Albania, one of Europe’s smallest countries, is filled with medieval-era castles and white sandy beaches, the perfect terrain for a young Xena Phoenix to play out fantasies of her childhood fictional heroes. Much like the warrior princess of the 90s, Xena embodies a warrior mentality. She tried every sport and extracurricular activity available to her, from the soccer field to the theater stage, she mastered it all. Pushed by her father to find a more practical path in life, but encouraged by her mother to pursue her creative passions, she struggled to see her true destiny. Xena decided to start anew in Los Angeles, undergoing a rebirth that suited her childhood nickname “Phoenix.”

Once in Los Angeles, she tested the waters in the boxing ring, leading her to mixed martial arts, then to muay thai, grappling, and finally to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In less than a month, she entered her first tournament, and in less than 30 seconds, had choked out her first opponent, winning gold. Xena walked away that day with a new purpose. Suddenly, right at her peak, in the middle of a tournament, she felt a knot in her neck, and after a doctor’s visit everything came to a grinding halt. Tragedy struck as she was diagnosed with a tumor in her mouth. Xena fell into a deep depression, no longer able to train or compete. Once again she had to reinvent herself and start from scratch. Shedding the hardships of her past and focusing on her inner strength, Xena turned to wrestling, hoping to harness her other disciplines and become the ultimate grappler. She found a way to channel her frustration and her competitive spirit, embodying the mystical phoenix with her rise to success in the ring. Xena’s dream at WOW is to represent her homeland of Albania and prove to others that sometimes you must burn yourself to ashes in order to rise like the phoenix.