The following blog was written by Rhianna, age 17, from Make-A-Wish. The British teen recently met WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, as well as WWE and NXT Superstars, and WWE Performance Center recruits, in Orlando, Fla. Rhianna’s wish was chronicled by ESPN’s “My Wish” series on SportsCenter. Rhianna offered a first-hand account of her two days at the WWE PC, where she had a business meeting with Stephanie and offered her own unique ideas about WWE programming.
When I found out my wish was being granted, I couldn’t believe it! Everything felt like a dream, and even now it feels like one. Less than a week after the reveal, I was on my first plane flight with my mum as we headed to Orlando. After a day of recovery, I was taken to the WWE Performance Center in a limo! As we arrived at the PC, I was so shocked to see one of the many Superstars I admire, Nia Jax, standing with Ryan Katz to welcome me! Surprise! Then, NXT Superstars Kacy Catanzaro and Adam Cole joined us on the tour. Adam let me hold his NXT Championship as we took a picture together; it was definitely a lot heavier than I thought it would be.
I met so many different people, and I even met WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels! I commentated alongside Jon Quasto and Tegan Nox, which was a dream come true since being a commentator has always been a dream of mine. Cutting a promo was absolutely terrifying and very hard to do. Being surprised by Tyler Breeze and having the opportunity to do my own entrance was breathtaking! “Ragin’ Rhianna Rox” had arrived! Never in a million dreams would I imagine walking down the ramp with people cheering me on, but that is exactly what happened! I joked around with everyone, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged somewhere with people who didn’t judge me because of my condition.
The second day was even more incredible than the first. I was really nervous about meeting Stephanie McMahon, but as soon as I walked in and she greeted me with a hug, my nerves disappeared, and we started to talk about some different ideas I had. We all see the Stephanie on TV who isn’t always pleasant, but she is nothing like that in real life; she is so kind, caring and she is absolutely amazing. She was so friendly, and as we were talking, I realized we have lots in common, from how much we love our dogs to her fashion style. She gave me advice and encouraged me to stay focused on my goals and dreams, which gave me a new determination to make my dreams come true. She disappeared behind the Make-A-Wish step-and-repeat and joked around that I wasn’t allowed to look while she unwrapped a gift for me. Stephanie presented me with my own Raw Women’s Championship before mentioning that Triple H was also excited to meet me. I mentioned I was a little scared of him, but she reassured me that he was like a big teddy bear and that I didn’t have to be worried.
When I met Triple H, I asked him some questions, and it turns out he is exactly how Stephanie described him to me, although his hands were a lot bigger than I expected! He even invited me to NXT U.K. TakeOver: Cardiff! After meeting Triple H, I had a few minutes before the NXT event started at Full Sail, so I spent time talking to the Superstars and getting high-fives and fist-bumps from so many of them before heading inside where I experienced my very first WWE show live in the audience!
I’ve never felt so welcomed or happy around people until this happened, and I feel like I have made friends with the Superstars and Stephanie. These are definitely memories that I will never forget. Thank you to everyone at Make-A-Wish, ESPN and WWE for everything you have done for me.
