Subhojeet Mukherjee on January 7, 2026
Izzi Dame is banned from playing professional volleyball in Cyprus for the next 10 years—and she couldn’t care less.
The newly crowned NXT Women’s North American Champion opened up on Busted Open After Dark about her transition from international athlete to WWE star. It all started with a surprise DM while she was living overseas on a remote island. At the time, Dame wasn’t even thinking about pro wrestling—she was getting ready to sign her second-year deal to return to professional volleyball.
“I don’t even know how they found me. I was living overseas in Cyprus, on a little island over the Mediterranean Sea.”
“I had actually signed my second-year contract to go back and play professional volleyball. I flew back for the three-month break that we get, touched down, and got a DM from the WWE recruit page.”
What followed was a total family tug-of-war. Her dad, who also happened to be her coach, didn’t want her to walk away from volleyball. Her mom, however, saw something bigger.
“My dad was my coach, and he was like, ‘No, no — you need to stick to volleyball.’ My mom was like, ‘Do it. Come back to the States… This is a cool opportunity.’”
With only 4,000 Instagram followers and no real idea how WWE even discovered her, Izzi Dame took a leap of faith. She nailed the tryout but had to pay the price back home as she was hit with a 10-year ban from playing in Cyprus.
“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 10 years. So beat that — 10 years. Can’t play there.”
Izzi Dame signed with WWE in October 2022, and now, a little over three years later, she’s captured championship gold on NXT. From the beaches of Cyprus to the bright lights of WWE — Dame’s journey is proof that sometimes, one DM really can change your destiny.
What do you think of Izzi Dame’s story? Did WWE find a future megastar in one of the most unexpected places? Let us know in the comments!
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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