WWE star Lana has admitted she's not the most "naturally gifted" wrestler – but says women are matching the men of WWE each week through "hustle and skill."

The 35-year-old, real name CJ Perry, posed in a series of stunning gowns and suits for a recent Bello Magazine photo spread.

Before joining WWE in 2013, Lana was professional dancer, model, and actress.

But she didn't have her first match until 2016, because she was hired primarily to be a valet/manager.

However, ambition pushed her to do more in the business and after a handful matches she began to train with wrestling veteran Natalya Neidhart to join the WWE main roster.

Lana told Bello Magazine the major challenge she faced in the business was "the idea that women aren’t just window dressing, and that we can, and do, match the guys week-on-week with the hustle and skill that’s driving this business forward.”

Since 2015, WWE has been presenting their women's division on the same tier as the men.

Opportunities for ladies to follow Dwayne The Rock Johnson and John Cena in going mainstream are now possible.

She plans to do this by mixing wrestling with high fashion.

"Fashion and wrestling to me have so many similarities.

"In fashion, we can say something about ourselves through our clothes, just like wrestling gear says so much about me without even opening my mouth,” she told Bello Magazine.

Outside of the ring Lana has made a lot of money via her Instagram as a fashion influencer.

"I want to be the first woman to go from wrestling to Met Gala," she said.

The Russian-born ex-ballerina knows that she still has a lot of work to do to improve as a wrestler and gain respect from fans.

"I know for certain that the real-life begins when you figure out that people are appreciative of technical skill, but enthralled by real emotion,” she said.

Fans were happy to see Lana return at this 2021's Royal Rumble after a match with Nia Jax forced her on to the sidelines with a two-month injury.

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A post shared by CJ Perry (@thelanawwe)

On the February 8th edition of Monday Night RAW Lana finally got her revenge with a win over Nia Jax.

If Lana and Naomi win the Tag Team Championships this would be Lana's first time holding gold in WWE.

You can read the full interview with Bello Magazine here.

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