Alexa Bliss Q&A: WWE Raw Champ on Finding Her Heel Niche, Ronda Rousey, More

When it came to hype, Alexa Bliss flew under NXT's radar for years.

She wasn't one of the Four Horsewomen (Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch) earmarked early for future success. She was a part of the Women's Revolution, but she was rarely mentioned as one of its trailblazers.

Her first character in NXT was a nonthreatening cheerleader-meets-glitter-fairy who pulled off athletic, visually pleasing moves (thank her cheerleading and gymnastics background for that) but who had none of the conflict that makes a modern babyface compelling.

She left NXT without winning the NXT women's title. WWE assigned her to Tuesday nights on Smackdown Live upon her call-up. And just as it's been for scores of wrestlers before her, that could have been the end of her WWE career; the business is not for the weak of heart. She could have fallen victim to complacency, racking up loss after loss and eventually quitting when she became too disenchanted to continue. 

But that's not what happened. Place Bliss' naive, wide-eyed pixie character next to the smirking, dismissive, "don't hate me cuz I'm pretty" heel she is today, and the contrast is striking. Since arriving on the main roster, Little Miss Bliss has put together an impressive record of wins and personal victories that have become impossible to deny.

She's a five-time WWE women's champion, having held the top titles on both Raw and Smackdown.

In an interview with CBS Sports, Triple H noted that some talents—he gave Elias as an example—are made for the main roster. Alexa Bliss belongs in that category—someone who, rather than appealing to a niche crowd, found her greatest strength in angering large crowds of people.

Bleacher Report caught up with Alexa Bliss ahead of her Raw Women's Championship match against Ronda Rousey at WWE SummerSlam, which airs live on the WWE Network on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

Bleacher Report: One thing that fans universally love about you are your mic skills. Do you attribute your abilities on the mic to anyone or anything?

Alexa Bliss: I attribute them to the NXT promo classes. I wasn't used to performing and speaking, and after my first promo class, I was so upset and nervous that I cried. But William Regal always said that if I'm not comfortable with something, I should put myself into that uncomfortable situation to beat it. That's one thing that I've always taken with me.

Once, I was never able to speak in front of more than three or four people. Now, I feel at home. I love doing the in-ring promos more than doing the backstage promos because I love being able to interact with the crowd. That's where I found my passion. Obviously, wrestling is a lot of fun, and I love it. But on the mic is where I have the most fun.

B/R: Do you remember any specific feedback that one of your mentors gave you that helped you to improve?

AB: That I was way better at being mean! William Regal told me that I found my niche at being mean.

I never wanted to be a bad guy. I used to be this blue fairy kind of character who was very enthusiastic. I love Disney, and that's where I wanted to start. But when I started managing Blake and Murphy, I freaked out because I didn't know how to be mean.

I was watching a match I had with Blake and Murphy, and I wasn't doing anything; I was just standing in the background. And I remember thinking that I needed to make this character work. Because if I didn't, I wouldn't have a job.

B/R: Was there a really good promo—kind of a turning point—where you got a handle on who your character needed to be?

AB: The Bayley "This Is Your Life" segment! No, I'm kidding. I'm totally kidding. I get a lot of flak for that.

When I had the Raw Women's Championship, I made the crowd chant, "You deserve it!" I was told that was one of my better "interacting with the crowd" promos. And I was told that by Paul Heyman, who told me that I lured the [audience] in and took them on a ride.

Also, there was the Elimination Chamber promo, where I cried after winning the match and then turned on the crowd. That was a diverse promo where I was able to show a range. It was really cool to have a real emotional moment and then to have to snap back into character. That was probably my favorite promo, personally.

B/R: Charlotte Flair, in an interview right before WrestleMania, said that as one of the bigger female performers, she has to be aware of her size and work like a bigger person. As one of the smaller performers on the women's roster, are there specific things that you have to remember?

AB: You have to learn and adapt to each person. It's a challenge, but it's a good challenge. And ultimately, it's going to make me a better performer.

For example, in my Survivor Series match against Charlotte, I had to go back to her ribs and take her down to my level. Because if she's bent over holding her ribs, that gives me more opportunities to take advantage. With Nia Jax, it's about kicking out her leg. So that's where my [ring] psychology is. It's about bringing people down to my height. How do I even the playing field?

B/R: As Raw women's champion, do you consider yourself to be a leader in the women's locker room?

AB: There are people who have been there for a while like Nattie and Mickie James. They always take charge and help everybody out. But everyone is a leader in our locker room. Before, it was very much one person in charge. But now, everyone is inclusive and well aware that we all have to be on our game. As champion, I'm expected to be at the forefront of that; just because I'm a champion doesn't mean I don't have to work as hard. No one person is more important than another.

B/R: You're facing Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam. How is she adjusting to being a WWE Superstar?

AB: You know, Ronda Rousey is coming to WWE at such a great time because we're a big family here, and we try to help everyone succeed. She has passion for it, which is awesome, and she respects the business, which is awesome. Everyone has been helping her and walking her through everything. Because it's a very big challenge to come into this, go straight on the road and have your every move televised. I mean, her first match was at WrestleMania. Her second match was on Money in the Bank. They're all high-profile matches.

She wants to learn. And at the end of the day, it takes two people to make a good match. It will be great to see how she is a year from now.

B/R: Was anyone in the women's locker room initially defensive about this person coming from outside WWE, or were people receptive from the outset?

AB: Everyone was very receptive. If anyone wasn't, it wasn't shown.

What we do is not easy. And if someone like Ronda Rousey wants to come and be a part of what we do, and that's her passion? That's awesome. We had the Mae Young Classic, we had the first women's Royal Rumble and we didn't have a woman like Ronda. Everyone wants to be inclusive in the Women's Evolution.