Nia Jax recently spoke with Mirror, where she discussed her women’s championship match at WrestleMania, the impact of her current storyline, being bullied at a young age and more. Read the full interview below

Nia Jax challenges Alexa Bliss for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 34 in a match based on the break-up of their friendship. The Samoan powerhouse and the pint-sized Goddess will clash after it emerged Bliss had been using Jax and secretly mocking her weight. Standing 6ft tall and weighing 272lb, Nia has been subjected to cruel taunts from Alexa – insults which she has also battled away from the ring. The number one contender, real name Savelina Fanene, from Sydney, Australia, has previously revealed her experiences of body shaming. And while the storyline is controversial, it gives the real life best friends the chance to address an issue affecting many people around the world. Jax, 33, spoke to Mirror Sport about the plot, her title opportunity and what happens if you mess with a member of the AnoaÊ»i family tree.

You have the rare opportunity of a singles match at WrestleMania and not just any singles match, but a singles match for the Raw Women’s Championship. How do you feel about this?

I’m over the moon. I mean, I can’t even think of the last time women have had a singles match for the title on the WrestleMania card. [WWE Women’s Champion Melina defeated Ashley at WrestleMania 23 in 2007.] Obviously you think back to Trish and Mickie [Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus to capture the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 22 in 2006]. But I’m just sitting here thinking ‘this is crazy, we have two women’s matches for the title on the WrestleMania card’. I’m just blown away. Plus we have a mixed match on the card as well, so it’s pretty amazing.

This is the first WrestleMania with multiple singles women’s matches since WrestleMania 22.

There you go, you knew it!

And one of those was a Playboy Pillow Fight!

A Playboy Pillow Fight, ha ha.

It shows the company’s shift in thinking, thanks to the ‘Women’s Evolution’.

Yeah, it’s amazing. I’m honoured and beyond blessed to be a part of it.

The storyline for this match with Alexa Bliss has been framed around her insulting and bodyshaming you. How do you feel about being involved in this kind of plot and do you think it’s important WWE tackle real life issues like this?

I think it’s amazing. I think it’s something that people know but they don’t want to talk about it, they always want to keep it hidden. I feel like we’re tackling it head-on and it should be [tackled]. Young women and young girls, and boys, should actually be hearing this and seeing the conflict that we go through and seeing somebody stand up for themselves and not have to allow somebody to bully them, because of the way they look, what their shape is, or the colour of their skin is. You should always stand up for yourself. So I think it’s amazing. I’m very honoured to be a part of it.

Have you ever encountered bullying of this nature before?

Oh yeah. You know, growing up… it’s crazy how real this storyline is to my real life. And especially with Alexa being such a close, best friend of mine for so long, she has seen it. She [her character] has hurt me [my character], because I’ve confided in a lot of these stories that have happened to me. It surprises me that it has become such a big storyline in WWE, because it relates to me completely.

Growing up I was made fun of for always being bigger. I specifically remember, at one of my junior high basketball games, a man, a grown man was making fun of me and my size, as I was playing basketball. They didn’t realise that my Samoan father [Joseph Fanene, first cousin to Peter Maivia, grandfather of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson of the AnoaÊ»i family] was in the audience. And he, he err… beat the crap out of them, but that’s a whole ‘nother story! But yeah, that’s something I’ve dealt with my whole life, people making fun of me and my size. Everything from having a huge forehead, to the size of my feet, and not being able to wear the same size shoes as my friends, definitely.

Obviously that has become one of your greatest strengths – there is nobody quite with your physical attributes in WWE’s women’s division. I wish you all the best of luck at WrestleMania.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

Credit: Mirror

Nia Jax vs. Mickie James

We go to the ring and out comes Nia Jax. We see the recent issues between Jax and RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, leading to their WrestleMania 34 match. Bliss is out next with Mickie James.

Bliss and Nia exchange words as we get the bell. They lock up and Nia shoves Mickie to the mat. They lock up again and Mickie gets sent out to the floor. We go to commercial with Jax standing tall in the ring.

Back from the break and Mickie takes Nia’s leg out from behind on the floor as she’s stalking Bliss, who is taunting her. Mickie returns to the ring as the referee counts on Nia. She makes it back into the ring at the 7 count but Mickie goes right to work on her knee.

Mickie with more offense and two pin attempts in a row. Jax blocks the DDT. Jax charges in the corner but misses and Mickie goes right back to work on her knee. Mickie goes to the top and kicks Jax. Jax grabs her and presses her high, then drops her into a big Samoan Drop for the pin.

After the match, Bliss immediately runs in and nails Jax but it does nothing to her. Bliss starts backing away and pleading. Bliss runs away as Jax talks trash and calls her a little b—h. Bliss watches from the stage and retreats to the back as Jax leaves the ring while her music plays.

It is not the ideal position to be, but I think that our show is seen all over the world, before millions of spectators and I will follow that many of those millions will see the pre-show. It’s an honor the simple fact of being on the poster, but I think women have earned the right to be on the main poster within Wrestlemania, so I do not think it’s going to happen this year.

What do you think of the Evolution of Women, and in addition to participating in the Wrestlemania main event what do you want to achieve?

I think any woman has to be seen in the same way as a man, period, so being the main character of Wrestlemania’s main event or the main event of the different live shows that we have makes women consider themselves the same as men and that is the important thing. It does not have to be different.

Surely after Wrestlemania we will have a Superstars Shake Up, would you be surprised if they sent Nia Jax to Smackdown Live? What do you think of the talents that are there?

