Last year, a video of an Indian woman clad in an orange salwar-kameez accepting open challenge of a professional wrestler and then winning the round went viral. The video shows Kavita Devi, Haryana police officer fighting it out at an event held by Continental Wrestling Entertainment, a promotion and training school launched by the Indian WWE champion The Great Khali, in 2015. But if you thought it would be just a blink and miss appearance by Devi, then you are wrong. Now, the former Haryana police officer is back again, making headlines as the first-Indian woman to compete in a WWE ring.
The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is no stranger to Indian participants. From The Great Khali to reigning WWE champion Jinder Mahal, the nation has produced a number of professional wrestlers who have proven their mettle for the company. However, there has never been a woman wrestler from India until Kavita Devi of Haryana broke that drought at the Mae Young Classic tournament.
Earlier this year, Kavita Devi became the first Indian woman to compete in the WWE when she was included in the Mae Young Classic tournament. The video of her finding it out with Kiwi professional wrestler Cheree Crowley who fights under the name of Dakota Rai has garnered over 2.3 million views on YouTube.
Hailing from Haryana, Kavita underwent training to be a professional wrestler under the guidance on The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) at his Punjab based wrestling promotion and training academy. She shot to fame after her video, in which she wrestled against a woman wrestler named BB Bull Bull, which went viral on social media.
