WWE star Carmella was recently interviewed by KATC TV to promote SmackDown Live in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Carmella opened up on her professional wrestling career, and how she was influenced by her father. The former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion’s father is Paul Van Dale, a former jobber in WWE. After her cheerleading career in the NFL and NBA, Carmella decided to follow in her dad’s footsteps:
“I have a background in dance so I danced my entire life, since I was three years old,” said Carmella.
“And I cheered in the NFL [for the Patriots), in the NBA [for the Lakers]. My dad was a wrestler back in the early 90s, so it just brought everything full circle with my dad’s background and my love of performing and entertainment, and now here I am in the WWE.”
After cheerleading for the New England Patriots for three seasons, Carmell applied to Tough Enough in 2010. She withdrew her application, however, as she landed a gig cheerleading for the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 2013 she joined NXT and made her main roster debut in 2016. Carmella went on to defeat Charlotte Flair for the SDL Women’s Championship. She did this by cashing in her Money In The Bank (MITB) briefcase, the first ever won by a woman.
Charlotte eventually won the title back from Carmella at SummerSlam, and “Money” is looking to get another crack at “The Queen”:
“Well, Charlotte Flair,” Carmella said. “She took my title from me. I did beat her twice, however she beat me and took my title from me unfortunately. But I’m gonna get it back.”
Discussion: What do you think about Carmella’s father’s influence on her WWE career? Let us know in the comments section below!
H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions
