Real Love & Reality Stars: The Story of Bianca Belair & Montez Ford
*Written by Allison Levingston:
The world of professional wrestling is full of larger-than-life characters and dramatic storylines. It’s really not surprising that a lot of athletes find love within their own industry. From Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch's power couple dynamic to the love story of “Timeless” Toni Storm and Juice Robinson, wrestlers having relationships with others within their own world is hardly uncommon. But today, in celebration of both Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, I want to take some time to highlight some of my favorite Black love stories within the professional wrestling world. From reality stars Bianca Belair and Montez Ford, to a Black woman being loved out loud by her man (*) especially the love stories that illuminate Black joy and representation within the squared circle.
One love story, captivating fans on and off-screen, is the powerhouse pairing of Bianca Belair and Montez Ford.
Their journey began with shared athletic roots. Before gracing the WWE NXT stage, Both Ford and Belair excelled as track stars in college, Belair at University of Tennessee and Ford in High School before joining the US Marine Corps. This common ground sparked an instant attraction, the EST confessed on "The Sherri Show," admitting to her friends, "Keep him away from me. That is one beautiful man!"
However, the path to love wasn't all smooth sailing (I mean, is it ever?). While Belair flirted, Ford was apparently oblivious until a simple compliment about her makeup ("I like your makeup," he blurted out) broke the ice and led up to a night of laughter and conversation. Hilariously enough, like a scene out of a romcom, the night ended with Belair accidentally sharing the wrong number, a scenario straight out of a romcom!
Despite the fumble, their paths would cross again and fate was in their favor. In 2017, they officially started dating. A year later, they were engaged, and on June 23rd, 2018, they celebrated their love with a picture-perfect wedding.
Today, in 2024, Belair and Ford are not just WWE superstars, but reality TV stars, sharing their vibrant love story with the world through their show "Love & WWE: Bianca and Montez." Their journey, from cautious attraction to undeniable love, embodies the strength, humor, and beauty that often define Black love.
Love stories like theirs are incredibly important to see in all forms of media because they show representation, and show just how strong black love can be in all forms. Belair and Ford are so incredibly important because they are showing the wrestling world that black love is strong and that their stories are just as important as white stories, if not more important. They show the younger generations that, especially in predominantly white spaces, finding someone who will love you for you is not impossible, and frankly is the EST.
