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With WWE's Fight Like A Girl getting a renewed look with a vastly larger audience thanks to being rebranded as a Roku Original as part of The Roku Channel's launch of Quibi content it has acquired today, here's our original report on the debut episode....
Fight Like A Girl is a reality genre series featuring WWE talents playing mentor to a young woman who needs a reboot in life. They aren't trying to become WWE performers but are fans and are looking to the stars to change the trajectory of their outlook into one that's heading in a positive direction. The first episode, running just 6:13, features an easy explanation of the premise, explained by all the talents taking part - Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Sasha Banks, The Bellas, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, Sonya Deville, etc. before settling into our pioneer voyage for the concept.
It is explained that Stephanie McMahon has picked "ten special women" for this journey.
We meet Caprice, 28, from Dallas, explained that her father wasn't around her family while she was growing up in Texas while her brother was imprisoned from the time he was 17 on. Not having her father around was emotional for her. Her husband has left and she doesn't "want to be hurt like that again." Stephanie, via voiceover, explains that in order to love again, Caprice needs to learn to love herself.
Caprice is being paired with Sasha Banks, who McMahon explains, dealt with abandonment issues of her own and had to fight to regain her own self esteem.
The two meet at WWE HQ's gym in Stamford, CT. As Banks oversees Caprice working out, she explains her husband "flipped the script" after four years, moving out as she was at work, even taking the TV. Caprice noted that she wants to "feel whole" to move forward. Banks admitted that her father was gone very early in her life, leaving it to her and her mother to care for Banks' younger brother, who has a disability. Banks said they moved a lot before they were able to find their place to feel whole and she wants to be family for Caprice.
Banks noted that she didn't have confidence or "self-love" and tells Caprice not to give up on the journey. At three minutes into the episode, a graphic tells us we are about to see the ten-week journey. On Day 2, Caprice is training hard in the WWE Performance Center, even grappling in the ring as we see highlights of her. As we hit Day 24, she noted she didn't know what to expect but feels she's getting stronger, emotionally and physically. She's learned self-control and self-confidence. She's trying to be a better her. "If I can't live with me, who else is going to live with me?, " Caprice asks, her voice cracking emotionally.
We jump to "Reveal Day", again at the WWE Performance Center. With Caprice's ex-husband watching on (man, that's some gall!), Caprice gets a big ring entrance complete with WWE-style pomp and circumstance smoke, music and TitanTron graphics as she marches down to meet Banks, center-ring. Banks is impressed by what she's seen in the woman she met several months ago. Banks said that two months ago, Caprice didn't have the confidence to "even walk down that ramp." She's proud that her transformation went so well. She noted Caprice looked amazing.
In front of a crowd at the PC, Banks put her over for looking so great. Caprice said her dream has been crazy, but she made it and she's here. She said that without this moment of "solitude and guidance", she never would have learned to "self-nurture" and now knows she doesn't have anything to prove to anyone but herself. Banks applauded her and embraced her.
Banks said she has a special guest, her ex-husband Charles. Charles enters the ring and tells Caprice that it's great to see her. Caprice said it was "everything" for her to see him in that moment. Back in the ring, he told her that it was amazing not to see anyone holding her back and told his ex that "the world is yours." Caprice told him that she appreciates that and that she tried "so hard with you, but she appreciates you showing up here in Florida to see me shine."
Banks said that she thinks Chris is realizing that he's missing out on something so special in Caprice. We, however, don't get any comments from Chris, which would have added to the presentation in my opinion.
They closed out with a segment called "The Sendoff" with Caprice sitting with Stephanie McMahon at WWE HQ. She said she didn't expect Chris to show up. She was surprised and appreciative that he was there, for her. She said that she can see what consistency can do. Stephanie told her that she found her voice and now the "world is a better place" because of Caprice. She thanked Stephanie.
That was the show. It was obviously meant to be an inspirational video and certainly, it will hit that mark, but for some, the lack of time for the episode will also mean a lack of depth to truly examine Caprice's issues and the journey she's putting herself through. Sasha Banks came off well here, revealing some personal details of her own life, but with the episode over just as you are settling in, one can't help but to feel that those missing four minutes (out of the potential ten minute window) might have allowed viewers to find an even deeper connection to Banks or Caprice, or see them connect closer with each other.
With the other episodes running between 6-7 minutes each, we'll see in future episodes how the series' editors balance the lack of time with telling the stories of the mentors and their subjects.
Tomorrow - Episode 2 featuring Nikki and Brie Bella.
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