Former IC Champ Maxxine Dupri Discusses Friends She's Made In WWE

For the last three years, Maxxine Dupri has been able to call Otis and Akira Tozawa good friends of hers, with the three regularly supporting each other's work in WWE. Behind the scenes, Dupri attests that they've enjoyed a number of adventures together outside of the ring as well.

"They're my best friends. I love them," Dupri told Denise Salcedo. "I have the greatest time with them. We have so much fun. I just love who they are as human beings. I love who they are in the ring. I think they are two of the most underrated superstars we have on the roster. I'm just really grateful that I've had such a beautiful experience traveling with them and seeing the world with them and sharing the ring with them. Truly, my first matches were in Alpha Academy, so I have literally been raised and come up with them. It's been a really special experience."

With extensive training alongside Otis and Chad Gable, Dupri marked her in-ring debut as an Alpha Academy member in July 2023. Gable later left the stable in 2024 to align himself with the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile. Nevertheless, the partnership between Otis, Tozawa, and Dupri remained intact even to this day.

In November 2025, Otis and Tozawa notably joined Dupri in celebrating her WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship win over Becky Lynch, which took place inside NYC's Madison Square Garden. Dupri later dropped the title back to Lynch on the January 5 edition of "WWE Raw."

In more recent months, Dupri has also gotten chummy with WWE World Tag Team Champion Austin Theory. Otis and Tozawa, on the other hand, have admittedly grown skeptical of this budding friendship, particularly due to Theory's perceived status as "bad news."

Otis has raised this concern to Dupri on multiple occasions. Dupri, though, insists that they cut Theory some slack as he's currently dealing with personal matters.

"I'm a friendly girl. I get along with everyone," Durpi said. "I'm friends with all the girls in the locker room. I'm friends with a lot of the guys on the roster. And I think that The Vision is doing what The Vision needs to do, and maybe they're a little misunderstood. I think that if people took the time to get to know them and get to know Austin [Theory] that maybe they would feel differently. I just think that I've gotten to see that other side."

Dupri and Theory have yet to formally align themselves on WWE programming, though fans have frequently spotted them talking in the background of various segments. On one occasion, Dupri was seen leaving "Raw" with Theory and his Vision stablemates.

Theory returned to WWE TV in late 2025 as a masked assailant targeting the rivals of The Vision. Fast forward to June 2026, he now reigns as one-half of the World Tag Team Champions alongside Bron Breakker, who recently stepped in, via Freebird Rule, as co-champion due to an untimely tricep injury sustained by Logan Paul.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Denise Salcedo with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.