PERMITS
September 4, 2015
Local to be featured on The Ultimate Fighter
September 9, 2015
Zamariah Zane Loupe has been back home in Bayou Bouef for nearly two weeks now, but he’s been a tough target to pin down for a few words.
The 19-year-old Nicholls State University student, better known by the moniker “ZZ,” had a busy summer, entertaining an international audience on the USA Network’s WWE reality show “Tough Enough,” making it to the final cut of contestants and garnering fans from all over.
“I’d like to thank all my babygators for the support and the wonderful time I shared with y’all through this experience,” he said at the completion of the series run, which resulted in contestant Josh Bredl earning a $250,000 WWE contract.
“Babygators” is the name given to fans by ZZ, who said from the beginning of his foray into the competition that he was “tough enough” to win the prize because if he could wrestle alligators he could wrestle people.
Throughout the competition, on television and in multiple messages to fans on Twitter, ZZ made clear that as the youngest contestant on “Tough Enough,” he wanted to provide encouragement to youngsters everywhere.
The show’s Aug. 25 finale saw ZZ and Josh coming head-to-head – each individually – with WWE champ Antonio Cesaro.
Dogged by taunts throughout the series run that he was fonder of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches than the potential of a true shot in the ring, ZZ held his own in the ring.
Donning an outfit befitting his nickname for the event, “King of the Bayou,” a cape with an attached alligator head, ZZ stood up to some clear punishment from the champ.
The “gator grip,” a move ZZ introduced that involved holding an opponent down while gripping his jaw and skull – as one might do with an alligator – never got a chance to see its full employment potential in the finale.
Ultimately the fans – who had stood by ZZ as contestant after contestant was eliminated, texting votes and sending them on a special WWE phone application – made a different choice. But ZZ’s prior showings kept the tension and suspense high week after week.
Now back home, surrounded by friends and family who are assuring him he is indeed a winner just for getting as far as he got in the competition, ZZ says he is taking a little break before deciding what next to do with his new-found fame and abilities after months of hard training in a world that was initially foreign to him, that of a would-be professional wrestler.
“Gator season just started,” ZZ said last week, expressing a desire to join the hunt with an uncle and other relatives.
Bayou Boeuf in northern Lafourche Parish is rife with reptiles, and the limited hunt for them began in late August.
He is happy to have had the WWE experience and has hopes that, perhaps, his showing in the series will lead to future association with the wrestling organization.
“Right now I’m just taking it easy,” he said. “I want to take a little time, and go out on a real date with a girl.”
