Big-name boxer Heather Hardy knows a thing or two about crossover appeal -- Bellator has been all in on her journey into mixed martial arts, but if a wrestling trainer had his way, she might be in the WWE instead
When speaking to James Lynch of Fightful.com, Hardy revealed that a WWF Hall of Famer in Johnny Rodz tried to lure her into the world of pro wrestling before she hit it big as a boxer.
"It's funny because we have a pro wrestling team here. Johnny Rodz teaches the wild world of wrestling. When I was in the amateurs, Johnny used to chase me around and say 'knock off this fighting and boxing shit' and come train with me, I can make you money!' And it's true, they're making money. But I just love to fight," Hardy told us.
Ultimately, Hardy found great success in boxing and won her first MMA fight. Unfortunately for her, she ran into Kristina Williams in 2017, who derailed her hype train a bit. Hardy opened up about the loss and what she's changed ahead of her Bellator 194 fight with Ana Julaton.
"I need more tools in the toolbox. When my boxing doesn't work, I need something to fall back on and I didn't have that in my last fight. I take a lot of that responsibility myself. This camp has been dedicated to expanding my game so that if one thing doesn't work, I can easily transition into trying something else," said Hardy.
In the full interview, Heather Hardy (1-1) discusses her upcoming fight against Ana Julaton (2-3) at Bellator 194 on Feb. 16. Heather also talks about her loss to Kristina Williams, her training camp for this fight, her thoughts on Pro Wrestling and Cris Cyborg's dominance in the UFC so far.
