'Cheer': Gabi Butler Signs WWE Contract

By Brian Jones

WWE has added a Netflix start to its roster. Gabi Butler, one of the stars of the Netflix series Cheer, recently told PEOPLE that she signed a contract with the professional wrestling company. The 24-year said she fell in love with WWE when she attended SummerSlam in Nashville earlier this year. 

"I was blown away by what they put on," Butler said who also admitted to being new to the sport. "I was so involved in the cheerleading industry for so long, and I never really looked into anything other than cheerleading. But when I went to SummerSlam, it really just opened my eyes to the athleticism and the dedication the athletes bring into the ring."

Butler who was a cheerleader at Weber State and Navaro College said she spent time with WWE co-CEO Stephanie McMahon who "really inspired" her to get into the pro wrestling business. "The way she carries herself is very impressive and the conversation we had was so nice," Butler explained. The next step for Butler is heading to Orlando to train at WWE's Performance Center before making her in-ring debut. 

"I would definitely love to take that challenge, hopefully in the future," Butler said. "You have to be committed to be wrestling, that's for sure. It definitely doesn't look easy." Butler was featured in Cheer when she was competing at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. The show took a closer look at the team and its quest to win a national championship. The first season aired in 2020 and focused on Navarro winning the National Cheerleaders Association Junior College title in 2019. The second season aired earlier this year and took a look at Navarro and its rival school, Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, dealing with the canceled season in 2020 and the return of the competition in 2021. 

While she gets ready for WWE training, Butler will continue to cheer as she has two years remaining of college eligibility. She can't return to Navarro and is not sure where she wants to cheer next. "I did a tour this summer, and that was very, very time-consuming thing, mentally and physically," Butler stated. "So I took this year off and I'm currently thinking about where I would want to cheer in college next year."

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