5 things you didn't know about AEW star Tay Conti: Friends with FC Barcelona star, first female Brazilian to compete at WrestleMania

Tay Conti is one of the fastest rising stars in AEW. The Brazilian wrestler may be relatively new to the industry but is already a popular fan favorite, thanks to her impressive martial arts-inspired athleticism, charismatic energy, and drop-dead beauty.

The former WWE developmental talent was previously let go by the company amidst the pandemic in 2020 but quickly bounced back by appearing in Tony Khan's promotion.

She first competed regularly in AEW Dark and Elevation before teaming up with Anna Jay. Her in-ring growth has been exponential. She even battled AEW Women's Champion Britt Baker at Full Gear 2021, impressing fans in the biggest match of her young career.

With Conti quickly garnering a sizable social media following, fans are interested in learning more about the Brazilian bombshell. Here are five facts you might not know about Tay Conti.

---

#5. AEW star Tay Conti has a black belt in judo and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu

First things first, Tay Conti is a certified badass. With a black belt in judo and a blue belt in jiu-jitsu, Conti brings an accomplished mat game that has earned her medals in Brazil.

Conti's extensive martial arts background makes her an actual threat in the ring and a skilled one at that. She’s had the training and discipline that led her to compete in the trials for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. Don't be fooled by the sunny disposition, Tay is a formidable opponent for the women on the AEW roster.

#4. Tay Conti didn't know what pro wrestling was before she signed with WWE

AEW's Tay Conti didn't grow up watching pro wrestling in Brazil. WWE is not as popular in the country as compared to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or football. The AEW star was only introduced to the wrestling world in the inaugural Mae Young Classic.

The Brazilain’s legit style and unique charisma shone through despite her unfamiliarity with wrestling. It was no surprise when WWE signed her to a developmental contract shortly after her tryout in 2016 before AEW signed her full time in 2020.

During a guest appearance on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette podcast after she was picked by AEW, Conti revealed that before meeting with WWE, she had zero knowledge of what pro wrestling was:

"Wrestling is not a big thing in Brazil. I never watched it. I never knew about it. That was not a thing at all for me. It’s hard, because normally everybody that asks like, 'Oh, who was your favorite wrestler growing up?'"

"I'm like 'I don’t have it, because I never watched it till I came here.' But the WWE contacted me and they asked me to do a tryout, and I said 'no' because I was, like, 'I don’t know what it is.' In my mind I was, like, 'I'm not getting out of my country to go to a different country to do something that I don’t even know what it is!'"

"I'm not going to lie, I thought it was some type of, like, prostitution or something [laughs] 'cause I'm, like, 'I'm not getting out of my country!' I didn’t know, I had no idea what it was. But I knew Adrian [Arturo Ruas] and he was in WWE. I asked him, and then I was, like, 'Yeah, let's do it. It's a good opportunity.' That's how pro wrestling became a thing in my life."

While not a natural, Tay worked hard to master the basics and get up to speed. She trained with Dustin Rhodes at the WWE Performance Center and cites Bayley as the wrestler who helped her improve ring acumen. Conti has become a polished and confident wrestler in AEW thanks to her dedication and drive to get better at wrestling.

#3. AEW star Tay Conti went to the same school as Brazilian footballer Philippe Coutinho

AEW wrestler Tay Conti is now a well-known name in her own right, but also rubbed shoulders with a pretty big future star. In 2020, the wrestler revealed that she went to school with former Liverpool star and current Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho.

Conti, who was a gifted athlete during her school days, reacted to a picture shared from another account of the wrestler with a young curly-haired Coutinho. When he was a few years Conti's senior, the two hung out as friends and were part of a special school for athletes. Coutinho was part of the youth set-up at Brazilian football club Vasco de Gama while Tay was busy training as a judoka. Both have gone on to achieve stardom in two very different sports.

#2. AEW star Tay Conti is the first female Brazilian to compete in WrestleMania

AEW wrestler Tay Conti didn't have a positive experience with WWE towards the end of her time there. She even asked for her release several times before she eventually got it in 2020 during the pandemic.

Despite her brief run on NXT, Conti has had quite a number of milestones in her WWE career. Having been a part of the company for almost three years, Conti competed in the Mae Young Classic tournaments in 2017 and 2018. She said it was one of the craziest and most amazing opportunities she has ever gotten in life.

Also, in 2018, after just two years in the WWE, Conti ended up competing on the biggest stage of them all, WrestleMania 34. She was part of the inaugural Women's Battle Royal held during the pre-show.

"That was the most crazy and amazing opportunity of my whole life. I will always be grateful because WWE changed my life for the better. I came here to the US and I [didn't speak] English. I had no idea what wrestling was before, and after two years I was in a WrestleMania ring. Do you have any idea! I had just two years of experience and I was in WrestleMania."

With this accolade, Tay became the first female Brazilian to compete in WrestleMania. It is a history-making achievement for the wrestler and paved the way for future Brazilians who wish to step into the squared circle.

Hopefully, Conti can look forward to making more history with AEW as she has the chance to become the first Brazilian champion for the AEW's women's division.

#1. AEW star Tay Conti wants to compete in Japan

AEW star Tay Conti is a huge fan of Japanese wrestling. In a recent appearance on The Elite POV podcast, she revealed she's a huge fan of the Japanese wrestling style, and how one of her biggest goals for the next year is to wrestle in the country if AEW allows her to:

"I started watching Japanese matches. Maybe because of Judo too, I made the whole connection in my mind, I fell in love. I love the Japanese style, it’s like my favorite style ever. I don’t know, I really want to go to Japan, of course, I hope next year I can do it, it’s one of my biggest goals for sure. I want to go there and learn, and get hit in the face, and hit people in the face."

Tay has competed with Japanese wrestlers in AEW, but it'd be interesting to see her make appearances in female Japanese promotions such as Stardom. With her MMA background, the AEW wrestler might be a good fit for the Japanese strong style.