Today (September 1, 2022) saw the WWE attend Channelview Leisure Centre in Cardiff, Wales to be a part of the Be A Star Rally, with Boys & Girls Club, Wales.
WWE correspondent Sarah Schreiber hosted, alongside Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins and WWE Women’s Champion, Bianca Belair. Speaking to Soundsphere, and other members of the UK wrestling media, the three candidly discussed mental health and wellbeing, and how important it is to educate, and inform young people on issues surrounding mental health.
Image: WWE
Where does the team’s confidence come from?
Montez Ford told Soundsphere that there is not one time in his life where he hasn’t felt confident in his abilities: “From a very young age, my mom instilled in me – because, there were times I didn’t listen, maybe there were times where I was a little too confident, but she always made me very ‘extra’. She said, ‘Always do extra, always be extra’. So now, the way I dress, the way I talk, the way I act – everything is extra! There were times when I first got into the business, that I didn’t really understand how to get validation, from myself, so I’d go online and see what everyone was saying about me, and that would make me second guess my actions, or the way that I talk, and the way I present myself, like something was wrong.
“I liked what I was doing, but once I got online, I didn’t like it as much anymore. I realised that I was going backwards on everything that my mom taught me. I’ve always been extra, and the one time that I started letting everyone’s opinions towards me matter, was when I started to let that confidence slip.”
The importance of fitness and mental health
Bianca Belair told Muscle and Fitness: “Encouraging kids to get into sports is everything to me,” she says. “I played sports my entire life. Being in sports gives you such a great skill-set in life. It teaches you hard work, determination and tenacity. It helped me get through college, and early adulthood. It’s really contributed to my success in WWE. Encouraging kids to get into sports, get active and have an outlet, and to be able to experience new cultures and travel, that’s what this is all about.”
Angelo Dawkins continued to discuss the importance of his high-school wrestling background on his discipline, and motivation: “If I never stepped foot on a wrestling mat in high-school, I’m not in the position that I am in right now. Stepping on a wrestling mat was the best thing that ever happened to me from a discipline standpoint. My mental health was way better.”
WWE’s Clash At The Castle is this Saturday in Cardiff, Wales.
