World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Jade Cargill is not only one of the most popular wrestling stars in the world, but she is a superb athlete who champions women’s empowerment inside and outside the ring.
Before her career in sports entertainment began, the 33-year-old Gifford, Florida, native of Jamaican descent won two basketball district championships at two different high schools and played three years of college basketball for the Jackson University Dolphins.
Prior to becoming a WWE icon, Cargill, who at 5’10” and 160 pounds has a physique that resembles a powerful superhero, was the first All Elite Wrestling (AEW) TBS champion, holding the title for 508 days with a 60-match unbeaten streak.
Outside of the ring, Cargill and her partner, former Major League Baseball infielder Brandon Philips, a three-time All-Star who played 17 seasons, are owners of the the Atlanta Smoke of Women’s Professional Fastpitch league. The team won its third consecutive championship over the weekend by defeating the Orlando Monarchs.
“One of the first conversations (Brandon and I) had was ‘that I’m thankful that that’s what you do,” in reference to her career, ‘but what do you do for women’?” said Cargill.
That conversation led to the couple’s investment in the league.
“It means a lot (to me) to elevate women’s sports in general and just create new footsteps for the next generation, so they can create footsteps for the next generation,” Cargill expressed. “We want nothing but the best for ourselves.”
She spoke at the Empire State Building last week in advance of appearances on WWE’s weekly Friday Night Smackdown show, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, and the company’s annual SummerSlam, which for the first time was a two-day event taking place at MetLife Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. Cargill fell short at her attempt to become WWE Women’s Champion at the hands of Tiffany Stratton.
She revealed what it would mean for her to one day hoist that title over her head.
“It would mean the world and (would show) that my hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.”
It would be more shocking if Cargill did not win the title sometime in the near future, following in the footsteps of Black women who previously competed in the WWE, such as Jacqueline Moore and Jazz, who were both two-time women’s champions with the company.
She vowed to continue to leverage her popularity to advance her own business interest and the aspirations of other women.