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Quoted By: >>19648592 >>19648645 >>19649003 >>19652334 >>19653032
>Izzi Dame is banned from playing professional volleyball in Cyprus for the next 10 years—and she couldn’t care less.
>The newly crowned NXT Women’s North American Champion opened up on Busted Open After Dark about her transition from international athlete to WWE star. It all started with a surprise DM while she was living overseas on a remote island. At the time, Dame wasn’t even thinking about pro wrestling—she was getting ready to sign her second-year deal to return to professional volleyball.
>“I don’t even know how they found me. I was living overseas in Cyprus, on a little island over the Mediterranean Sea.”
>“I had actually signed my second-year contract to go back and play professional volleyball. I flew back for the three-month break that we get, touched down, and got a DM from the WWE recruit page.”
>What followed was a total family tug-of-war. Her dad, who also happened to be her coach, didn’t want her to walk away from volleyball. Her mom, however, saw something bigger.
>“My dad was my coach, and he was like, ‘No, no — you need to stick to volleyball.’ My mom was like, ‘Do it. Come back to the States… This is a cool opportunity.’”
>With only 4,000 Instagram followers and no real idea how WWE even discovered her, Izzi Dame took a leap of faith. She nailed the tryout but had to pay the price back home as she was hit with a 10-year ban from playing in Cyprus.
>“I end up making it. I had to call my agent and break my contract in Cyprus, and now I’m banned from playing there for 10 years. So beat that — 10 years. Can’t play there.”
>Izzi Dame signed with WWE in October 2022, and now, a little over three years later, she’s captured championship gold on NXT. From the beaches of Cyprus to the bright lights of WWE — Dame’s journey is proof that sometimes, one DM really can change your destiny.
>The newly crowned NXT Women’s North American Champion opened up on Busted Open After Dark about her transition from international athlete to WWE star. It all started with a surprise DM while she was living overseas on a remote island. At the time, Dame wasn’t even thinking about pro wrestling—she was getting ready to sign her second-year deal to return to professional volleyball.
>“I don’t even know how they found me. I was living overseas in Cyprus, on a little island over the Mediterranean Sea.”
>“I had actually signed my second-year contract to go back and play professional volleyball. I flew back for the three-month break that we get, touched down, and got a DM from the WWE recruit page.”
>What followed was a total family tug-of-war. Her dad, who also happened to be her coach, didn’t want her to walk away from volleyball. Her mom, however, saw something bigger.
>“My dad was my coach, and he was like, ‘No, no — you need to stick to volleyball.’ My mom was like, ‘Do it. Come back to the States… This is a cool opportunity.’”
>With only 4,000 Instagram followers and no real idea how WWE even discovered her, Izzi Dame took a leap of faith. She nailed the tryout but had to pay the price back home as she was hit with a 10-year ban from playing in Cyprus.
>“I end up making it. I had to call my agent and break my contract in Cyprus, and now I’m banned from playing there for 10 years. So beat that — 10 years. Can’t play there.”
>Izzi Dame signed with WWE in October 2022, and now, a little over three years later, she’s captured championship gold on NXT. From the beaches of Cyprus to the bright lights of WWE — Dame’s journey is proof that sometimes, one DM really can change your destiny.
