WWE Signs First Women From India and Middle East

WWE officially announced that they have signed the first women from India and the Middle East on their roster to a WWE developmental contract.

Kavita Devi, who competed in the Mae Young Classic, is from India, and the announcement was made today while Jinder Mahal was in India helping promote WWE.

Shadia Bseiso was born in Jordan and WWE actually already announced her signing in August. From a previous post:

Shadia Bseiso is the first woman from the middle east signed by WWE (though NXT’s Aliyah is an Arab-Canadian). She was born in Jordan, attended college in Lebanon, and moved to Dubai for a career as a television presenter.

She is trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has won medals at the Abu Dhabi World Pro Championship.

She participated in WWE’s tryouts in Dubai in May and has now been signed.

Shadia’s Instagram

WWE’s post with more info is below:

WWE signs first ever female talents from India and the Middle East, Kavita Devi and Shadia Bseiso!https://t.co/bY7S0KIShE

— WWE (@WWE) October 15, 2017

WWE signs first female talent from India and the Middle East to developmental contracts

WWE today announced it has signed two premier female athletes to developmental contracts: Kavita Devi from India and Shadia Bseiso from Jordan. Devi and Bseiso are the first women from India and the Middle East, respectively, to receive opportunities to train to become WWE Superstars.

An accomplished powerlifter who won gold while representing India at the 2016 South Asian Games, Kavita Devi also has the distinction of being the first Indian woman to compete in a WWE ring, participating in the Mae Young Classic women’s tournament last August. Having learned her ring skills from her mentor, former World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali, Devi is expected to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., this January.

“It was a privilege to be the first Indian woman to compete in WWE,” said Devi. “Participating in the Mae Young Classic with some of the best female performers in the world was a great learning experience. Now I am looking forward to pursuing my dream of becoming the first WWE Women’s Champion from India.”

Shadia Bseiso is a trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete and CrossFit enthusiast who attended WWE’s invitation-only talent tryout in Dubai earlier this year. The talent pool for the tryouts consisted of 40 men and women from the Middle East and India with diverse backgrounds in sports and athletics, including powerlifters, rugby and football players, amateur wrestlers, martial artists and fitness experts. Bseiso’s athletic abilities, confidence, and natural charisma – the last of which she showcased as a bilingual TV presenter – earned her the opportunity to further develop her skills with WWE. Like Devi, Bseiso is scheduled to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in January.

“It is an honor to be the first-ever woman from the Middle East to sign with WWE,” Bseiso said. “I have visited the Performance Center and attended the Mae Young Classic. I have personally witnessed the power of WWE and the passion of WWE fans. I look forward to starting on my path to becoming a WWE Superstar.”

Devi and Bseiso will join a roster of international talent at the WWE Performance Center who hail from a variety of countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

“Recruiting Kavita and Shadia to join our developmental system underscores WWE’s ongoing commitment to building a talent roster as diverse as our fan base,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “We’re confident Kavita and Shadia will inspire future WWE Superstars as we continue to recruit the most talented athletes and entertainers from around the world.”

Sending a huge congratulations to @KavitaDeviWWE and also @WWE for making history today. Kavita is the first Indian woman to sign with WWE.

— The Maharaja (@JinderMahal) October 15, 2017

شادية بسيسو تتحدث عن تجربتها في تجارب أداء #WWE في دبي هذا العام.
شاهدوا الحوار كامل عبر موقعنا https://t.co/14oo4RXRT0 @shadiabseiso pic.twitter.com/2RPA7odTr0

— WWE MENA (@WWEmena) October 15, 2017