Published: Mar 27, 2026 by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: Mar 29, 2026 by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE
A WWE star has opened up about her “very early” main roster call-up, admitting that her focus was on doing her “best to stay employed”.
Signed to a WWE contract in 2021, Maxxine Dupri would initially serve as a valet, being called up to the main roster under a year after her debut.
Finding herself as the Director of Talent for Maximum Male Models, and introduced as the sister of Max Dupri (better known as LA Knight), she has gone on to be a member of Alpha Academy before transitioning into a star in her own right.
That level of stardom wasn’t something that necessarily came easy to Dupri, however, who would defeat Becky Lynch to become WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion, sharing her imposter syndrome feelings during an appearance on the Reality of Wrestling’s The Collection podcast, saying:
“Oh, the imposter syndrome I fear will never leave my body. I cannot believe that I got to hold that beautiful title, and since I lost it, I’ve just been yearning to win it back.
“We’re hustling, we’re in training, we’re working on it because I took my eye off of the ball. I let Nattie lose her mind and turn on me and get the best of me, and I let Becky get the best of me, and it’s been a rough go, but I entered 2026 as a champion, so I’m determined to leave 2026 as a champion.”
If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.
With Brad Gilmore asking Dupri if a title win was always on her mind after her main roster call-up, the WWE star would reveal the move came very early, while she was injured and led to her doubting her abilities, saying:
“I had a really interesting start. I got called up very early, I was injured at the time, I wasn’t trained, I had never had a match. So, truthfully, I was just charting water, and I was like, let me just do my best to stay employed, I just need to survive and then I’ll see what happens next.
“And I think as I started to compete in the ring, even then, I don’t know that I ever really thought I was capable of achieving that, it shocked myself.
“I always say that, I know the world was shocked, but I’m like, ‘Guys, I was shocked with you.’ When I hit that crossbody, and I beat Becky Lynch, the first woman to ever main event WrestleMania, to achieve all these things, I was equally shocked.”
If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.
Dupri is yet to break the orbit of Nattie, although a backstage interaction with Austin Theory may hint at a future in The Vision.
The Dupri Reinvention
LA Knight has very much left his Max Dupri incarnation in the rear-view mirror, going on to establish himself among a dense top-tier of WWE stars, including in this year’s men’s Elimination Chamber match.
While Knight may be all brash confidence, Maxxine Dupri has never been portrayed in such a way, adopting a much less forceful persona following her valet days.
Romantic angles with Otis showed the humor she was able to bring to her character, while her association with Natalya, now Nattie, has presented a star capable of being much harder-edged, yet still with an air of vulnerability. Arguably, her greatest achievement to date has been standing toe-to-toe with Becky Lynch, a vocal and in-ring powerhouse in her own right who can destroy an opponent on the mic as efficiently as she does in the ring.
LA Knight would share his thoughts on Dupri’s progress in WWE, noting that she wasn’t ready when she was brought up to the main roster, yet was able to garner fan support and a championship.
With opportunities to shine around WrestleMania 42 season, it remains to be seen what lies in the future for Maxxine Dupri. She’s built the momentum and certainly has the potential to keep that going.
If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
mailing list