AEW's Julia Hart Opens Up About Cheerleading Background

It's hard to believe that AEW TBS Champion and House of Black member Julia Hart isn't that far removed from being a cheerleader. In fact, it has only been a little over a year since Hart transitioned to the darker iteration we see today, a far departure from the cheerleader and manager for the Varsity Blondes tag team that she started in AEW as. The initial gimmick was a natural for Hart, given she had been a cheerleader for years, and she believes it helped her transition into wrestling.

"Definitely. I think cheerleading also made me comfortable in front of crowds," she told "The Five Count" podcast. "I've never second-guessed myself in front of a crowd. I always feel really at home being in front of people, and I can take on that pressure of being the center of attention, which is okay for me, where some people might be scared of [it]. But for me, it's okay. And also, too, I think cheerleading really taught me to be a hard worker and to just keep pursuing your goal."

Hart recently shared that she much prefers her current run with the House of Black over her cheerleading days. She believes that's because trying to bring cheerleading elements into wrestling was more challenging than she thought.

"I think I did the cheerleader just because it was easy," Hart said. "I'd been cheerleading for six years, so I was like 'Oh, it'll just be easy.' But it was actually really hard for me to translate cheerleading into wrestling, because they're two different things, so it was like hitting heads for me, character-wise. So being with Malakai Black and Brody King and Buddy Matthews," she continued, "it really just helped me develop a wrestler side, instead of trying so hard to be a cheerleader."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Five Count" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription