Local inks WWE deal

A local man has parlayed his runner-up finish on a reality TV show into a full-time developmental contract with WWE.

Bayou Bouef native and Nicholls State University student Zamariah Zane Loupe is now officially a contracted talent that WWE will aim to mold into a star throughout the next several months through intense training and character development.

Loupe’s aunt Edwina Tregle confirmed her nephew’s contract to The Times this week – just hours after she spilled the beans to family and friends on social media.

In a Facebook post, she said her nephew, who goes be the moniker “ZZ”, had received a contract and will now be living in Orlando, Florida so that he can train at the WWE Performance Center – the very place where countless wrestling stars have been created.

Wrestling dirt sheet website www.wrestlezone.com first broke the news of Loupe’s signing on Tuesday afternoon after ZZ was spotted by paparazzi walking into the Performance Center with family by his side.

Loupe, 19, became a household name among wrestling fans this summer after he finished as the male runner-up on famous reality show ‘Tough Enough’, the WWE-owned TV program that seeks to find and train tomorrow’s wrestling stars.

“We are very excited for (ZZ),” Tregle said in her post. “He is happy to be back there and is ready to work hard at this. He is so grateful to all of you for helping him achieve his goal of becoming a finalists (sic) on Tough Enough.”

Now that he’s officially a part of the WWE, the hard work will begin for Loupe. Throughout the early stages of ‘Tough Enough,’ judges questioned ZZ’s physical prowess, because of his round, chunky figure that paled in comparison to some of the other men on the show.

But about midway through the show, ZZ showed a commitment to his fitness and diet. By the final weeks of the show, ZZ was down about 20 pounds and was noticeably leaner than he was at the start of the show.

“I didn’t understand the seriousness of the physical-side of this business,” Loupe said in a post-show interview on the WWE Network. “But I’ve dedicated myself. I really, really have. I wish I would have done it sooner. But I’ve turned it all around.”

At the WWE Performance Center, some of wrestling’s best trainers will work tirelessly to keep ZZ churning on the right path toward “looking the part” for WWE TV.

The multi-million-dollar training facility opened its doors in 2013 and covers 26,000 square feet of Florida soil. It includes seven wrestling rings, a world-class strength and conditioning program and millions of dollars-worth of production and audio equipment that allow aspiring wrestlers to work on their microphone skills.

The performance center’s head trainer is Matt Bloom – an 18-year veteran in the business, who wrestled in the United States as Prince Albert, but is best known for his time in Japan as Giant Bernard.

Other trainers include Billy Gunn (a ‘Tough Enough trainer) and Joey Mercury.

At the facility, ZZ will be joined by ‘Tough Enough’ winners Josh and Sara Lee – both of whom got automatic one-year, $250,000 contracts for winning the show. WWE also signed ‘Tough Enough’ contestant Amanda and made her a cast member for its show ‘Total Divas’.

What likely got ZZ the WWE contract is his personality. Throughout ‘Tough Enough’, ZZ’s quick-witted humor was on display – a trait that made him wildly popular among the show’s audience.

ZZ was up for elimination several times throughout the show, which is decided 100 percent by fan-voting. Each time, Loupe’s popularity saved him, and he was voted to stay another week.

During the ‘Tough Enough’ finale, world-famous star Triple H, who is also the WWE Executive Vice President for Talent and Live Events, said ZZ has the chops to entertain a crowd.

“He has the charisma – there’s no doubt about it,” Triple H said. “If he can put it all together, he can have a career in this business.”

Fans hoping to see ZZ compete in a WWE ring need to be incredibly patient – his professional debut might not happen for quite a long time.

If ZZ is successful in his stay at the Performance Center, he will be assigned to NXT – otherwise known as WWE’s version of the developmental minor leagues. NXT shows are available on the WWE Network. If successful at NXT, WWE writers would have to find a place for ZZ in their storylines and write him into their card.

Because he’s just 19 and most active superstars are in their mid-to-late 20s, that might mean that ZZ will have to be patient before getting his shot.

But he’s said before that that’s not going to be a problem.

“I really want to do this,” Loupe said during the ‘Tough Enough’ finale show. “I won’t stop chasing it, and I’m only going to keep working harder.”

ZZ Loupe