Bianca Belair

Bianca Nicole Crawford, born Bianca Nicole Blair on April 9, 1989, in Knoxville, Tennessee, began her athletic career excelling in track and field. She attended the University of South Carolina, Texas A&M University, and the University of Tennessee, where she achieved All-SEC and All-American honors in 2011 and 2012. Blair was also a CrossFit competitor and powerlifter, appearing in various fitness publications before an injury forced her to end that pursuit. Her transition into professional wrestling began almost on a whim when she entered her information into the WWE prospects database. Shortly after, she received a message from WWE veteran Mark Henry, leading to two official tryouts and a contract with WWE on April 12, 2016.

Belair quickly made an impact in WWE’s developmental brand, NXT, debuting as “Binky Blair” in June 2016 and later as Bianca Belair on television in May 2017. She gained prominence for her undefeated streak, which lasted for 367 days until January 2019. In 2020, she transitioned to the main roster, joining the SmackDown brand. A significant milestone occurred in January 2021 when she won the Women’s Royal Rumble match, becoming the second African American to achieve this feat after The Rock. This victory led to her main-eventing WrestleMania 37, where she defeated Sasha Banks to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship, marking her first title in WWE and the first time two African-American women main-evented WWE’s flagship event. She was ranked No. 1 of the top 150 female wrestlers by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2021.

Belair’s career continued to ascend, securing the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022. Her reign of 420 days became the longest in the championship’s history, establishing her as the longest-reigning women’s champion of the modern era and the longest-reigning African-American world champion in WWE history. In May 2024, alongside Jade Cargill, she won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, making her the ninth WWE Women’s Triple Crown Champion. Throughout her career, she has consistently been recognized for her strength, agility, and unique in-ring style, often utilizing her signature braided ponytail as a weapon. Her influence extends beyond the ring, with appearances in video games like WWE 2K24, where she and Rhea Ripley became the first female WWE wrestlers to appear on a WWE 2K cover. She also signed with Hollywood agency WME in 2022 and stars in the reality show ‘Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez’ with her husband Montez Ford.