In light of AEW making it’s way to the University of Miami next week for a special Bash At The Beach edition of Dynamite, Jim Varsallone of The Miami Herald was joined by “U” alumni Brandi Rhodes to talk about her time as a Hurricane. Originally an undergraduate of The University of Michigan, The Chief Branding Officer of AEW discussed what drew her to go to school down in South Beach.
“I thought I was completely done with school, just I’ve always been interested in a myriad of things, but I figured once I got through undergrad that would be it and I would be in the top tier job and a news anchor in LA market (which is a pipe dream to say the least), but I thought I’d be able to hit the ground running and when I moved to Miami I kind of had the interest in continuing in working in TV journalism, but their was nothing for me there. I actually took a job as the director of marketing for The Princeton Review.”
Brandi mentions how The Princeton Review is very heavy into test prepping and as she worked with clients on such content she was intrigued to take the GRE herself. This led her going to grad school at the University of Miami.
As mentioned, Rhodes was formerly a Wolverine up in Ann Arbor, MI and with Detroit being her hometown, Varsallone had to ask if she happened to share any kinship with The Steiner Brothers who famously donned the blue and gold.
“I actually did. I did a signing, maybe two years ago or so and ran into the Steiners and had to let them know like, ‘Hey! Big fan and another Michigan girl,’ and they were so sweet about it, so yes we have connected in the Michigan box.”
Brandi talks about her time as a figure skater in which she became a serious participant of. Skating has changed so much since Brandi competed and mentions how much in her time it was very much like wrestling in how a winner was determined.
“I reached the highest level which is senior. I was a senior ladies freestyle competitor in singles and it’s funny because in figure skating so much has changed. I don’t pay attention anymore except for when the Olympics roll around and every time that happens I’m confused because they changed the rules so drastically and for the better because it’s become a sport now where you can’t just leave it up to the opinions of others and that was something that was very similar to wrestling in that a lot of it’s opinion, but they’ve really changed that atmosphere so much in the judging style. They have a whole points program where they really get around all that stuff so it’s not so much a sport of opinion anymore, but when I was in it it absolutely was.”
(Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone)
You can hear the entire conversation with Brandi below:
WrestleZone conducted an interview with Brandi Rhodes last year in which she also discusses her background in marketing and how that became beneficial in her then new role as AEW CBO:
