Does The WWE Use Sound Effects When Bianca Belair Whips Her Braid? What She Says Is Really Going On

I’ve been obsessed with behind-the-scenes WWE content ever since Miz and Mrs hit the air, but Netflix’s new docuseries chronicling the first part of the 2025 TV season just took this sort of content to a whole new level. While CinemaBlend loved a lot about Unreal, one thing that really stood out to me was Bianca Belair talking about her famous braid in the ring.

While there are a lot of fun facts we know about Bianca Belair, many have wondered: Is what she’s doing with her long braid real or faked? Now the Unreal docuseries has hit Netflix's schedule, we have an answer.

Does WWE Actually Use Sound Effects When Bianca Whips Her Braid?

Even Bianca knows her braid is a major topic of discussion on the Internet. For one, it's her signature, but she also admitted in the docuseries that she knows there have been fans who have hedged that the WWE has used sound effects to amplify her braid hitting her opponents. Regardless, she admitted in Netflix’s Unreal that she braids and oils up her hairdo herself for maximum impact, and nothing about what happens when she uses her hair as a weapon is faked for TV.

Later, in Episode 5 of the Netflix series, the WWE star was prepping for her big Wrestlemania 2025 match with Rhea Ripley And Iyo Sky, and she opened up about how she actually styles her braid. Turns out, there's actual strategy to getting it to make as much of a smacking noise as possible.

I was also surprised to learn that her biggest concern when heading into a ring for a match has to do with her braid. She often worries she’ll get out there and slap someone around and the braid won’t make the famous noise she needs it to make. Ahead of Wrestlemania, she confirmed in the docuseries that this is the thing that “stresses” her out, noting the braid's gotta be "thick" for it to work best.

Prior to watching, I honestly was on team sound effect, because I didn’t realize hair could make that much of a cracking sound in real life. So, yeah, this tidbit was a bit surprising for me. After she braids the hair while getting ready, she gets it to a point where it basically acts like a whip or a rope. It can also hurt. There have been several memorable times women have been on the receiving end of Bianca’s braid and ended up with major marks on their bodies, and that will likely remain true in upcoming WWE matches.

Previously, there was video of Bianca whipping her hair at Becky Lynch that made such a huge sound it went viral. This season, a tussle with Liv Morgan left a giant burn-looking mark on her stomach. After the match with Rhea and Iyo, Rhea had a nasty welt from the braid on her bicep. She and Bianca had joked before the match that if it left a welt, she’d mark it with a tattoo. Not sure if that came about, but both women seemingly knew the score going into the match.

Which leads me to the question: How did Bianca come up with the braid? Thanks to Unreal, we have an answer for that, too.

Bianca Belair Wears Her Hair In A Braid Thanks To Her Husband Montez Ford

Another cool story that came out of Netflix’s Unreal Documentary has to do with the origins of Bianca’s braid. It was a look that Bianca tried out earlier in her career. It was probably going to be a one-off, but then her husband, Montez Ford, gave her a piece of advice:

The reason? It’s notable. He was right in saying no one else was doing it at the time. While Lyra Valkyria and some of the other women do have memorable hair, nothing is as consistent and memorable as Bianca’s braid. To my knowledge, she’s also the only person who uses her hairdo as a weapon, and this was all because of the one piece of advice Ford gave her early on:

It was sound advice, and probably a good thing she latched onto it. Girls now love to emulate the look. Belair even said at Wrestlemania that she met a gaggle of six young fans who’d all worn their hair in a braid like hers.

So, there you have it. The braid does legitimately hurt and its slapping sound is also authentic. None of that is faked in the ring. This is only one of many stories that came out behind-the-scenes in Unreal, including whether WWE wrestlers pee and poo themselves, so if you haven't given it a watch, I do recommend it.

Now, I just need to know if Rhea followed through and got a tattoo to commemorate the Wrestlemania match, which was my favorite match At Wrestlemania 40 (and maybe this year).