Alexis Lete was a member of the August 2022 WWE Performance Center class. She was signed to a developmental contract and trained to wrestle, but unfortunately, she never appeared on television.
WWE released Lete this past September alongside a bunch of high-profile talents including Dolph Ziggler, Matt Riddle, and Mustafa Ali.
In her latest YouTube video, Lete discussed her WWE release and overall experience at the Performance Center.
For those unaware, Lete holds a Guinness World Record for the furthest volleyball set into a basketball hoop.
You can check out some highlights below:
On her WWE experience: “I had a great time. I feel like WWE is a place of misfits. We’re all a little weird and janky, so I fit in kind of perfect there. With that being said, I didn’t always feel like I was meant to be in WWE, or, at least a wrestler. I didn’t always think I was supposed to be a wrestler. It was early on, I didn’t pick it up really fast, I was kind of hesitant, I saw a lot of injuries, and by seeing a lot of injuries, I didn’t know if it was for me or not. I’m not going to lie, I’m a wimp. People in WWE are some badass people. They’re putting their life on the line, breaking their bones, finishing matches, getting staples in their head and they keep going. That’s so hardcore. That’s not me. I’m not hardcore. I wish I was, but I’m not. I’m a fragile little bean.”
On trying to pitch other ideas for herself: “I actually loved WWE. Had so much fun, loved my friends, but I didn’t love wrestling. I remember when I came back with my mom and dad for the New Year. I was like, ‘I have different ideas for different shows. Maybe I could pitch this show similar to The Bump, but different, a Bump version at NXT.’ I was trying to pitch different show ideas I could do. Pretty much, I was like, ‘I’m in the WWE, I don’t necessarily want to wrestle, but maybe I can do this whole hosting thing since I love it so much.’
“I remember talking to people on cameras and in the social media department, and they shut it down. ‘You’re really supposed to wrestle, you’re not supposed to tamper outside of what you’re doing. If they know you’re not passionate and into wrestling, they’ll fire you.’ I’ll keep showing up, I’ll keep going to promo classes, I’ll keep working on my mic skills, maybe they’ll see me on the mic and be like, ‘You know what, head to the mic. That’s all you’re going to do. You’re going to be a valet and someone who is a talker. It’s okay if you don’t wrestle very often.’ That’s what I was hoping for… One day, the guy who was the head of NXT pulled me aside and was like, ‘you did a great job on the mic today. We’re really impressed. We’re going to put you on TV without having to wrestle.’ I left that day so elated. A week passed and this person was like, ‘We changed our mind. We want you really to wrestle. We don’t want to put you on TV until you’re ready to wrestle.’ I just remember being so devastated.”
On pushing herself to try and continue: “I went on a 60-day challenge. For these 60 days, if I was not on Level Up, I was going to quit or decide something to do, talk to somebody, something was going to happen. For these 60 days, I was going to vlog, make a short video, and try my absolute best. I was going to go to all the extra rings, the last one in the gym, ask all the questions, listen in and hear people prepare and get ready. I was going to be a sponge and soak everything up. It started working. People started noticing me. I started getting better. I got compliments from people telling me that it was so great that I was so interested and that I was asking so many questions. People wanted to help me, I got eyes on me. Coaches kept saying, ‘I think you’re going to be on TV in three months. I think it’s going to happen for you.’ I was starting to get hopeful. At the same time, I would go home, watch wrestling, watch different matches to get different move ideas, different character ideas, and it felt like a chore. It wasn’t fun for me. I dreaded it. It was like my soul was slowly being sucked out of my body the more I tried to get myself to like this. I did like wrestling, but I didn’t love it. I didn’t feel it was for me. I think the main thing was injuries,” she said.
