Ash By Elegance looks back on her WWE exit through a positive lens.
In September 2023, WWE released Dana Brooke and several other talents from their contracts. For Brooke, it marked the end of a 10-year chapter with WWE, though not necessarily the end of her story there. With that in mind, Brooke, now known as TNA‘s Ash By Elegance, has largely kept her talk about WWE positive, with no temptation to do otherwise in her post-WWE career.
“You have to stop crying over spoiled milk,” Ash told Joey Karni of The Angle. “Everyone that’s been in WWE was given a platform, and there’s no such other platform like WWE. So it’s like any other business in life. You’re always going to be a number. There’s always going to be somebody that will come in and try and replace you. Then again, you can close that door on the way out and talk crap and talk bad about the company. But never forget where you came from because there’s so many people around the world that are fighting for that one spot. I didn’t know that.
“I was very fortunate enough to come into the business and be given the opportunity, ” she continued, “but so many of the girls along the way were like, ‘Oh my God, I used to watch wrestling when I was a little girl.’ Or girls that are in the business now, for example, are like, ‘Oh my God, I’m dying to get there.’ But we were so blessed to be one individual on that huge roster of talent. Now, unfortunately, if you feel like me, I felt as though I wasn’t getting utilized properly. Now I have the opportunity, hand ties are off, let me go bust through that door. I’ll keep that door open, because I have nothing negative to say because they definitely gave me that platform.”
Ash Focuses On Her Reinvention
Admittedly, Ash remains in disagreement with some aspects of her WWE run and subsequent release. Instead of trash talking the company, Ash has focused her energy on reinventing herself outside of it, so much so that she now reigns as the TNA Knockouts Champion. Ash claimed the title in a three-way match at WWE NXT Heatwave, thanks to the ongoing partnership between WWE and TNA.
“TNA can rely on me to be a positive role model, a positive light to go back to WWE and NXT,” Ash said. “Keep the bridge going, keep that foundation strong. I never go back and I don’t crap talk or nothing about those companies.”
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