After enduring rattled nerves and the excitement of competing on The Grandest Stage of Them All, new Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax hopes her big night at WrestleMania 34 will inspire others to stand up for themselves.

Despite the butterflies heading into WrestleMania, Nia Jax is ready to redeem herself against Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss.

Nia Jax recently spoke with the members of ESPN, Cheap Heat Podcenter during WrestleMania week where she discussed her standing up to bulling, playing baby face, her calm mood during her hectic WrestleMania schedule and more! Click the play button below to listen. Skip to 21:20

We go to Renee Young’s sitdown interview with Nia Jax. Jax talks about how she’s disappointed in herself for how RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss has gotten over on her and made her doubt herself. Jax says some of the comments from Bliss took a toll on her and hurt some of her confidence but she took a look in the mirror and told herself that she doesn’t take s–t. She’s strong, she’s confident, she’s different and also big but she loves who she is. This is how God made her and what her mom gave her. Jax goes on and has a message for Bliss – she’s nothing but an insecure little girl, a pathetic fly, and Jax will squash her like a bug at WrestleMania.

Asuka and Dana defeated Alexa Bliss and Mickie James after Asuka made Mickie tap. Bliss and Mickie doubled teamed Asuka before DDT Dana.

Bliss grabs Asuka again but the music hits and out comes Nia Jax, rushing to the ring. Jax grabs Bliss but Mickie hits her from behind. Bliss escapes the ring but Jax slams Mickie to the mat and then splashes her in the corner. Jax with a big Samoan Drop to Mickie as Bliss watches from the stage with her title. Jax stands tall and stares Bliss down as her music hits.

Nia Jax recently spoke with Mirror, where she discussed her women’s championship match at WrestleMania, the impact of her current storyline, being bullied at a young age and more. Read the full interview below

Nia Jax challenges Alexa Bliss for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 34 in a match based on the break-up of their friendship. The Samoan powerhouse and the pint-sized Goddess will clash after it emerged Bliss had been using Jax and secretly mocking her weight. Standing 6ft tall and weighing 272lb, Nia has been subjected to cruel taunts from Alexa – insults which she has also battled away from the ring. The number one contender, real name Savelina Fanene, from Sydney, Australia, has previously revealed her experiences of body shaming. And while the storyline is controversial, it gives the real life best friends the chance to address an issue affecting many people around the world. Jax, 33, spoke to Mirror Sport about the plot, her title opportunity and what happens if you mess with a member of the Anoaʻi family tree.

You have the rare opportunity of a singles match at WrestleMania and not just any singles match, but a singles match for the Raw Women’s Championship. How do you feel about this?

I’m over the moon. I mean, I can’t even think of the last time women have had a singles match for the title on the WrestleMania card. [WWE Women’s Champion Melina defeated Ashley at WrestleMania 23 in 2007.] Obviously you think back to Trish and Mickie [Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus to capture the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 22 in 2006]. But I’m just sitting here thinking ‘this is crazy, we have two women’s matches for the title on the WrestleMania card’. I’m just blown away. Plus we have a mixed match on the card as well, so it’s pretty amazing.

This is the first WrestleMania with multiple singles women’s matches since WrestleMania 22.

There you go, you knew it!

And one of those was a Playboy Pillow Fight!

A Playboy Pillow Fight, ha ha.

It shows the company’s shift in thinking, thanks to the ‘Women’s Evolution’.

Yeah, it’s amazing. I’m honoured and beyond blessed to be a part of it.

The storyline for this match with Alexa Bliss has been framed around her insulting and bodyshaming you. How do you feel about being involved in this kind of plot and do you think it’s important WWE tackle real life issues like this?

I think it’s amazing. I think it’s something that people know but they don’t want to talk about it, they always want to keep it hidden. I feel like we’re tackling it head-on and it should be [tackled]. Young women and young girls, and boys, should actually be hearing this and seeing the conflict that we go through and seeing somebody stand up for themselves and not have to allow somebody to bully them, because of the way they look, what their shape is, or the colour of their skin is. You should always stand up for yourself. So I think it’s amazing. I’m very honoured to be a part of it.

Have you ever encountered bullying of this nature before?

Oh yeah. You know, growing up… it’s crazy how real this storyline is to my real life. And especially with Alexa being such a close, best friend of mine for so long, she has seen it. She [her character] has hurt me [my character], because I’ve confided in a lot of these stories that have happened to me. It surprises me that it has become such a big storyline in WWE, because it relates to me completely.

Growing up I was made fun of for always being bigger. I specifically remember, at one of my junior high basketball games, a man, a grown man was making fun of me and my size, as I was playing basketball. They didn’t realise that my Samoan father [Joseph Fanene, first cousin to Peter Maivia, grandfather of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson of the Anoaʻi family] was in the audience. And he, he err… beat the crap out of them, but that’s a whole ‘nother story! But yeah, that’s something I’ve dealt with my whole life, people making fun of me and my size. Everything from having a huge forehead, to the size of my feet, and not being able to wear the same size shoes as my friends, definitely.

Obviously that has become one of your greatest strengths – there is nobody quite with your physical attributes in WWE’s women’s division. I wish you all the best of luck at WrestleMania.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

Credit: Mirror

Nia Jax vs. Mickie James

We go to the ring and out comes Nia Jax. We see the recent issues between Jax and RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, leading to their WrestleMania 34 match. Bliss is out next with Mickie James.

Bliss and Nia exchange words as we get the bell. They lock up and Nia shoves Mickie to the mat. They lock up again and Mickie gets sent out to the floor. We go to commercial with Jax standing tall in the ring.

Back from the break and Mickie takes Nia’s leg out from behind on the floor as she’s stalking Bliss, who is taunting her. Mickie returns to the ring as the referee counts on Nia. She makes it back into the ring at the 7 count but Mickie goes right to work on her knee.

Mickie with more offense and two pin attempts in a row. Jax blocks the DDT. Jax charges in the corner but misses and Mickie goes right back to work on her knee. Mickie goes to the top and kicks Jax. Jax grabs her and presses her high, then drops her into a big Samoan Drop for the pin.

After the match, Bliss immediately runs in and nails Jax but it does nothing to her. Bliss starts backing away and pleading. Bliss runs away as Jax talks trash and calls her a little b—h. Bliss watches from the stage and retreats to the back as Jax leaves the ring while her music plays.

It is not the ideal position to be, but I think that our show is seen all over the world, before millions of spectators and I will follow that many of those millions will see the pre-show. It’s an honor the simple fact of being on the poster, but I think women have earned the right to be on the main poster within Wrestlemania, so I do not think it’s going to happen this year.

What do you think of the Evolution of Women, and in addition to participating in the Wrestlemania main event what do you want to achieve?

I think any woman has to be seen in the same way as a man, period, so being the main character of Wrestlemania’s main event or the main event of the different live shows that we have makes women consider themselves the same as men and that is the important thing. It does not have to be different.

Surely after Wrestlemania we will have a Superstars Shake Up, would you be surprised if they sent Nia Jax to Smackdown Live? What do you think of the talents that are there?

I would not be surprised at all. I think Smackdown Live is full of very talented people and I have a lot of fun watching the show. They have many of the superstars I would like to face, so it would be great to go there and liven things up. I would not mind at all.

Speaking of title matches at Wrestlemania, your family knows something about it. Have you asked The Rock for advice?