On being close to quitting before she was released: “Another show happens and during this live match, a girl knees me in the face pretty much. My head hit something behind me. In that moment, I was like, ‘something is wrong.’ It wasn’t a bad wrong, just ‘Oh, I rung my bell.’ Ringing your bell is a concussion. ‘I think something happened. I don’t know if it’s bad or not.’ I took a few days to figure out if I actually had something wrong or not. A few days went by and I could tell I was a little off. I’ve had some concussions before I knew something was not right. I go into work. I don’t say anything. Then next time, I’m heading to medical. ‘I’m going to tell them something is weird. I think I rung my bell.’ As I’m walking in someone is like, “Letty, what’s up, how are you doing?’ ‘I’m doing really good, but I’m about to head to medical. I feel like something happened and I feel I rang my bell.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, you rang your bell?’ ‘Yeah, ringing your bell is still a concussion. It’s still not the best.’ He told me, ‘Hey, that’s kind of part of the job. You get injuries all the time. You deal with them and you move on and get ready for the next thing.’ ‘Oh, okay.’ ‘Don’t go and tell them. Spend another night, think about it, but unless you’re bad and black out, I wouldn’t tell them about it.’ ‘Oh, okay,’ In that moment. I was like, ‘F this.’ I went home, did my night routine, took my vlog video and was like, ‘I don’t know if this is for me.’ I love entertaining, but I don’t want to entertain at the risk of my body and mental health. I said, ‘I don’t think this is for me.’ The next day, I called in sick to work.”
On being ultimately grateful for her time there: “With all that said. I’m so grateful for my time in WWE. I’m so grateful for God. God is real. Pray.”
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Alexis Lete, a former member of the August 2022 WWE Performance Center class, recently opened up about her experience at the center and her subsequent release from the company. Lete, who signed a developmental contract with WWE, trained to become a wrestler but never made an appearance on television.
In a recent YouTube video, Lete shared her thoughts on her time at WWE and her struggles with wrestling. She described WWE as a place for misfits, where everyone is a little weird and janky, and she felt like she fit in perfectly. However, she admitted that she didn’t always feel like wrestling was her calling. She was hesitant and saw many injuries, which made her question if wrestling was the right path for her. Lete acknowledged that she was not as hardcore as other wrestlers and considered herself a fragile individual.
Lete also discussed her attempts to pitch different ideas for herself within WWE. She loved the company and had a great time there, but wrestling itself wasn’t her passion. She wanted to explore hosting and pitching show ideas similar to “The Bump” at NXT. However, she was told by people in the social media department that she was expected to wrestle and not venture outside of that role. Lete hoped that her mic skills and interest in hosting would lead to a non-wrestling role on TV, but her hopes were shattered when she was informed that she would still have to wrestle.
Despite her reservations, Lete pushed herself to improve and prove herself at WWE. She embarked on a 60-day challenge where she vlogged and made videos, attended extra rings, asked questions, and absorbed as much knowledge as possible. Her efforts paid off as people started noticing her and coaches expressed confidence that she would be on TV in three months. However, Lete’s interest in wrestling began to wane. Watching matches and coming up with move and character ideas felt like a chore, and she realized that she didn’t love wrestling as much as she thought. Injuries also played a significant role in her decision, as she didn’t want to risk her body and mental health for the sake of entertaining others.
Lete revealed that she was close to quitting before her release from WWE. After experiencing a concussion during a live match, she contemplated whether wrestling was worth the potential harm. When she mentioned her concerns to someone at WWE, they dismissed her worries, stating that injuries were part of the job. This interaction made her realize that she didn’t want to compromise her well-being for the sake of entertainment, leading her to call in sick the next day and ultimately leave WWE.
Despite her departure, Lete expressed gratitude for her time at WWE and credited God for her experiences. She emphasized the importance of prayer and thanked her fans for their support.
In conclusion, Alexis Lete’s journey in WWE serves as a reminder that not everyone’s path in the wrestling industry is the same. While some wrestlers thrive in the ring, others may find their passion lies elsewhere. Lete’s honesty about her struggles and decision to prioritize her well-being is commendable, and it highlights the importance of self-awareness and following one’s true calling.