5 WWE female superstars who were dancers before getting into wrestling

#4. Former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella

Carmella was a professional dancer before joining WWE

Carmella sacrificed a lot for her love of dancing before becoming a WWE Superstar. A young Camella could not afford to pay for dancing lessons. She had to clean toilets and sweep the floor of her dancing school in exchange for lessons.

Her sacrifices paid off. She became a professional dancer and worked as a cheerleader for the New England Patriots and the LA Lakers. In 2013, The Princess of Staten Island joined WWE, shifting her career to pro wrestling.

Carmella spoke about that transition in an interview with SI Magazine:

"When I finished with the Lakers, I had an itch to keep going. That’s the way I’ve always thought, ever since I grew up in a very small town called Spencer, Massachusetts. There were about 100 kids in my graduating class, and I knew I wanted to do more. I cheered for the Pats for three years, and then people thought I’d settle down. But then I went to LA to keep dancing, and that’s when I became a Laker Girl. Then people thought I’d settle down, but no, that’s when I got into WWE. I always know I want to keep going.”

She revealed her motivation to quit dancing and pursue a wrestling career in WWE:

"I loved dancing, performing, and fitness, so when I heard about an opportunity with WWE for a tryout, I thought it was so perfect. It had everything—my passion for performing, working out, training, and it connected to my dad’s history. Growing up, my dad used to say, ‘You should be a Diva!’ And I’d say, ‘I’m not going to do that!’ And here we are."