In a world where too many women have used WWE as a stepping stone to bigger dreams lies the beautiful and sultry Lana.  Starting off as the manager to Rusev, Lana has certainly grown over the years.

This is not to discredit those such as Trish Stratus, Alexa Bliss, and Maria Kanellis to name a few.  More of, it is a compliment to those who are willing to make women’s wrestling better.  No matter the background, with hard work, extreme dedication, and passion comes success in WWE.  These women are just a few prime examples.

Of course, Lana has had success before making it to WWE.  With a background in modeling and acting she is the perfect candidate for what the company looks for in female talent.  However, Lana came with a drive to succeed even more and that has been prevalent during her time with WWE.

As Rusev’s manager, Lana possessed admirable microphone skills along with a passable Russian accent to add to the character.  She brought back some of the old-school style of the heel manager when it came to insulting the fans and talent alike.  Her conceited attitude as the Ravishing Russian was icing on the cake needed to make fans want more.

Transitioning from manager to wrestler is never easy and oftentimes, many don’t enjoy the notoriety and success that the aforementioned names have experienced.  However in the age of social media, the one thing Lana is consistent with is voicing her intent to work hard.

Lana knows she’s not the best wrestler, she knows she has a ton of work to do.  She knows the stigma that comes from a background like hers.  She confident enough to tell fans this.

But the fact she even acknowledges her intents is what makes Lana someone to give credit to.  She’s not asking for sympathy in the least.  It takes time for things to happen, and with the fallout of the Royal Rumble, perhaps this will be a test to see where Lana goes next.

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My wrestling journey is something that I will share on @totaldivas November 1st & want to share on my social platforms. Am I the best ? No. Do I have much more to learn. Yes. Will I let people that doubt me stop me from pursuing my dreams…. absolutely NOT. My wrestling journey reflects my entire life of fighting with everything in me to get where I am today. Learning to cope with learning disabilities, dealing with eating disorders, failing more than 1000 times & learning to love myself through all of that regardless of what people say about me has been my life journey. To every person that feels discouraged that they can't make their dreams a reality continue to radically pursue your soul's fire 🔥 Share below ⬇️ a dream 🙌🏽 @Tapout 💪🏽

A post shared by CJ Perry (@thelanawwe) on Sep 23, 2017 at 2:23pm PDT

Frustrations continue to mount for both Lana and Rusev, as stated in Lilian Garcia’s recent podcast.  They are a package deal that has so much potential.  WWE hasn’t begun to capitalize on what they could do with the couple, considering Rusev’s talent and Lana’s abilities.  Rusev should be in the WWE Championship picture, and the fact that he hasn’t got there is a travesty.

Back to Lana, she’s been the victim of the stop and start pushes.  From Dolph Ziggler to now, Lana has done what was asked of her despite how terrible the story was.  It doesn’t look like she is part of the Women’s Tag Team Championship picture for now, but will she be later?  No one knows for sure.

It is said that hard work pays off, but for Lana it’s when does she see the fruits of her labor?  Both she and Rusev have been on the main roster about five years now.  Do they need a change of scenery?  Or do they bow their heads and continue to work hard?  It is uncertain what the future holds.  If Lana is the best, and she’s number one, WWE is crazy to not take that to heart.