Olympic Gold Medalist Erica Wiebe Visits WWE

By inviting Olympic gold medalist Erica Wiebe to its live events and Performance Center, WWE continues its history of looking for new talent outside the world of sports entertainment.

Erica Wiebe was given her own personal tour of WWE this past week, taking in some action and even stepping into the squared circle herself. Not only did the Olympic champion visit the WWE Performance Center, she also attended SmackDown Live, the Mae Young Classic final and a night of NXT TV tapings.

WWE.com has posted a story on the gold medalist and even included a photograph of Wiebe in the ring, seemingly taking instructions from trainer Norman Smiley.

Wiebe is the reigning Olympic champion in the 75kg freestyle and was heavily scouted by WWE during her run towards gold in Rio in 2016. She is originally from Stittsville, Ontario, Canada and now calls Calgary, Alberta – a city well known for producing pro wrestling royalty – her home.

WWE has a clear track record of scouting, pursuing and signing collegiate and Olympic wrestlers. Look no further than Raw’s Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and its general manager Kurt Angle (among many others) for proof that the potential for superstardom is there if an athlete can make a clean transition from the sports world to sports entertainment.

How much legitimate interest does Wiebe actually have in becoming a WWE superstar?

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In a 2016 interview with the Canadian National Post, she acknowledged WWE’s interest in her, calling herself “a ‘yes’ girl” and saying that she would be open to accepting an invitation and “seeing what happens”. This week could be further indication that her openness remains.

It should be noted that earlier this year, Wiebe captained the Mumbai Maharathi in the Indian Pro Wrestling League and likely has future Olympic aspirations.

There are conflicting reports on the precise reason for Wiebe’s trip. Although many news outlets have been choosing to use the word “tryout”, WWE has yet to employ that term and has opted for “visit” instead.

One could assume that this was simply a chance for Wiebe to experience the WWE lifestyle and gain a better firsthand understanding of the business.

Not only did Wiebe spend some time in the ring, she also witnessed the undeniable athleticism of the competitors in the MYC and even got to be a part of an always-passionate NXT crowd.

If WWE’s goal was to sell Erica Wiebe on the positives of a possible sports entertainment career, mission accomplished.

Other than questions that are currently unanswerable (like what was the ultimate result of this week’s visit?), there are other important factors that deserve consideration.

For example, where exactly would Wiebe fit into WWE’s plans for their women’s division?

Wiebe herself had a front row seat to a tournament that will help fortify an already packed lineup of female wrestlers. Whether it is on the main roster or in NXT, there are talented women all throughout WWE.

That being said, there seems to be a push towards signing female athletes that have real combat sports experience. Shayna Baszler and Sonya Deville immediately come to mind, as does Ronda Rousey, who has also been spending plenty of time around the company these days.

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Overall, Wiebe has kept her true feelings on a future in professional wrestling close to the vest. Only time will tell if this week, whether it was a simple “visit” or an actual “tryout”, will lead to another Olympic champion appearing in WWE.