Courtesy of WWE
Jessika Carr makes her debut Friday night as WWE’s first full-time female referee on SmackDown, breaking new ground for women in professional wrestling.
“For a woman to be in a position of authority, to be powerful and have a voice, it means so much to me to represent that culture and for others to see it,” said Carr. “That’s the role model I needed when I was younger. Now, I can deliver that message.”
Carr is 28-year-old Jessika Heiser, a Maryland native who originally aspired to be a pro wrestler. Her dream changed when industry legend William Regal encouraged her to try something new and put on the black and white stripes typically associated in WWE with the likes of Earl Hebner, Joey Marella, Mike Chioda, and Charles Robinson.