Two Legends Helped Shape Mandy Rose's WWE Character

Long before she became one of WWE's most "toxic" villains as "NXT" Women's Champion, and even before her main roster ascent with Absolution, Mandy Rose arrived at WWE with good intentions and a "nice" demeanor. "The Golden Goddess" first participated in the company's most recent edition of "Tough Enough," alongside a cast full of WWE hopefuls in mid-2015. Mandy Rose — real name Amanda Saccomanno — initially emerged as a charming and kind character, but later took a different approach.

In a recent appearance on "Insight With Chris Van Vliet," Rose revealed two WWE legends, who persuaded her to change up her persona. "In the beginning when I was being nice to everyone — because that's the type of person I am — but then people pulling me aside like Lita and Chris Jericho and telling me like, 'Listen, you're on a reality show. You could probably play a good b*tch. You should probably do that,'" she said.

Per the advice of Lita, who served as a coach on the season, and the show's main host Chris Jericho, Rose then shifted her mindset and "started getting the notoriety" from viewers. Eventually, it stirred up more discussion about her as well, including from her father, who "used to hate watching" his "mean" daughter on television. "They just thought it would be a good, good story, and I played a good b*tch," she recalled.

Rose recognized her performance there was "a little outlandish and crazy at times," but ultimately believes it "got me to where I am today." As Rose now stands as the leader of Toxic Attraction, and the arguable face of the "NXT" women's division, she takes pride in her character development.