I would not be surprised at all. I think Smackdown Live is full of very talented people and I have a lot of fun watching the show. They have many of the superstars I would like to face, so it would be great to go there and liven things up. I would not mind at all.

Speaking of title matches at Wrestlemania, your family knows something about it. Have you asked The Rock for advice?

Asuka defeated Alexa Bliss w/ Mickie James via count out

After the match, Nia Jax ends up running down and taking out Mickie at ringside. Jax chases Bliss now before grabbing her legs through the bottom turnbuckle. Bliss goes over the barrier into the crowd but Jax grabs her by her hair. Bliss nails her and eventually breaks free. Jax goes back to the ringside area and sends Mickie head first into the side ring trons. Bliss looks to be free in the crowd but Jax chases her again as they disappear to the back.

Apollo & Nia Jax want your vote in the comment section of the WWE MMC Facebook page right now.

Alexa Bliss walks up on Nia Jax backstage and asks where she was at. Nia tells her to take it easy because Kurt Angle told her to stay in the back to prepare for a match. Asuka had it planned for them to triple team Asuka. Bliss wanted to give Jax the chance to redeem herself after last week’s bad performance. Bliss throws some more subtle shots at Jax but says she loves her. Jax says she loves Bliss too but there’s some tension there. Bliss says it’s time for some tough love. She needs to know that Jax will be there to support her in next Monday’s match with Asuka. Bliss tells Jax to go out there tonight and prove she’s the best.

Nia Jax vs. Joan King

Back from the break and out comes Nia Jax. Joan King waits in the ring.

Nia corners King, she goes for a slap but is caught and splashed in the corner than tossed to the mat by Nia. Nia runs the rope before hitting an elbow drop. Nia picks up King and samoan drop her for the win.

After the match, Nia stands tall. The cameras cut backstage to Bliss and Mickie, who apparently don’t know the cameras are on them. Jax watches from the ring as Bliss and Mickie talk trash about her, including comments on her size and other issues. Bliss says Jax is happy carrying her bags and can’t handle the truth, which is that Bliss uses her. Bliss is confident that Jax will be right where they need her next week. Bliss says she has Jax in the palm of her hand. Bliss says Jax is just as dumb as she is big. Jax is watching from the ring and getting upset as the trash talking continues. Bliss and Mickie go on about how they will use Jax next week and beat her down if she gets in the way. Bliss and Mickie are tired of waiting on Charly Caruso to come interview them. She finally comes in and reveals that the mic and cameras have been on, and that everyone heard what they were saying. Bliss and Mickie are worried now. Jax leaves the ring and is crying. She stops on the ramp, gets angry and runs to the back as some fans cheer. We cut back to Bliss and Mickie now. They gather their things and rush off. Charly talks about Bliss vs. Asuka for next week and how the interview is off. Jax comes into the women’s locker room and she’s furious, tossing furniture around. Charly says Bliss and Mickie just left. Jax screams some more and tosses stuff around. We go to commercial.

Nia Jax vs Asuka

Back from the break and out first comes the undefeated Asuka. Nia Jax is out next.

The bell rings and they go at it. Jax overpowers Asuka and works her over. Jax with a big headbutt now. Jax tosses Asuka across the ring and she ends up out on the floor. We go backstage to Charly Caruso with RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, who is confident about tonight being Nia’s night as Asuka’s luck will finally run out. Bliss says Jax will not only end Asuka’s streak, she might end her career. Jax and Asuka fight back into the ring now. Jax with a backbreaker.

Jax scoops Asuka for another backbreaker but Asuka counters into a submission. Jax breaks it and sends Asuka back into the corner. Jax approaches and take a kick. Jax stomps but Asuka fights back. Asuka goes to the top but Jax hits her with a forearm. Jax spins Asuka around and drops her from up high. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Nia continues to dominate. Asuka gets in a Shining Wizard for a close 2 count. More back and forth between the two. Jax ends up catching Asuka in a Samoan Drop but she makes a weak count for 2. Jax presses Asuka high and drops her in the center of the ring.

Jax goes for the big leg drop but Asuka moves out of the way. Jax comes over but Asuka pulls her into the armbar in the middle of the ring. Jax starts to power up with the hold still locked but Asuka pulls her back down and tightens it. Jax powers up and slams Asuka into the turnbuckles but the hold is still locked. Jax goes down again and the hold is still applied. Jax powers up once again but Asuka brings her back to the mat, the hold still locked in. Jax finally taps for the finish.

After the match, we see Alexa Bliss backstage looking worried. Jax is still down on her back in the ring as Asuka makes her exit. Fans applaud as Jax slowly gets to her feet, clutching her arm. Jax heads to the back.

Backstage segment

Back from a break and we see how Asuka defeated Nia Jax earlier. Jax is backstage icing her arm now. RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss appears with Mickie James. Bliss tells Mickie she’s got this. Bliss sits down beside her friend and says she knows how bad she feels, how disappointed in herself she is. Bliss says she’s never seen Jax give up like this and it must be so embarrassing. Bliss goes on taking subtle shots at Jax, saying she might not be on the WrestleMania card but she will be next year. Bliss talks about how Jax has been bullied her whole life because she was always the outcast. Bliss even sees how people look at her in the airport now. Jax starts crying. Bliss tells Jax to not let this be her downfall because everyone will lose respect for her. We go back to the announcers as Jax cries. Graves believes Bliss has her heart in the right place, even though her words were rough around the edges.