Maxxine Dupri - Full Interview

I'm here with Maxi Dupree.

How are you?

I'm wonderful.

How are you?

I'm doing fantastic.

It's WrestleMania weekend.

You've been in the game for a while.

I would love to know, first question, what goes through your mind before you walk out of the curtain?

Oh my gosh, so much.

It's like, it's like if you took one of those gambling machines and like let it spin.

It's like every thought possible, like, what could go wrong, what could go right?

Um, what do I feel good?

Do I feel bad?

Can I feel my toes?

Am I still breathing?

Is my heart, is my heart still beating?

Um, is my hair still in?

Do I have makeup on?

Are my boots laced?

It all just rolls right through.

And then the music hits and I'm like, oh, I'm Maxine, we're good.

That's what's up.

So what would, if you had to pick between the two, a great story or a great match, which one would you pick?

Oh my gosh, you had to.

Wait, that's really hard.

OK, so, um, I love a story.

I like feel like the acting is what I love so much.

It's what I like to sink my teeth into.

But being someone that has grown on TV, like if you're just gonna hand me a great match, I'd be crazy not to take it.

But I, I, I think I have to say a story.

So and speaking of matches, is there a wrestler that you've been in the ring with that brings the best out of Maxine?

Like who in the locker room, like, you know what, I look forward to this because I know they're gonna push me to a level where, I actually want to talk to you about that because it's the person that I beat and you.

You Sports Illustrated had named them Becky Lynch, the greatest female wrestler of all time, but I, I beat her 3 times.

Yes you did.

So what does that make me?

Can we get a new list, you know, um, but no, my, my answer is Becky Lynch.

I think that she is the greatest of all time.

And I think because of that, she, she does bring out the best of me, um, and it's, it, it hurts to say it, but she does, she really does .

And being in the ring with her is like an out of body experience because she's been doing this, you know, she's, she's been around the block, she's done it all.

She's main events at WrestleMania, and I'm, I'm new to it, you know, so being in the ring with her, it's like I know that I have to be so locked in the entire time.

And that's a, it's a fun challenge.

So I , that's such a great answer.

I have to ask, like, what did you learn about yourself in those matches?

Like, did that give you a level of confidence?

Like, you know what, I do belong here and I do, I can rise to the, the occasion where I'm in the ring with some of the best in the world, you know, it gave me, it gave me two feelings.

One was that one was like, Whoa, I'm like the world is shocked.

Like I'm shocked.

Like I, I know I was doing all that.

Whoa.

And then I had, you know, the little voice in the back of my head that was like.

But is it because of Becky?

Is it, is it because Becky could wrestle a broomstick, or is it because I can hold my own in the ring with her?

So my, my few matches after her, I was very nervous because I just, I felt like now I have even more to prove because now I've shown that I can hang, but can I hang with anyone?

And that's been a really fun challenge for me and a fun confidence like boost, but also like unlocked this like new level in the game that I have to step up to a new level of passion, I would say, right?

So are you saying , would you say we're seeing the best version of Maxine Dupree at this moment in time?

I think the cool thing about my character and because I debuted for the first time ever on Raw and like everyone has been on this journey with me, like, yes, but not.

Um, it's the best version thus far, but I'm, I have so much more growing to do, and like my head is down.

I'm, I'm chipping away.

Well, I gotta ask, who is, if there's one wrestler that you want to mark off that checklist as you, as your career continues to, you know, transcend, who is that, who would that wrestler be?

Oh, there's so many.

Um, I would love to get in the ring with Lyra Valkyria.

I would love to get in the ring with her.

I would love to get in the ring with Bailey.

We, this is the problem.

We have, we have too much talent.

We have Oscar, Eo, Kyrie , Rhea, like, the, the list goes on.

Liv.

I've never, me and Liv have never touched.

I would love to face Liv, um, Stephanie, like.

I faced Raquel last week in my hometown and it was such a crazy challenge because like big sexy, big sexy will get it, OK?

She'll take you out, she'll take your head off with those boots.

You gotta be careful, um, and it was like such a cool challenge.

We just had this insane roster.

I got to work Roxanne on live events and that was amazing.

Um, and again, like she's been wrestling since she came out the womb.

I'm like, I'm like, dang, someone help me out over here.

So there's so many this year.

My goal this year is to have as many matches as humanly possible because I think that that's just what I have to have to continue to step up to the plate and continue to grow.

Got you.

I got some rapid fire.

Would love to know your WrestleMania predictions real quick.

Rams versus CM Punk.

Who you got?

My money's on punk.

Yep, yep.

And now we got Cody Rose versus Randy Orton.

Who you got?

I'm going ready Orton.

Oh, is there a reason?

Um, sometimes it's just the legend is the legend, you know, and let's, let's head over to the ladies' side.

We've got Jade versus Rhea Ripley.

Who you got?

My money's on Rhea.

You don't play with mommy.

You don't play with mommy.

And we got Liv versus Stephanie Laca.

This is gonna be a banger.

Uh, being in the locker room with them has been.

Insane on raw, like we've seen Liv's poor face.

Um, my money honestly is on Liv, and I, I think Stephanie is one of the most talented human beings on planet Earth, but I think Liv is going to do everything she can.

Cheat, do whatever, because you, you don't just bruise someone's face like that.

I had a mania.

Obafemi versus Brock Lesnar, which kind of, that's gonna be crazy.

I'm gonna go with Oba, and I know that that's like crazy, but I, I do think, I think if anyone could beat Brock, it's Oba.

And final question I've been asking all the superstars that's come through.

What's keeping you going at this point in your career ?

What's motivating you right now?

Oh, gratitude.

I can't believe this is my life.

This is work.

Like, I'm filled with so much joy.

Um, you work so hard to like get to this point, and then you get to like, come and I get to do this and hang out with you guys and talk about wrestling.

Like, what is life?

This is the most beautiful, chaotic, stressful, fulfilling job in the world, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.