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What’s the story?
As noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the primary reason behind WWE signing Kavita Devi is her fan following in India.
Apparently, the video of Devi’s match on WWE’s YouTube channel garnered more views than most others on the channel.
In case you didn’t know…
Kavita Devi, whose real name is Kavita Dalal, primarily performed for The Great Khali’s pro-wrestling promotion in India, Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE) back in 2016.
The 34-year-old competed in the WWE’s Mae Young Classic last year and has since signed a developmental contract with the WWE.
The heart of the matter
Kavita Devi competed against Dakota Kai in a first-round matchup of the Mae Young Classic, and although Devi ended up on the losing end, the video which was posted on WWE’s official YouTube channel has received about 16 million views thus far.
The video of Devi’s match is said to have received more views than most of the giant main roster angles in the WWE today and has also outdone every other video of the Mae Young Classic tournament.
Devi, who is a former power-lifter, is well-known in India for her accomplishments in the world of sports, as evidenced by the traffic she garnered the WWE on YouTube, owing to which the promotion decided to sign the Indian performer to a developmental contract.
What’s next?
Kavita Devi now reports to the WWE Performance Center and alongside several other new signees, hones her skills at the WWE PC.
Author’s take
Kavita Devi’s journey to the WWE truly is an inspiration to people the world over. Devi previously spoke about how she overcame prejudice and battled her misogynistic in-laws and villagers in order to fulfil her dreams in power-lifting and now professional wrestling.
While Devi has good in-ring skills as well, promos may be a bit tricky for her as she’s yet to master the English language—one that’s key to deliver promos in WWE what with the company being an American pro-wrestling promotion primarily operating in the West.
It’s great to see the WWE recognize Devi’s brand value, and here’s hoping she achieves tremendous success in the world of sports-entertainment.
