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Over the last few years, as multiple women have have blossomed into rap stars — with Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion as heavyweights, and talents such as Latto and Ice Spice leading the charge for the new generation — the WWE is concurrently experiencing a similar golden age. Superstar athletes like Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley have been leading the way with their winning performances and championship pedigrees.

For the former, she hopes to live up to her nickname “The EST” — as in “the fastest, the strongest, the quickest, the roughest, and the toughest”– during her six-woman Elimination Chamber match this Saturday (Feb. 24) in Perth, Australia, for a crack at a title shot at Wrestlemania 40.

“We have a lot more women are shining, just like in female rap,” Belair tells Billboard ahead of her match in Perth. “There’s room for more than just one or a few, and everybody can showcase their talents. We have a video game cover with two females — the first time there’s ever been an all-female cover for a video game and there’s two! So, it’s showing you how big our roster is and how competitive it is.”

Belair’s resumé speaks for itself: she’s a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time WWE Smackdown Champion and a Royal Rumble winner. She also headlined Wrestlemania 37 with Sasha Banks, as the two became the first Black women to ever headline “The Show of All Shows” during its 40-year existence. With Belair and Ripley gracing the newest installment of WWE2K24 with Cody Rhodes, “The EST” looks to regain her swagger, step into Wrestlemania 40, and remind viewers why she’s the ultimate needle-mover in the Woman’s Division.

“My goal this year is to have more fun. I feel like I was just grinding last year, I was so serious and stressed out,” says Belair. “This year, I want to have fun but still accomplish things and enjoy those things when I accomplish them.”

Billboard spoke to Belair about her road to Wrestlemania, the similarities between the women’s division and female rap, her love for J. Cole, and why she believes Megan Thee Stallion is WWE-bound.

Your path to Wrestlemania has been carved out over the past few years. This year, that road isn’t as definitive. How has that been an adjustment for you?

Last year, I was walking into Wrestlemania as champion. So, it was more so I had a guaranteed match — I just didn’t know who my opponent was. This year, it’s a little different, but I think most people would love to just have the comfort of knowing that they’re going to have a Wrestlemania match and — maybe it’s easier for me to say this because I’ve already had the opportunity to have three years of a guaranteed match — I kind of like it. I kind of like this year of not knowing, because it keeps me on my toes. It’s making me not be comfortable and not just go into autopilot like, “Okay. I’m just waiting for my ‘Mania match. I know I have one.”

It’s making me go back to that hungry phase of, “Let me figure out how I’m gonna get that. Let me figure out what’s gonna be my journey.” Now, I have to figure out Royal Rumble. Okay, now it’s Elimination Chamber. It’s kind of parallel to what [my husband WWE Superstar Montez Ford] was going through last year, but it keeps you hungry. It’s hard to get to the top, but it’s harder to stay at the top and it’s also very easy to get comfortable and complacent there. It’s interesting this year, switching things up, and I’m just excited.

Do you see a similarity with women in rap, in terms of that competitive nature? 

Yeah, I think there’s a lot of comparisons between female rap and women’s wrestling, right now. If you look back in the past, there was the Nickis from my high school era and now there’s [multiple] artists. Of course, there were multiple [artists] before Nicki and same thing with WWE. 

You had the Four Horsewomen, and now you’re starting to see new people come in. And because of them, they were able to open those doors and were able to have all of these fantastic matches and show that women can put people in the seats and sell tickets. They put the eyes on women’s wrestling. There’s more women coming in now. I feel like Rhea Ripley and I are on the forefront of a new generation of women’s wrestling and there’s even more coming in with the NIL program and WWE. They’re hiring more athletes and these girls are learning so quickly.

Our roster is so competitive. I think this is one of the first years, for me especially, where anybody can go to Wrestlemania, anybody can main event, anybody can go have a title match and we’re just kind of like, “Who is it gonna be?” Because there’s no guarantees. I think it’s amazing.

You and Jade Cargill shared a viral moment at Royal Rumble. Everyone is rooting for a singles match, but on the other hand, I would love to see you guys form as a tag-team. What’s been your reaction to that moment, and the possibilities?

When she first came on the scene, everybody was saying, “Dream Match. Jade Vs. Bianca,” and I was kind of feeding into it. Then, I started thinking, “Wait a minute. We could tag together, too.” If you put us together, we’re just gonna have the titles forever? Who’s gonna stop us? 

I think it’s just amazing that the possibilities are endless. I think that’s what makes this so exciting and I don’t want to be the only one. There’s room for more than just one [superstar]. I think it’s cool that Jade’s coming in and making this huge splash before she even had a match. So to be able to step in at the Royal Rumble and us two being able to come face-to-face in the ring and the crowd goes crazy, just knowing the potential of what this can be, is crazy. Being in the ring with her and us having that moment, showcasing Black women and representation, but also being strong women, being unapologetically us and bringing our culture to the table, is really cool.

I’ve been very intentional since I came to WWE, ever since my NXT days and bringing my culture to the table and not apologizing for that. From having an HBCU band at Wrestlemania and to now having Jade here, she can bring even more to the table. It’s cool that we can do this separately and have this big moment with us competing against each other or we can do this together. I think it’s just amazing that either one can be just as big.