Bianca Belair sends a message ahead of her hometown return to WWE SmackDown
Reigning RAW Women's Champion Bianca Belair has a message to her hometown fans ahead of tonight's WWE SmackDown in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Belair was fresh off successfully defending her RAW Women's Championship against IYO SKY of Damage CTRL at Backlash in Puerto Rico. She was put to the limit by SKY, who almost had the win until a distraction from her Bayley cost her the title.
In a WWE-exclusive backstage video, "The EST of WWE" revealed that they will have a celebration tonight in front of her hometown fans. Belair recently became the longest-reigning Women's Champion in the modern era at 405 days and counting.
"We're back in Tennessee," Belair said. "865, I'm Lady Vols 'til the day I die, but we're here. We're celebrating tonight. I'm bringing the Raw Women's Championship. We're gonna celebrate me being the longest reigning Women's Champion of the modern era. Let's do it!"
#WWERaw Women's Champion @BiancaBelairWWE is back in her hometown and ready to celebrate TONIGHT on #SmackDown! 🎉 🎉 🎉 https://t.co/7eNUtnjl5e
Bianca Belair was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. She was a track and field star at Austin-East Magnet High School. She finished the final two years of her collegiate career at the University of Tennessee. She was an All-SEC and All-American during her time with the Lady Volunteers.
WWE Hall of Famer compares Bianca Belair to Serena Williams
Fresh off her win at Backlash, there were some rumblings about turning Bianca Belair heel due to the reaction she got from the fans in Puerto Rico. However, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T thinks it's not the time to turn Belair here due to her role as an inspiration to young Black girls like tennis legend Serena Williams.
"Could she turn heel? I think she could," Booker T said on the Hall of Fame podcast. "But I think right now the money is with Bianca being who she is. That's that beautiful Black girl going out there representing for a lot of young black girls all over the world that wish they could be like a Bianca Belair. She's like the Serena Willams of professional wrestling right now. So hopefully they'll keep her in that position for a while." (h/t Wrestling Inc.)
Belair deserves the current run she's having with the Raw Women's Championship. However, WWE could always turn her heel to freshen up her character.
Would you like to see Bianca Belair turn heel? Who would you like to see challenge her next? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.