6 things you may not know about WWE's Mandy Rose
As reported by Fightful, Mandy Rose has been released by WWE. This adds to the already shocking news from the December 13 episode of WWE NXT, which saw Roxanne Perez defeat Rose to become the new NXT Women's Champion.
The leader of Toxic Attraction was on a roll with a year-plus run holding the top title in NXT, which ended at 413 days. Three days more and she would have surpassed Shayna Baszler's reign. Thus, Rose's run with the belt marks the third longest reign as NXT Women's Champion in the brand's history, behind Baszler and Asuka.
Listed below are six things you may not know about Mandy Rose.
#6. Mandy Rose competed in a couple of historical first-ever matches in the WWE
Elimination Chamber and Royal Rumble matches used to be for men only until 2018, when women started having their own.
At the Royal Rumble, she entered at #4 and wrestled WWE legend and Hall of Famer Lita before being eliminated by the latter. The next month, she competed in the first-ever Women's Elimination Chamber match, putting on a decent performance before being eliminated by Sasha Banks by submission.
#5. WWE Superstar Carmella has accused her of being unsafe in the ring
At Money in the Bank in 2019, Carmella injured her knee early on in the ladder match, which also featured Mandy Rose, and it didn't look like a work. She shoved Rose off in a way that didn't appear to be part of the match.
After the show, Carmella and Rose were embroiled in a bitter Twitter exchange, which saw the former take a dig at her in-ring ability. Mella tweeted, "Go back to NXT and learn how to be safe in the ring," before deleting it.
#4. Mandy Rose was trained by Booker T, Billy Gunn, and Lita
Booker T would be proud of Mandy Rose and her recent achievements. The WWE Hall of Famer was among the three coaches from whom Rose would learn wrestling.
Before WWE, the former NXT Women's Champion was not even a wrestling fan. She was a contestant on Tough Enough in 2015, WWE's reality TV show, wherein participants who wish to sign a contract with the company undergo professional training.
In season six, which featured Rose, the judges were her future mentor Paige, AEW star Bryan Danielson, then known as Daniel Bryan, and The Miz. During this time, she adopted her ring name, "Mandy Rose," and was guided by Booker T, Billy Gunn, and Lita.
She was the runner-up to Sara Lee. After the show ended, she signed a five-year deal with the company. Whilst Rose was at risk of elimination, The Miz saved her, but subsequently, Rose lost a match during the finale to Alicia Fox.
Lita eliminated her from the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble match in 2018, coming full circle.
#3. Brother Richard and fiancé Tino Sabbatelli
Mandy Rose has three older brothers, one of whom recently passed away. Richard Saccomanno died on October 3, 2022, after battling depression for years. She posted an Instagram story regarding her brother's passing:
"I just wanted to thank everyone who paid their respects for my brother. The last few days weren't easy but we're so thankful for all of our family and friends who supported us in this tragic time & celebrated Richie's life. I know Richie would even be surprised to see how many people cared about him and loved him. Still feels like a bad dream. RIP Richie.. we love you."
In April 2018, she revealed that she was dating fellow professional wrestler Sabatino Piscitelli, better known by the ring name Tino Sabbatelli.
Rose and Sabbatelli got engaged in September 2022.
#2. Mandy Rose has a university degree
Mandy Rose, whose real name is Amanda Rose Saccomanno, graduated from Iona College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology. While speaking to WWE.com, she said:
"Don’t let this hair and face fool you – my brothers helped mold me into the feisty, tough woman I am today. I don’t stoop down to anyone. I was raised playing football and being the punching bag for my brothers. I guess you could say that is the root of my aggression and athleticism. I played basketball, softball and lacrosse, also did gymnastics and danced for years."
She continued, adding another major detail:
"I graduated from Iona College with a bachelor’s degree in Speech Language Pathology.”
Rose has challenged the outdated stereotypes that used to exist in the minds of many, that artists and even performers don't necessarily need an education.
#1. Business and jobs outside of WWE
Mandy Rose comes from a working-class family and had a job in a deli prior to becoming a wrestler.
She has been involved in plenty of modeling work away from the wrestling business. Rose has worked with Fitness Gurls and Fit & Firm, posing for magazines and growing her fanbase even further.
Photo: Mandy Rose makes the cover of 'Muscle & Fitness Hers' Magazine | facebook.com/notes/official… https://t.co/KvzCPU7XqG
Whilst it seemed glamorous on-screen, Rose spoke about the amount of hard work that goes on behind the scenes.
"My training consists of heavy lifting to stay strong mixed with some cardio to stay lean," said Rose. "I typically train Monday through Friday, and then take a couple days off to recover."
Rose has also created her own skincare brand called Amarose. The former SmackDown star has managed to achieve a lot away from the wrestling world. Her drive has led to her having plenty of success in everything that she has done.