Maxxine Dupri discusses her fast track to WWE women's intercontinental title: 'That's the journey I'm on'

Durpi is learning on the job as a WWE champion

Maxxine Dupri is under the microscope. Every milestone match of hers has played out for a global audience. With the WWE women's intercontinental championship resting on her shoulder, that won't change anytime soon.  

The most successful wrestling characters are often amplified projections of the people portraying them, and Dupri embraces that philosophy. She's as novice as she is bubbly, and no one is pretending otherwise. While some may take issue with her winning a singles title so early, many fans connect with Dupri as an authentic underdog.

"The most beautiful part about Maxxine's character is that it's really me. I'm learning on the road," Dupri told CBS Sports while promoting WrestleMania 42, which returns to Las Vegas on April 18 and 19. 

"You get to see my first match on Monday Night Raw, and those feelings. You get a behind-the-scenes look at who I am and what I'm going through. I think it's special that fans get to take that ride with me."

Dupri is approaching five years with WWE, but very little of that time was spent inside the ring. She primarily worked as a valet for Maximum Male Models and Alpha Academy, and didn't wrestle her first match until August 2023. That debut wasn't tucked away on a pre-taped episode of Main Event or NXT; it happened under the bright lights of WWE Raw. Two years later, she pinned future WWE Hall of Famer Becky Lynch to win singles gold.

That kind of rapid ascent can rub people the wrong way. Many WWE superstars spend decades plying their craft without ever touching singles gold. Backstage, however, Dupri is reportedly well-liked, and her humility appears to go a long way.

"They're all very aware that my 50th match, including live events, was when I beat Becky Lynch for the title," Dupri said. "That's the journey I'm on. I'm very honest about where I'm at. I'm not going to pretend to know about things that I don't." 

Dupri's bubbly personality is beginning to give way to a more serious edge. WWE recently aired a dramatic vignette showing her training with Natalya inside The Dungeon, the wrestling school run by Natalya and her husband, WWE producer TJ Wilson. The Dungeon is a spiritual successor to Stu Hart's legendary Hart Dungeon, which shaped the careers of Bret Hart, Owen Hart, and countless others. True to form, the character shift mirrors Dupri's growing confidence as a wrestler.

"I think it's time we show them exactly why Maxxine is improving..." Dupri said of the intention behind the cinematic video. "It's because of the Dungeon. It's because of Nattie and TJ. It's because of those moments. I thought it was special to peel that curtain back and show the fans."

With WrestleMania 42 on the horizon, Dupri isn't shying away from the spotlight; it's the only world she knows. And if she has it her way, Becky Lynch will be waiting for her in Las Vegas.