Fans of Netflix’s Cheer may already be familiar with one of WWE’s newest signees as Gabi Butler confirmed that she’s signed a deal with the company and will be looking to translate her athletic skills from the world of cheerleading to competition inside the squared circle.
Speaking to People, Butler revealed that hadn’t envisioned herself as a professional wrestler until she attended this year’s edition of WWE SummerSlam, where she said she was “blow away by what they put on.” The Cheer star explained that cheerleading has always been her primary focus, but she has a new appreciation for wrestling after seeing WWE Superstars in action.
“I was so involved in the cheerleading industry for so long, and I never really looked into anything other than cheerleading. But when I went to SummerSlam, it really just opened my eyes to the athleticism and the dedication the athletes bring into the ring.”
During her SummerSlam visit, Gabi Butler spent time with Stephanie McMahon, who took over as co-CEO of WWE alongside Nick Khan when her father Vince McMahon retired earlier this year. Butler was full of praise for McMahon, who she says “really inspired” her to take the leap into wrestling.
“The way she carries herself is very impressive and the conversation we had was so nice.”
Gabi Butler Says Cheerleading Shares Many Qualities With Professional Wrestling
As part of the same People interview, Gabi Butler said she was “honestly shocked” at the similarities between cheer and professional wrestling.
“It’s very related to cheerleading because we’re performers, we’re entertainers, we like to put on a show and we also have to be athletic.”
Butler will begin training at WWE’s Performance Center, and she says she’s up for the challenge of immersing herself in the world of professional wrestling and eventually having matches of her own in WWE.
“I would definitely love to take that challenge, hopefully in the future. You have to be committed to be wrestling, that’s for sure. It definitely doesn’t look easy.”
Gabi Butler also admitted that she never thought her career as a cheerleader would lead to professional wrestling.
“I never thought that cheerleading would take me on this route, but here we are.”
Cheer is a Netflix docuseries that follows competitive cheerleaders at Navarro College in Corsicana, TX.