In a recent interview on Threads with McKenzie Mitchell, former WWE star Mandy Rose delved into her stint in WWE NXT and revealed plans for a character overhaul.
After spending four years on the main roster, Rose made a return to NXT in 2021, enjoying a successful run with the NXT Women’s Championship until losing it to Roxanne Perez in late 2022. Following this loss, she was subsequently released by WWE.
During the interview, Rose shared insights into her desire to transform her iconic ‘The Golden Goddess’ character. Her vision involved a shift to a darker hair color and a more edgy and serious persona to break away from the previous glamorous image. Explaining her motivation, Rose stated,
“I went with the whole dark hair look and I just had kind of a different vibe going. I just wanted to be a little edgier; I wanted to be taken more seriously because it was always ‘The Golden Goddess,’ and I wanted to switch it up.”
In addition to discussing her NXT journey, Rose reflected on past plans WWE had for her at Wrestlemania 35. During that period, she was engaged in a storyline with Sonya Deville and Asuka, anticipating a buildup to the grand event.
According to Rose, the original plan involved a conflict with Deville leading to a women’s championship match against Asuka. However, she eventually participated in the Women’s Battle Royal at Wrestlemania instead.
Recalling the scenario, Rose shared,
“Yeah, I do remember. Obviously, we were in a storyline. It was Sonya Deville, Asuka, and myself. Sonya and I were starting too… We had some conflicts being created. It was kind of the beginning of it where we were costing each other the match and we just weren’t getting on the same page with things, our matches, and with Asuka… I was told from somebody, that it would potentially be me versus Asuka for the [SmackDown] Women’s Championship at WrestleMania [35].”
Since her departure from WWE, Rose has stayed away from professional wrestling. It remains to be seen whether she and WWE will consider a potential return to the ring in the near future.
