Q&A with Mada Abdelhamid, the only Arab contestant on WWE’s Tough Enough

Sport360 staff 18:40 02/08/2015
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  • Mada Abdel Hamid is a contestant on WWE Tough Enough VI.

    Mada Abdelhamid, the only Arab contestant on WWE’s Tough Enough, was eliminated last week after a grueling Focus Challenge and here is his interview following elimination.

    — informado24x7 (@informado24x7) July 29, 2015

    What is the one thing you will take away from this experience?
    My love and passion for the WWE. Having a taste of it – being in the ring, being a part of Monday Night RAW and Tough Enough was such an honor and a blessing. I loved being part of it and this is not the end for me. I hope to be back.

    What is your reaction to your overwhelming popularity amongst Arab fans?
    It is very humbling to see and I take a lot of pride in it. There has never been an Egyptian WWE superstar and I got a lot of support from the Egyptian fan base as well as fans from across the Arab world.  I appreciate everything they do for me, especially the hashtag #BringMadaBack. It is truly amazing and I cannot wait to be in WWE so that I can represent them as well.

    What does your family in Egypt think about your journey on Tough Enough?
    At the start of the show they were a little hesitant because they did not know a lot of about WWE. But once I explained what WWE was and what this opportunity meant, they were a 100 per cent behind me. They actually helped me a lot, especially with reaching out to the people in Egypt through social media. My dad actually started a fan page for me on Facebook, which got a 120,000 fans in three weeks. So, my family is very supportive and very proud of me.

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    Who are you betting on to win Tough Enough? 
    For me, from the guys I think Josh is going to win it – I think he is the strongest competitor amongst the guys. Among the girls, I think Gigi is going to win as she has the best overall package of personality, accessibility and athleticism. They are my two picks.

    What was the most surprising thing about training for Tough Enough?
    It felt new – that was the crazy part. It was stuff that I had never done through before in my life and I am personal trainer, so I train a lot. Coming to WWE, there was something new every day. It was a completely new experience – it was a lot more exciting but it was also very challenging.

    Has being part of Tough Enough made you work harder to become a WWE Superstar?
    This has made me work even harder and I am going right back into training. I am heading home to DC, back to my family in a couple of days. I want to get back home as soon as possible and start training towards achieving my dreams of becoming a WWE Superstar.

    How does it feel to be the only Arab competitor on Tough Enough?
    I am very proud to be representing the Arab World in WWE. I really appreciate all the support and the fans are very helpful. Even though the time difference is insane, they stay up till 3 and 4 in the morning to watch me on Tough Enough. I greatly appreciate it and it is very humbling to see that and I cannot wait to get back to WWE and represent them better by winning a WWE championship. I know they had my back the whole way. 

    Final thoughts or words for fans in the Middle East

    I love all my fans and I wouldn’t be here without them; the WWE wouldn’t be what it is without the fans. They have always been so supportive and rallied behind me. I have had fans come up to me on the street and encouraging me. It is great to get that kind of reaction, especially from the kids and I like talking to the kids. Once I was a kid looking up to these WWE Superstars and the now it’s my turn to give back to them.   

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