One WWE star opened up about her journey to the world of wrestling, including a stint on Miley Cyrus’ Hannah Montana tour. Speaking in a new interview with Busted Open After Dark, WWE ring announcer Alicia Taylor opened up about her journey to the world of sports entertainment, first pointing out that she’s been a wrestling fan from a very young age growing up in Michigan. “I’ve been a fan since I was like four or five.
We’re both yelling at the TV… My grandpa would always made fun of us. He’s like, ‘You know, these guys go and have beer afterwards.’ We’re like, ‘No, they’re not’, and we were so angry about it, but me and my mom would always go to wrestling every time it came to the Saginaw Civic Center.” Before she would join the world of wresting herself, however, Taylor embarked on a career in music. She began singing in death metal bands as a teenager, and then began an 18 year career as a professional drummer that saw her work with major names in the industry.
One of those names was a young Miley Cyrus as Taylor served as a drummer on her Hannah Montana tour in 2007. Taylor said: “Yea, in the show Hannah Montana, before she started twerking. It was Hannah Montana.” After 18 years, Alicia Taylor grew tired of the music industry.
Despite her success, she found herself struggling financially, and even lived in her car for some time before being helped back onto her feet by Kelly Osbourne and her family. As Taylor looked to a new career path, she decided to follow her heart. Continuing in the interview, she said: “I was getting out of music and thought, what do I love?
Nothing but wrestling.” Because she didn’t think beginning an in-ring career was a good move at that point in her life, Taylor began a YouTube channel where she interviewed many legendary stars. “I started interviewing wrestlers. That’s where I met Terry Funk, Stan Hansen, and I started getting all these legends on the show right away.
It took off pretty quickly.” Rhyno Helped Connect Alicia Taylor To WWE According to Taylor, former WWE star Rhyno was instrumental in connecting her with the sports entertainment giant. She continued: “Rhyno goes to see Smashing Pumpkins. My friend Nicole [Fiorentino] texts me.
She’s like, ‘Do you know this guy? I know you like wrestling.’ She sends me a picture of her and Rhyno.” Months later, Taylor and Rhyno met at an independent wrestling event in Michigan, and they began to talk. “We start talking.
He’s like, ‘I know your friend from Smashing Pumpkins.’ This is how we met and became friends.” When Rhyno saw her interview show, he asked, “‘Did you ever think about working for WWE?’ I was like, ‘Well, of course, but how am I going to do that? Everybody wants to work for WWE.’ He’s like, ‘Let me show them your stuff.’” Alicia Taylor began ring announcing in NXT in 2019, and in January of 2024, she was called up to the main roster on SmackDown. Taylor has since moved to the Raw brand.
h/t WrestlingNews.co
