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Brian and Eva

Courtesy of WWE.com:

Between the red carpet appearances, magazine covers and starring turn on E!’s “Total Divas,” it’s easy to forget that Eva Marie was hired by WWE to compete inside the ring. The redheaded bombshell had a whirlwind beginning to her career, being thrust into the spotlight almost right from the beginning with a marquee matchup at SummerSlam Axxess 2013, teaming with Brie Bella against Natalya and TV host Maria Menounos.

Learning a craft in front of millions of people on worldwide television isn’t an easy thing to do, which Eva struggled with as she underwent a crash course in the ring game with help from veterans like Fit Finlay and Joey Mercury. In recent weeks, Instagram videos of the beauty honing her skills in the ring with former WWE Tag Team Champion Brian Kendrick have left the WWE Universe buzzing about her impending return. To get the low down on Eva Marie’s journey back to the squared circle, we called up Kendrick and the “Total Divas” star for a candid interview.

WWE.COM: How did you end up getting in touch with Brian Kendrick?

EVA MARIE: I’ve been out for six months because I had to get surgery. That bummed me out, because I really wanted to perfect my craft. When I come back, I really want to show the WWE Universe how much Eva Marie wants to be here. So, I reached out to Triple H and Mr. McMahon and said I would love the opportunity to just train, so that I could learn the craft. Hunter put me in contact with Brian Kendrick, which is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

WWE.COM: Brian, how did you find out that Eva Marie wanted to train?

BRIAN KENDRICK: It was presented to me through William Regal. He was a trainer of mine and is a friend of mine. From my understanding, Eva approached Triple H about getting better and seeing if there was a place she could train in LA.

WWE.COM: What was your approach in teaching her?

KENDRICK: The thing was, I didn’t know what to expect. When I talked to Mr. Regal, he said, “Best of luck.” I didn’t know if he was being sarcastic. I said, “Is she bad?” He told me, “Honestly, we don’t know. She just hasn’t done enough in wrestling to tell if she’s good, bad or anything. She’s inexperienced.”

I knew I was going to have to take her from the ground up. I didn’t know how much effort she’d put into it. I thought she’d put in one or two days a week, based on other people that I’ve trained, but she’s insisting on going at least five days a week. We’re going for our sixth day tomorrow. She’s the most driven person I’ve ever dealt with.

Read more of the interview here!