Sunderland, UK – With the Women’s Rugby World Cup about to kick off, United States star Ilona Maher is at a professional crossroads. The 29-year-old social media sensation, known for her phenomenal following of nearly nine million across platforms, has revealed she is seriously contemplating a career shift into professional wrestling with the WWE, with aspirations to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood megastars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena.
The Allure of the Ring and the Silver Screen
In an interview with BBC Sport, Maher, who was recently named the 2025’s best breakthrough athlete at the prestigious Espy Awards, confirmed she has been “approached before by the WWE,” a move she is now considering due to the lucrative opportunities it presents. Joking that her ring name would be ‘Maher-vellous,’ she sees the world of wrestling as a potential springboard for her long-term ambitions.
“I would love to get into the acting space and the scripted space,” she told the BBC. “I think a Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson, John Cena progression – I would love to do that.” Maher expressed her desire to see her athletic body type represented on screen, envisioning initial roles as a “hot assassin or something” before progressing to bigger roles.
Her ambition is not without precedent. The WWE has a history of recruiting accomplished athletes who have successfully transitioned to the wrestling ring and, subsequently, to Hollywood. Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather have made cameos, while Olympic gold medallists Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey have become long-standing, central figures in the promotion.
Rugby First: Maher’s Focus on the World Cup
Despite the buzz surrounding her potential new career, Maher insists she remains a rugby player first. Having won a bronze medal with the US sevens team at the Paris 2024 Olympics, she is now focused on her World Cup campaign. To help her acclimatize to the 15-a-side game, she joined Premiership Women’s Rugby side Bristol Bears on a three-month contract earlier this year, a move that set a new league attendance record for her debut.
Named at outside centre for Friday’s World Cup opener against tournament favorites England, Maher is under no illusions about the challenge ahead. However, she sees the lack of expectation on her underdog US team as a positive. “I am going into it with the mindset not that we have something to lose, but something to gain from this,” she said.
Regardless of her future path, Maher’s impact on women’s rugby is undeniable. She has used her massive social media platform to promote the sport and advocate for body positivity, and in doing so, has single-handedly brought millions of new followers into the rugby community.
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