What is, women's history month that we're in the midst of right now and
even at this point in your career, you continue to make history.
It was very well publicized in Saudi Arabia, which as we all know is
an extremely different culture than our own here in America.
What was it like for you to head somewhere you'd never been before and
receive the reaction that you did and be on Billboard's, which is historic not only
for WWE, but for women as a whole in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?
Yeah, it's crazy, I will say the first time that,
the office sent me the billboard, I thought it was photoshopped.
>> [LAUGH] >> Not even as a joke, but
just this is a big thing, and I was, yeah, wouldn't it be cool,
if we were on billboards and come to find out we are.
So I think, that kind of was a thing that, kind of gave me confidence going into it.
That was, like you stated being a trailblazer 20 years ago, and
then kind of putting a little button on it.
Now felt, I'm a big proponent of wherever you are, is where you should be.
So I was like, this is where you should be, this is what you should be doing,
it's gonna be fine, it's gonna be what it should be.
All of these moments along the way whether it was the fans reaction,
the women just giving me encouragement, or little moments like this.
I just kept getting reinforce that, this was what I was supposed to be doing.
>> I enjoyed the hell out of that, as sitting in my seat because you and
I have become really close friends over the years, and
I knew how special what we were about to see, was going to be.
And then you went out and had a banger of a match.
I think, it could have been a feel good like, all right, well,
we saw lead everybody cheered, everybody felt good.
But instead you and Becky went out there and tore it down.
And I know you had your doubts leading up to it.
You were training extra hard, but was there a point in the matchup where you
went I'm Lida, I remember how to do this >> Yeah, once we maybe got about three
minutes into the match or so like, >> Okay.
>> But I mean, I'll be honest with you, like leading up to it.
Yeah, I was training, but it's, nothing's the same until you're live there,
they're doing it right?
>> Yeah.
>> And so, I was like, I may throw that first close line,
my shoulder might fall out a socket, like I might be, this might be a disaster.
>> Totally unravel in the ring, [LAUGH].
>> [LAUGH] >> [LAUGH] Totally, and so a few minutes
in after I'd just felt my be under me a little bit I was like,
okay I think, we're gonna be good [LAUGH] >> Yeah.
>> It was all kind of like in real time and the trust that I had working
with that Becky, was a huge factor in just knowing, okay.
I know she's gonna do her thing because, she is in that zone where,
she is like out there defending every night working every live event.
Was like okay, Becky's good, just focus on you and that's all you need to do.
And so, yeah, a couple minutes and I think I was okay.
So you can breathe I think, you're gonna be able to make it through the match.
That was the first tier, was like you can make it through the match.
And then, I think kind of steps and phases of feeling the match out and
I will say that, as I mentioned before, I feel like I could feel that each and
every step whereas prior, it's a blur.
You get to the back and you're like, I don't know, was it,
what happened out there?
>> Yeah >> But yeah, it was kind of there,
I felt like, [LAUGH] I was watching myself.
>> An out of body experience, [LAUGH].
>> Yeah.
>> [LAUGH] >> That's really well, but
you guys told such an awesome story.
It was such a simple story for me to tell and for Byron and Cole,
it was almost Rocky.
In that, the veteran came back and was, did you have what it took?
It was almost like a like a drag go rocky sort of situation.
>> Yeah.
>> And I even started to count you out on commentary.
I was like that, I guess this feel good moment.
Leaders overmatched and then you started fighting back, and then the crowd came and
everybody started to believe.
But my question for you is, in the wake of that matchup, what kind of response
did you receive not only from the fans in Jeddah who were there live.
But your fans around the world, who have been Lida fans for so long.
What did all that feel like after coming back and
having this uber successful matchup?
>> Yeah, I think the whole thing was so politic and
I felt like the fans had wanted that moment for so long.
And I didn't realize that, I wanted, needed or
would feel a sense of satisfaction from having that moment.
I always maintained, no I'm happy with my career, I'm satisfied,
you guys do your thing girls, I just love watching the progress and
watching you guys keep smashing glass ceilings.
And I do believe that, but I was, I won't lie,
that felt good and it did give me a sense of peace having
as that's my last match, if that's my last match right?
But it made me feel, peace moving forward.
So either if it's not my last match to be able to feel just a clean
Slate going forward or if it is, I get asked so much like, every interview,
like talk about your last match to try to put a positive spin on that.
It was funny, we all know that's not how I felt, and so
to go yeah, that's where we were then.
But here's where we are now, and in the present is where it's important and
to be able to say that with honesty, just it feels really nice.
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