Mandy Rose is enjoying her time in WWE NXT 2.0.
In 2021, the former RAW and SmackDown star moved to NXT on the July 13 episode of NXT, and she has since established herself as the face of the brand’s women’s division. She won the NXT Women’s Championship on the Halloween Havoc special in October, and she has held it ever since.
During an appearance on WWE’s The Bump, Rose looked back on her shift to the brand and noted that, at the time, she had mixed emotions, but she was confident in her abilities.
“To be honest, there was a lot of mixed emotions,” said Rose. “And you guys know how the business works and all that. But there was a lot of mixed emotions. I think everything that I’ve learned over the years and everything that I’ve been through, even prior to wrestling, I’m a very go-with-the-flow type of person, and I know what I can bring to the table. And I feel like I at first was like, ‘Oh, ok. Why?’ I didn’t really ask many questions. But at the end of the day, I had a really good feeling about it.
“And I was like I’m gonna make this and use this opportunity and maybe really evolve my character. And we’ve seen so many characters evolve over the years. Sometimes it gets stagnant or sometimes you just need change. And change is good. And if it works, great. And if it doesn’t, well, go back to the drawing board. At the end of the day, I know what I bring to the table, so I know I can do anything.”
Rose has in the midst of an impressive run with the gold. When asked about this success, she made it clear that getting the opportunity to show the world what she can do has made all the difference.
“Opportunity, honestly,” said Rose. “I think I’ve been given the opportunity. It’s very simple, and without getting too deep, I’m given the opportunity and I’m able to showcase what I have. And I’m able to get the time. I’ve been having these longer matches and I’m able to show my true potential. And at the end of the day, I have it all. We said that from the beginning, all the way from Tough Enough, everyone’s been saying it. ‘She could be the next Trish Stratus’, all that, but it’s like you need to have that opportunity to be able to showcase your maximum potential.”
It's been one full year since @WWE_MandyRose showed up in @WWENXT!
What's changed in the last year and what's been her goal since joining #WWENXT? #WWETheBump pic.twitter.com/Ub5YTZxxVh
— WWE’s The Bump (@WWETheBump) July 13, 2022
With her successful defense against Roxanne Perez on the July 12 episode of NXT 2.0, Rose ensured that her reign would reach 258 days. In doing so, she became the fifth longest-reigning Women’s Champion in NXT history as she passed Charlotte Flair. When asked about this milestone, Rose emphasized that she’s having the most fun she’s ever had, and she’s glad she gets to give back by mentoring the younger stars.
“I thought about it yesterday when I was sitting, getting ready for my match and I was like wow, who would have thought Mandy Rose passed Charlotte Flair’s NXT reign? And I feel like I go back and I think about times and my times on RAW and SmackDown, but I have to say I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had in NXT,” said Rose. “Obviously not only because I am the champ, but for many other reasons. Helping the other women out here, kind of giving back a little bit. Obviously I’m the veteran here, teaching the girls a thing or two.”
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