The Insane 10-Year Ban Current Champion Got For Signing With WWE

A recently-crowned champion revealed receiving a 10-year ban for signing with WWE.

In her previous life, Izzi Dame played professional volleyball at Eastern Michigan Eagles and overseas while residing in Cyprus.

Dame signed with the Stamford-based company in 2022 after standing out in her tryout. Since then, she has been assigned to the NXT roster and is an active member of The Culling.

The 26-year-old recently spoke on the Busted Open Radio podcast with Bully Ray, where she opened up about receiving a 10-year ban from playing volleyball in Cyprus because she opted to sign with WWE.

I don’t even know how they found me. I was living overseas in Cyprus on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea.

I actually signed my second year contract to go back and play professional volleyball, flew back for our three-month break that we get, touched down, got a DM from the WWE recruit page. My dad was like, ‘You need to stick with volleyball.’ My mom is like, ‘Do it. Come back to the States. Be home. This is a cool opportunity.’

I go to the tryout…I have 4000 followers on Instagram. How these people found me, I don’t know. I end up making it. I had to call my agent and break my contract in Cyprus, and now I’m banned from playing there for ten years. Ten years, can’t play there. [H/T: Fightful]

WWE’s Izzi Dame Crowned NXT Champion At New Year’s Evil

Izzi Dame suffered a shocking loss to her former ally Tatum Paxley in their singles match. At NXT Gold Rush, she turned on Paxley by costing her the opportunity to retain the NXT Women’s Championship against Jacy Jayne.

After beating her at Deadline, they fought again at New Year’s Evil on January 6. This time around, Paxley had her number, getting a win by hitting the Cemetery Drive finisher.

Later in the night, Dame challenged NXT Women’s North American Champion Thea Hail, who was viciously attacked by Blake Monroe at the beginning of the show.

Dame dominated the bout by exploiting Hail’s rib injury and defeated by hitting the Dame Over to become the Women’s North American Champion for the first time.