Squared Circle Sirens.
Kavita Devi obviously caught the eye of WWE officials when she competed in the Mae Young Classic last year as WWE signed her up in October. The powerhouse now appears to be training at the Performance Center.
In case you didn't know...
Kavita Devi already made history when she became the first female Indian wrestler to compete in a WWE ring, but the accomplished powerlifter is looking to follow in the footsteps of her inspiration and trainer, The Great Khali, and compete in WWE on a permanent basis.
The powerful Devi has represented India in international competition for powerlifting, including the 2016 South Asian Games, where she won gold in the 75 kg category.
WWE.com has some huge praise for Devi ahead of the Mae Young Classic last year.
Although she is relatively inexperienced compared to some of her counterparts in the Classic, Devi has the physical tools to go a long way. Devi was a part of WWE’s historic Dubai tryout in April and caught the attention of the WWE scouts. Behind her immense physical skills, Devi could one day become a household name in wrestling, perhaps starting with this summer’s Mae Young Classic.
Devi most definitely repaid that faith when her match with Dakota Kai took the world by storm. While Devi was eliminated in the first round, the match became WWE's most watched YouTube video in relation to the Mae Young Classic, surpassing 17 million views.
You can see the match below
The heart of the matter
Well, WWE announced the signing of Kavita Devi back in October and noted that she would begin training at the Performance Center in early 2018. We hadn't heard anything since but it is now being reported that the Indian star has now started training officially.
In the same year that she won gold representing India at the 2016 South Asian Games, Devi began her wrestling career as she began training under The Great Khali. With only one year of training under her belt, the inexperienced Devi showed no signs of being "green" when she participated in the Mae Young Classic and made enough of a mark to win a deal with WWE.
Well, ambition definitely isn't a problem either as Devi looks to follow in the footsteps of Khali yet again. On signing with WWE, Devi said the following.
It was a privilege to be the first Indian woman to compete in WWE. Participating in the Mae Young Classic with some of the best female performers in the world was a great learning experience. Now I am looking forward to pursuing my dream of becoming the first WWE Women's Champion from India.
What's next?
Well, who knows when we'll see Devi next?
It may not be too long before she appears on NXT.
Author's take
With WWE recently expanding in India and looking to further increase localised programming on WWE Network, signing Kavita Devi looks like a masterstroke.
While Jinder Mahal was born in Canada, he broke down barriers when he won the WWE Championship before WWE's big expansion into India last year.
It'll be very interesting to see where they go with this.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
