Jessika Carr is prepared to take on the role of the first woman referee on the SmackDown brand and she understands that this is a role that advances the women's evolution.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Jessika opened up about what this role means to her and her journey to this point in her career.
In regards to now having a larger platform to be a role model for young girls, Jessika admits that she wishes she could have seen more women in authoritative roles when she was younger.
“That’s the role model I needed when I was younger. Now, I can deliver that message," Carr said. "Women should be seen as strong and independent. For me, the goal is to make this a seamless transition. It’s an important step for the women’s evolution and ‘revolution.’”
Originally, Carr set out to be a professional wrestler, training with The Dudley Boyz at their Team 3D Academy. Carr progresses that she owes a lot to the Hall of Fame duo.
"I owe so much to Dan, Bubba, and Devon for where I am today. I walked into my WWE tryout in February of 2017 prepared and in the best shape of my life," she admitted. "I feel ready, but it’s definitely scary. It’s intimidating to walk into a new locker room with people I’ve never worked with before, and there is a lot of trust to be gained and feeling out. I’m ready for that challenge.
"My goal is to hit a home run with whatever I’m given. I want this company to trust me with whatever they give me, and I don’t care where that match is on the card. Of course, I have high aspirations of main events at pay-per-views and WrestleMania, but I’m here to deliver every single time I step out there—and not just be the best female official, but to be the best official I can be.”
Jessika can be seen dawning the zebra stripes on SmackDown every Friday at 8 P.M. on the Fox Network.
