Watch: This is Kavita Devi, who has become the first Indian woman to sign with WWE
The salwar-kameez wearing Haryanvi wrestler is nothing short of impressive.
Kavita Devi lifts Dakota Kai high up in the air and, with a decisive roar, slams her on the floor of the ring. The sight, captured in the video above, is nothing short of awe-inspiring, especially when it comes from an Indian woman clad in a bright orange salwar-kameez.
The WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), it seems, was equally impressed, for Devi has made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to be signed by WWE. She previously participated in WWE’s Mae Young classic tournament – again, a first for Indian women – before being awarded the WWE developmental contract, for which training begins at their Performance Centre in Orlando in January, 2018. The announcement was made by former WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal.
Devi has an impressive sports record. The 31-year-old played Kabaddi in high school, after which she established herself as a competitive powerlifter and won gold at the 2016 South Asian Games, representing India. The athlete from Haryana learned her skills in the ring from her mentor, who happened to be none other than Dilip Singh Rana, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, or as he is more popularly known, The Great Khali.
WWE also made waves for recruiting Shadia Bseiso from Jordan, WWE’s first ever Arab woman from the Middle East, whom you can watch in action here.