WWE’S Lana: How I Put Friendships Aside & Get Fierce In The Ring — ‘We’re There To Win’

Paige Kindlick

Lana considers many of her fellow female wrestlers ‘sisters,’ but that doesn’t mean she won’t get competitive with them in the ring! She dishes on that, empowering women, ‘Total Divas, and more in our EXCLUSIVE interview!

“At the end of the day, this is a competition, so we’re all very competitive,” Lana told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY about wrestling her friends. “I’m very competitive. We love each other and are supportive and all want the best for each other. We have an incredible locker room and support system, but at the end of the day, we are there to win and there to compete. What that bell goes, we’re there to win. Some women are dirtie than others — some will cheat and do whatever it takes to win, some will do it the right way. But at the end of the day, this is a competition and we’re athletes.”

On the hit E! show, Total Divas, we get to see both sides of Lana — the competitive athlete in the ring, and the fun woman hanging out with her girls and husband, Rusev, outside the ring. The show’s upcoming eighth season premieres on Sept. 19, and is more about empowerment than ever. “I think it’s important to teach anyone — girl or boy, any gender, any race or culture — if you have a dream…resiliently chase it,” she explained. “I there’s something in your heart that sets your soul on fire and you can’t live without it…you chase it no matter what. You’re going to have setbacks and a lot of people tell you no, but that’s part of life. You either have to kick that door down, or dig a hole underneath it and go around it. That’s what it means for me to be in the first ever Women’s Pay-Per-View or first ever Royal Rumble. We’re doing things we were told we’d never do.”

Meanwhile, some of Lana’s fellow female wrestlers, like Maryse Mizanin and Brie Bella, recently decided to take a brief step back from wrestling and have babies. However, for Lana and Rusev, that step might isn’t coming just yet.

“Rusev always puts on the pressure,” she laughed. “He’s like…I want babies! But right now I’m very focused on my career. There’s a lot I want to achieve. I feel like I’m finally starting to get more momentum in the ring and getting more opportunities. There’s a lot I would love to do still — being Smackdown Women’s Champion is obviously a dream of mine.”

We believe in you, girl! Click through the gallery above to check out photos of our EXCLUSIVE shoot with Lana!