5 things you need to know about Ruby Riott
After a long and successful independent wrestling career as Heidi Lovelace, Ruby Riott made her NXT debut in December 2016. Since then, Riott has taken the mainstream wrestling world by storm, showcasing a unique skill set and shattering stereotypes along the way.
Less than a year after her NXT debut, Riott was called up to the SmackDown roster, where she would team with Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan. Collectively known as The Riott Squad, the stable would run roughshod over WWE's main roster scene and prove to be a thorn in the side of notables like Natalya, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey.
The 2019 Superstar Shakeup effectively split the heel stable apart and Riott would take time off to address major shoulder injuries. She is yet to return to the ring, but that could all change soon.
Riott recently appeared on Excuse Me: The Vickie Guerrero Show and opened up about her career, her recent battle with injuries, her matches with Ronda Rousey, her feelings about The Riott Squad and much more.
Join us for five things you need to know about Ruby Riott.
#5. She has made a career out of fighting against the status quo
It doesn't take an ardent student of professional wrestling to see that Ruby Riott stands out from her counterparts. The tattooed WWE Superstar looks less like the prototypical Charlotte Flair and more like the front woman of a local punk band. She is small, standing at only 5'4" and weighing a mere 122 pounds. Due to her unique look and size, she has fought against the grain throughout her professional career and silenced doubters everywhere she's been.
Things were no different when she joined OVW in 2012. Long before NXT, OVW was WWE's developmental brand. Women's Evolution hadn't exactly hit the mainstream yet and Riott was pressured to fit the mold.
She told WWE Hall of Famer Vickie Guerrero,
"I've had places before - when I worked for OVW years and years and years ago - that was a place where I felt they were trying to make me [different]. I was told to wear more skirts and to dress prettier. I was told to be more of a girl in the ring and I felt like I was in a straitjacket. I was like, 'I can't. I don't know what to do here.' Everything I did, I felt like I was having an out of body experience. This was not me. Nothing looked organic, so once I left there and kind of started falling into myself along the way, that was when I started to really be able to nail in who I was, and what I wanted to represent to my fans and anybody who watched me."
Riott struggled to find a place in the world of professional wrestling, but has now found a home in WWE,
"We've never been told to change since I've been with WWE. I've always had the tattoos and I've continued to get more. I've never been encouraged since I've been in WWE to be anything, but myself. That's the thing I've been most grateful for. Since I've been in NXT, they were like, 'Just take your ball and do what you want with it.' I've always just tried to stay me and they've always been behind it, so I'm very grateful for that."
Also read: 5 Things You Should Know About Charlotte Flair