WWE's Nikkita Lyons Talks Growing Up In Entertainment Industry As A 'Thicker Girl'

"WWE NXT" star Nikkita Lyons quickly rose to become one of the developmental territory's foremost female talents after her December 2021 debut, winning the Women's Breakout Tournament and challenging for the Women's and Women's Tag titles — albeit unsuccessfully. But she has recently found her momentum halted as a result of injuries. 

The former WOW star recently opened up on her journey so far in her conversation with Booker T on the "Hall of Fame" podcast, talking about the adversity she has faced to get where she is. 

"So I grew up in the entertainment industry," she said. "And I always like to use that metaphor of the glacier in the ocean, there's that big foundation under the water, the hard work that nobody sees, and then there's the pretty ice outside of the water that everybody does see." 

Booker T stopped Lyons there, quizzing her on what it was like to come up in the industry and whether she faced bullying. She explained she was ostracized for her bigger frame, especially in an industry that historically pines for those on the smaller side of things. 

"There were many struggles growing up in the entertainment industry, especially as a thicker girl. It's always been, 'You're too tall for this ... You're too thick for this role, you should dye your hair, you'll never be the hot girl.' There's definitely bullying at school, a lot of online bullying which still happens. But your girl has built that rhino-thick skin now, so I just do my best to laugh at it. It was definitely something that I had to overcome and it just basically taught me that no matter what anybody says or what anybody does, I know me and I know what I've been through. I know what I'm going for. I know me, period."