A typical day on the road
This week on Twitter, @leabynature asked me what it’s like working for WWE on a typical day.
It’s anything but typical. It’s more like a whirlwind. Picture the Tasmanian Devil from Bugs Bunny fame, if you will.
But it’s also glorious. (Stolen, Bobby Roode!)
At home, viewers may watch us perform on Smackdown Live or Monday Night Raw, but that’s just a tiny glimpse into the work that goes into getting those few minutes of TV time. No one day is ever the same, which is probably the most exciting part of working in WWE.
Any given day can be spent catching multiple flights, followed by driving hundreds of kilometres, which comes after tracking down luggage, renting a car, driving, finding a gym, food, spray tan, fighting through traffic, finding the arena ... well, you get the drift (insert tear emoji here!)
Honestly, it’s like starring in The Amazing Race, a magical mystery tour to get from point A (my home) to point Z (live on Smackdown in front of a sold-out out crowd).
To quote Forrest Gump, who would have made a great WWE manager, “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get!” That certainly applies to life on the road with WWE. When you travel some 280 or so days a year, in a different town or city every day, you never know where you’ll find yourself. Sometimes it’s a five-star restaurant for dinner, other times dinner is at a gas station. Sunflower seeds, anyone?! And all of that is just to get to the arena. Upon arrival, I work my way through fans outside arenas where we park our cars (I know my character is currently a villain, but it’s hard not to show appreciation to loyal fans with a few pics, hugs and autographs) and into the locker room to prepare for my match.
A few hours before show time and despite the fact that I’ve done this for a decade, I still can’t believe I’m performing. I can’t eat ... just my “pre-match” banana for luck. I’m almost in denial as I’m putting on my makeup and doing my hair, pretending I’m J-Lo. Before I know it, it’s almost match time. I have to drop kick Nikki Bella! (Sorry, John Cena … not sorry!)
Confession: I still get stage fright every single time before I walk out into an arena full of people. (Oh, lord, will TMZ make a story out of this?) The moment of truth comes ... my music hits and it’s time to make my way to the ring.