A Powerful Voice in WWE: Renee Young

                                                                                         By: Amber Neate

     Renee Young is an actress and sports reporter for World Wrestling Entertainment. Young works as a back-stage interviewer for live SmackDown and Raw shows and hosts Pay Per View events, WWE Active and Talking Smack. She also has experience in modeling, comedy and film. In 2013, Young performed color commentary for female fights on NXT wrestling. Prior to her career with WWE, Young worked for Bite TV as a host on the show Rippin’ It-N-Lippin’ It. Young is a recipient of the WWE Slammy Award for Favorite Web Show of the Year.

     On an episode of Unfiltered, Renee Young interviewed former WWE Women’s Champion, Sasha Banks. Young has confident, comfortable body language, always smiles and is persistent in her efforts to uncover exciting information. Young asks unusual questions that the audience doesn’t expect. This keeps the show entertaining. Surprise and originality intrigues the viewers. When conducting an interview, Young keeps conversation flowing and casual which allows the interviewee to exhibit trust. On Unfiltered, Young showcases individual athletes and reveals their history, interests and dreams. Fans get a sneak-peek into the lives of wrestling superstars and learn personal information about the athletes that they wouldn’t find anywhere else. 

     In a segment form SmackDown Live, Young conducts an interview with rival superstars Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode. Ziggler approaches her with a cocky, aggressive attitude. While being interviewed he gives her a back-handed compliment and shouts with anger. Young remains calm and respectful to him. She is quiet and extends the microphone for him to speak. Young’s body language is still confident but she is annoyed. In this situation, her posture and facial expressions demonstrate frustration. Young needed to refrain from showing personal judgement in this moment. The tension between Ziggler and Roode is uncomfortable but Young is not intimidated. She ends the interview with a smile.

     Young’s work is inspirational to young women who are involved in male dominant sports fields. She proves that women can work in extreme sports and contribute valuable insights. Young has a welcoming approach, self-assured attitude and bright smile. She is independent and informed about athlete’s current injuries, rivalries and personal lives. Young is calm on live television, determined to find compelling stories, speaks clearly and is assertive when dealing with emotional athletes back stage.

     At an early age, Young was inspired to be a sports reporter. She is an avid wrestling fan. Her father being a concert promoter, helped her back stage at WrestleMania VI where she met legendary athletes Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Trish Stratus. Young’s passion and persistence led to success on sports broadcasts such as The Score, Total Divas and several others. Young cares about her job and has genuine love for it.  This is evident in her hard work and strong business relationships with the company. Her body language, tone and energy demonstrate excitement and delight.

     Working for World Wrestling Entertainment has been my dream since age 14. I hope to be a successful sports commentator and broadcaster like Renee Young. Her education, media experience and love for the business reflect how special and rewarding this job is. What Young does is not easy. It requires research, genuine interest, patience, and public speaking skills. This job field is exceptionally competitive. If you don’t have passion, you aren’t in the right field. 

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