Former WWE Diva's Champion Kaitlyn talks about returning to the ring, NXT moving to USA, AEW and more (Exclusive)
Celeste Bonin, known for her run as Kaitlyn in WWE, is one of the most successful and popular female Superstars to compete in the company. She was part of the all-female third season of NXT where she won, earning herself a spot on the main roster. She eventually retired in 2014 but has made several appearances for the company recently, even taking part in the 2018 Mae Young Classic.
I had the chance to talk to the former Diva's Champion in an exclusive interview where she talked about her upcoming match, life outside the ring, and the competition between WWE and AEW, among other things.
She is set to return to the squared-circle this October where she will face three other women at Slamforce Africa 01 in South Africa for the inaugural SFA Women's Championship.
Sportskeeda: You will make your in-ring return this October. Will we get to see you in the ring more often?
Kaitlyn: Yes, definitely. When I left WWE initially five years ago, I started a business, so that's been my main concern for the past five years is growing my brand, and being an entrepreneur, and all that. Now I'm at a point where I've started training in the ring again over the past year and a half or so, and last year I went back and competed in the Mae Young Classic, and it really ignited this passion again for professional wrestling.
I've kind of made it my mission to try to find somewhere to compete super competitively and bestow that love for professional wrestling, but also still be here to maintain my business. It's a business center, so I'm hoping to have a very strong presence with Slamforce Africa and be an integral part of their roster and what they're doing. So, I want to tell everyone in South Africa that I'm going to be around a lot more (laughs).
SK: How would you describe your life outside the ring?
Kaitlyn: What I learned when I was wrestling and traveling the world - I learned so many super important lessons, and I met so many amazing people, and I formed so many great relationships. When I was wrestling I learned so much about myself and what I'm capable of and just evolved. I guess, I took a lot of that stuff that I learned, and those four years of wrestling, and I applied it to the way that I approach business, and my mindset in general.
Knowing that I can perform under pressure in front of thousands of people and be put on the spot gives me this confidence that I can do anything that I apply myself to, to do anything that I believe I can do. So, its really given me this amazing sense of confidence and I'm just an extremely driven person, whether it's in a sport or business and I'm just thankful for all the ways that this sport has molded me as a person—to approach every other aspect of my life as a competitor in the ring.
Up next: Kaitlyn talks about NXT and AEW!