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WWE Signs Star of Netflix’s “Cheer” Docuseries

November 23, 2022

WWE has signed Gabi Butler from the “Cheer” docuseries on Netflix.

People revealed today that Butler, a longtime gymnast, has officially signed a contract with WWE. It appears she may have signed as a NIL talent, but that was not confirmed. Butler told the outlet that she fell in love with pro wrestling this past summer while attending SummerSlam in Nashville, TN.

“I was blown away by what they put on,” she said.

Butler spent time with WWE Chairwoman & Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon while at SummerSlam. She noted how McMahon “really inspired” her to take the leap into the world of WWE.

“The way she carries herself is very impressive and the conversation we had was so nice,” Butler said of McMahon.

Butler admits she’s new to the sport, considering her athletic career until now was just focused on cheering.

“I was so involved in the cheerleading industry for so long, and I never really looked into anything other than cheerleading,” Butler said. “But when I went to SummerSlam, it really just opened my eyes to the athleticism and the dedication the athletes bring into the ring.”

Regarding the WWE Superstars, Butler said she admired “the way they performed” and the “competitive” atmosphere, which isn’t so different from her experience in cheerleading.

“It was almost like I was watching a cheerleading competition, but wrestling edition,” she said, laughing.

Butler said she was “honestly shocked” at the similarities between cheering and pro wrestling as they both require a certain level of performance.

“It’s very related to cheerleading because we’re performers, we’re entertainers, we like to put on a show and we also have to be athletic,” she said.

Butler is set to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando soon. She’s looking forward to wrestling her first match one day.

“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.”

While she trains with WWE, Butler will continue to cheer while figuring out were she wants to sign next.

“This year is the first year that I’ve actually taken a break from cheerleading,” Butler said. “I did a tour this summer, and that was very, very time-consuming thing, mentally and physically. So I took this year off and I’m currently thinking about where I would want to cheer in college next year.”

It appears Butler may be signed to a WWE NIL contract, but that was not confirmed. She still has two years left of eligibility for college athletics. Butler said one of her options is not Navarro, the school she attended while filming for the “Cheer” series on Netflix.

“I can’t go to Navarro again because my time with Navarro was done,” she said. “I’m thinking about multiple things right now. So I just don’t know where I’m going to sign next.”

While she considers her next move as a cheerleader, Butler is excited to see where her partnership with the WWE takes her.

“I never thought that cheerleading would take me on this route, but here we are,” she said.

Below are some of Butler’s recent Instagram posts, including her post from SummerSlam: