The Evolution of Daria Berenato- Athlete, Wrestler, Trailblazer

About this episode

Daria Berenato shares her journey from a multi-sport athlete to a WWE Champion and her experiences in MMA and acting.

This week on the Strong New York Podcast, host Kenny Santucci is joined by Daria Berenato — actress, former WWE Champion, MMA fighter, and media host. After a groundbreaking WWE career that included championship success and leadership roles as Raw and SmackDown General Manager, Daria returned to wrestling television with TNA Wrestling on AMC as authority figure The S.U.I.T., Daria Rae. She also serves as an executive partner and commentator with Invicta FC and co-hosts the podcast Unwrapped . Kenny and Daria discuss her journey from a competitive multi-sport athlete in South Jersey to discovering MMA, training at a time when women’s combat sports were far less mainstream, and her experience on Tough Enough, which led to her signing with WWE despite early elimination. She shares lessons learned from other talents in the industry, reflects on leaving WWE after 10 years to pursue acting and producing, and opens up about embracing her sexuality and the support she’s received from the LGBTQ+ community. 00:00 Women in Combat Sports 00:53 Podcast Intro and Guest 01:23 Daria Name Origins 02:36 South Jersey Roots 03:31 Wild Gyms and Money Talk 05:04 Philly Food and Cheesesteaks 06:10…

People in this episode

Host: Kenny Santucci

Guest: Daria Berenato

Topics covered

• women in combat sports
• MMA
• wrestling
• LGBTQ+ support
• athlete journey

Keywords

• Daria Berenato
• WWE
• MMA
• women in sports
• LGBTQ+

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WWE, TNA Wrestling, Invicta FC, Unwrapped

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