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WWE adds Valerie Loureda as NXT women’s division continues to develop

By Raphael Garcia

UNCASVILLE, CT - FEBRUARY 16: Valerie Loureda (L) and Michael Page backstage at Paul Daley Vs Michael Page at Mohegan Sun Arena on February 16, 2019 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
UNCASVILLE, CT - FEBRUARY 16: Valerie Loureda (L) and Michael Page backstage at Paul Daley Vs Michael Page at Mohegan Sun Arena on February 16, 2019 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage) /
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Valerie Loureda has officially made the jump from mixed martial arts to professional wrestling. News broke on Wednesday that the former Bellator competitor has decided to make the move to professional wrestling.

“I’m an entertainer,” Loureda said as reported by Marc Raimondi of ESPN. “I love glamour. I love production, I love storytelling. And when I saw the WWE, I realized this is everything I’m good at in one place. Not only that, but I saw the opportunity to be the first Cuban American woman to be a WWE superstar.”

Loureda is scheduled to arrive at the WWE Performance Center on July 18. According to Raimondi’s piece, Loureda hopes to be on NXT television by the end of 2022 and on the WWE main roster within one year.

“I have big goals and I’m a little crazy,” Loureda said. “I just know what I’m gonna be able to do in the WWE. There’s no limits. I’m limitless.”

WWE gains an interesting prospect by bringing Loureda into the fold. As the company makes a concerted effort to bring in younger women, Loureda falls within that demographic but brings in the bonus of a built-in audience due to her already strong following. While her in-cage performances may not cause headlines, her presence on social media has generated more than a few, including causing other fighters to call her out for potential bouts. Loureda knows how to draw in attention, and for better or for worse, that’s one quality that WWE covets, even over one’s ability to wrestle bell-to-bell.

Loureda comes in at a time when WWE is quietly building a strong women’s division in NXT. While Mandy Rose and Toxic Attraction stand at the top of the ladder, names like Roxanne Perez, Cora Jade, Sarray, Ivy Nile, Nikita Lyons, Tiffany Stratton, Lash Legend, and others are building fans while developing their abilities to perform up to the WWE style. Lyons and Loureda have a real-life friendship and it will be interesting to see if WWE works this into her introduction.

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At 23 years old, Valerie Loureda checks all the boxes in what the WWE is looking for with new signees. As she prepares to join WWE NXT in the coming weeks, she’s joining at a time when the promotion is building a refreshed women’s division.

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