"You could probably play a good b*tch" - Top WWE star recalls what Chris Jericho told her in 2015
The final season of WWE Tough Enough in 2015 brought WWE some talented superstars, as Mandy Rose received a contract after finishing second in the competition. The current NXT Women's Champion recently revealed an essential piece of advice she received from Chris Jericho and Lita during the reality TV series.
Mandy Rose, real name Amanda Saccomanno, was amongst the best contestants on the sixth season of Tough Enough, which had AEW star Chris Jericho as the primary host and mentor.
Rose was new to the world of reality television back then and admitted that she initially made a mistake by not portraying a character.
The 32-year-old star was also unfamiliar with how professional wrestling worked and recalled being herself when she started her run in the business.
Tough Enough had several legendary judges and coaches who rarely missed the opportunity to guide the rookies throughout the show. Mandy Rose, too, was often pulled aside by veteran stars and given some much-needed advice regarding her performances.
The likes of Chris Jericho and Lita realized that Mandy Rose had the qualities to play the role of a 'good b*tch' in kayfabe, and they urged her to make the necessary changes to her on-screen gimmick.
Here's what she revealed on the latest episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet:
"But then, like, you know, people pulling me aside, you know, like Lita and Chris Jericho and telling me, like, 'Listen, you're in a reality show," stated Rose. "You could probably play a good b*tch. You should probably do that.' And I'm like, 'Oh, really?' That's when I started to kind of show that and really started getting notoriety, and people started talking about me." [28:34 - 29:00]
The decision to ditch her people-pleasing persona proved to be a game-changer for Mandy Rose as she caught the attention of WWE officials and eventually became a full-time roster member.
"My dad used to hate watching" - Mandy Rose on her WWE Tough Enough run
Mandy Rose's wrestling career seemingly took off after she adopted a more heelish character in WWE Tough Enough. While the former bodybuilder enjoyed newfound success in wrestling, Mandy revealed that her father didn't like seeing her nasty side.
Rose, however, has no regrets about being an unapologetically mean WWE Superstar, as the gimmick has helped her achieve many record-breaking accolades in the company.
Mandy continued:
"Like, my dad used to hate watching. 'That's my baby girl!' Yeah, he hated it. I was a b*tch. Like, I was mean. But I think that's what kind of got me to where I am today, in the sense of getting me on Total Divas right away. I played a good b*tch, so (laughs)." [29:01 - 29:30]
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