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Former GMA researcher fulfills dream as she becomes guest ring announcer for WWE
A former GMA researcher got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a guest ring announcer for WWE on Sunday in Las Vegas.
In an exclusive interview with GMA News Online on Wednesday, Raine Cruz said she had been a fan of the wrestling company since 2006 and always dreamt of working for it.
Becoming a ring announcer, she said, was a fortunate accident.
Thank you for making my dream come true ???? https://t.co/QzWLgFebvU
— Raine Cruz (@RingsideRaine) August 23, 2021
After being part of GMA’s “Reporter’s Notebook” in 2012, Raine had to return to the US because her green card was about to expire.
Her WWE dream still alive, she thought of becoming a wrestling manager or a backstage reporter because she wasn’t athletic enough to be a wrestler.
In 2019, Raine started making YouTube videos of her WWE SummerSlam pay-per-views recap.
She had just began working in local wrestling shows in California this year, “which involved long drives and tiring days with little to no pay,” when the pieces began falling into place.
Dreams do come true!!! #NeverGiveUp #ThankfulTuesday #RaineCruz @wwe @purelifeus #WWESummerSlam #RingsideRaine #ringannouncer #pinoypride #dreamchaser pic.twitter.com/xOukkv27Lz
— Raine Cruz (@RingsideRaine) August 24, 2021
At her second event, she and her team drove four hours to interview one of the wrestlers, but unfortunately it got cancelled.
“We drove four hours to get to that event so I asked the promoter if there’s anything else that I could do. He said, ‘well we don’t have a ring announcer.’ So I volunteered and little did I know, it was actually something that I can do and I loved it!” Raine said.
“And the rest, like they say, is history.”
Her biggest moment yet as a wrestling ring announcer came in the form of a TikTok competition. Raine landed the WWE gig and become the ring announcer for SummerSlam, a professional wrestling event considered one of WWE’s biggest events of the year, after she won the WWE Announcer contest on TikTok.
“One of my friends saw the contest online and sent it to me because he knew that my dream is to work for WWE. I joined the contest because I knew it was my shot to show WWE what I can do. They had never done a ring announcer contest so I knew it was THE opportunity for me to put myself out there and pray to God that somehow, some way they’ll notice me.”
To join the competition, Raine submitted videos of herself in July introducing the WWE Superstars as they entered the ring.
@ringsideraine #duet with @wwe #WWEAnnouncerContest #RingsideRaine introduces #Edge! #summerslam #ringannouncer @wwe
? original sound - WWE
She found out she won the competition just days before the WWE SummerSlam was held last Sunday.
“I literally fell down on my knees and started crying. How was it possible for me to win? I could not believe it. My husband saw me and was wondering what happened, and when he found out, he gave me a big kiss and a hug. He knew how much this contest meant to me,” Raine said.
“To be honest, I still can’t believe that it happened! It’s such an unbelievable experience!”
Raine prepared and rehearsed for her WWE ringside stint. Hours before the event, she was told what match she would be announcing.
“I had never been in front of more than 50,000 people so I wanted to make sure that I can project my voice really well. On the day of the event, I made sure I was drinking A LOT of water and also had my Halls cough drop for my throat,” she said.
Your #SummerSlam @tiktok_us announcer contest winner Raine Cruz is READY for the spotlight! pic.twitter.com/FYyy39hoSq
— WWE SummerSlam (@SummerSlam) August 21, 2021
Until now, Raine said that she still could not believe it all happened and she stood in the middle of the ring surrounded by thousands of cheering people.
“I have been a fan of WWE since I was living in the Philippines, and I remember picturing myself that one day I’d be in a WWE ring. I just had no clue how,” Raine said.
“When I stepped inside the ring at SummerSlam, I remember looking around the stadium and thanking God. I could not have done it without Him. He blessed me with this talent that I found out I had by accident and the bonus is I love doing it!” she said.
“When it was time for me to announce the match, I remember hearing the bell and from that point I did what I love to do. The crowd noise faded and all I could hear was the echo of my voice surrounding the stadium ... it was an electrifying moment. I felt blessed and grateful. I couldn’t believe that my dream was being fulfilled at that moment. It was the culmination of all the hard work that I had put in to pursue this dream.”
Although the opportunity was a one-time prize, Raine said she planned to continue ring announcing at local wrestling events in California.
“I am hoping to branch out, as well, in other states and hopefully, one day, WWE will have a spot for me as a full-time ring announcer,” she said. – RC, GMA News
