World Wrestling Entertainment Inc yesterday signed its first female performer from the Arab world, smashing cultural taboos as the US-based pageant seeks to drive its way into lucrative foreign markets.
Shadia Bseiso, a Jordanian versed in jiujitsu, dreams of encouraging more Arab women to take up sports — and of one day maybe even crashing a metal chair over WWE mega-star John Cena.
“Female athletes are finally getting the credit they deserve. The world is more open to that, and in terms of how the region will react to it, I’m hoping its going to be very positive,” Bseiso said.
While women exercising in public is rare in the Arab world and the local entertainment industry often relegates them to docile roles, big companies such as Nike have stepped up advertising geared toward female athletes.
Still, the high-octane physicality and outrageous storylines of professional wrestling remain a novelty in the region.
Bseiso said she made sure to tell her parents about her colorful career choice in person.
After announcing she would join the WWE, they paused in disbelief, she said, worried for her safety in the often bruising shows.
However, she said they support her fully, as she now heads to the company’s training center for grueling in-ring training and what WWE calls “character development” — transformation into one of their trademark big personalities.
She has a Jordan-themed persona in mind, she said, declining to elaborate.
Professional wrestling has won die-hard fans in the Arab world and beyond, and features widely in apparel and toys.
WWE’s reach into new demographics makes plenty of business sense for the company, which has also signed several Indian and Chinese athletes in the hope of snaring millions of potential new devotees.
“Recruiting Shadia to join our developmental system underscores WWE’s ongoing commitment to building a talent roster as diverse as our fan base,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE executive vice president and himself a popular wrestler.
Bseiso said that the quirky genre has room to expand if only fans could find a hero from home.
“As it is, the WWE’s incredibly popular in the Middle East, but I think having athletes from the region who grew up here — it will change things. You finally have someone to root for,” she said.
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