Becoming the longest-reigning Black singles champion in WWE history is an honor Bianca Belair isn’t taking for granted — and it’s one that she says is bigger than her alone.
Belair recently surpassed MVP as the longest tenured Black titleholder of any WWE singles championship, with her Raw Women’s Championship reign hitting 344 days. She claimed the belt on night 1 of WrestleMania by defeating Becky Lynch, and has made 11 successful televised defenses of it since then.
It was a natural topic of conversation for her appearance on The Whole Story Podcast (h/t Fightful), where she talked about understanding the significance of such a long title run relatively early in her career.
I know I’ve had a lot of success very quickly, but I’ve only been on the main roster for, [I’m] going on my third year. So to know that I’m currently the longest-reigning black champion in WWE history, it’s something that’s really hard to put into words. It’s an honor, it makes me feel like I’m doing something right, and it really puts, not pressure but significance on how big this moment is, and that it’s not just about me. I think that’s what I love about it the most is that I feel like it’s not just about me. It adds a why to what I’m doing. It’s representation, it’s inspiring others.
Belair also credited husband and fellow WWE star Montez Ford for pointing out that her appearance in the WrestleMania 37 main event was equally historic. Belair defeated Sasha Banks in the final match of night 1 in Tampa to claim the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Though it’s not expected to be a main event, Belair has another championship match on WWE’s biggest stage in Los Angeles in a few weeks, when she’ll once again defend her title against Asuka. Even if she ends up dropping the belt there (and oddsmakers have it as more or less a pick ’em at the moment), she appreciates what this opportunity has meant for not just herself, but for many WWE fans.
“So I’m riding this wave,” she said. “I hope I’m doing it right. I want to be representation, I want to be inspiration, and I just really want my title reign to be more than just about me, and that’s what it’s becoming, and I think that that’s special.”