Ex-WWE star tried to look like Charlotte Flair to become champion
Lana has said she tried to bulk up and look like Charlotte Flair in 2017 and 2018 to stand a chance of winning a championship in WWE.
Despite receiving a few title shots, Lana never managed to win a championship during her WWE tenure.
While speaking at East Coast Autograph Auctions, Lana explained what she tried to do to win a title in WWE. She bemoaned the fact that bulking up and trying to look like Charlotte didn't work for her.
“These were my bulking days. Probably 2017-2018, I felt like if I could bulk up and look like Charlotte Flair, then maybe I could become champion. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me. You know, not everyone can be genetically superior and also have a famous father that is 16, 17 time (champion). His daughter is going to surpass him pretty soon,” said Lana. (H/T Fightful)
In the same interaction, Lana disclosed that Vince McMahon and Michael Hayes forbade her from changing her hair color and spruce up her character up. The company also wanted her to wrestle only in a leotard.
Lana's WWE career
Justice was finally served along wit a HUGE victory for the unlikely team of @LanaWWE & #WWERaw Women's Champion @WWEAsuka! https://t.co/2zKLjQJ159
Lana began her WWE career as a valet for real-life husband Rusev after signing with the company in 2013. She only began her in-ring career in 2016 at WrestleMania 32, where she was in a 10-woman tag team match.
She improved her in-ring ability and became more than just a valet/manager in and even got a shot at the SmackDown Women's title in 2017, battling then champion Naomi. She had a few chances at the title, but was unsuccessful at winning it.
Lana then got another chance last year, when she feuded with Asuka, but was unsuccessful in winning the RAW Women's title. Earlier this year, Lana teamed up with Naomi and had a shot at the Women's Tag Team champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler on RAW, but the challengers didn't get the win. Lana didn't win any title in her five-year in-ring career.
.@NaomiWWE & @LanaWWE showed off some impressive teamwork against @NiaJaxWWE & @QoSBaszler! #WWERaw https://t.co/ZrkpQbZuyT