‘I’m Meant To Be A Pro Wrestler’

Former UFC strawweight Paige VanZant struggled to find success in bareknuckle boxing after parting ways with the world’s preeminent combat sports promotion, but she certainly looked right at home as a professional wrestler for All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

VanZant, 28, made her in-ring debut at the “Double or Nothing” pay-per-view (PPV) event last weekend at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, throwing down with Brazilian bruiser Tay Conti as part of a mixed tag team match which ended in favor of team “12 Gauge.”

“I’m feeling great, I went out there, we got the win … I showed everybody I’m meant to be a pro wrestler, too,” VanZant told The Schmo. “I never give myself a perfect grade. There’s always room for improvement. I’m only going to get better. I just started training pro wrestling, but you got to see how quickly I picked up pro wrestling moves, and I showed all the girls in the division they got somebody to look out for. I came out of this match unscathed, I have zero injuries because I put on a dominant performance. I can’t wait for my solo match.”

When or where that solo match takes place — and in what capacity — remains to be seen. VanZant still has one fight remaining on her Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) contract and has been loosely linked to an in-ring return on July 9 in London, England.

American Top Team (ATT) founder Dan Lambert has been a fixture on AEW programming in recent months, opening the door for his stable of fighters (like this former UFC champion) to make part-time appearances inside the ring. For how much longer is anyone’s guess.