WWE's Former Dana Brooke Looks Back On Time In NXT

When Ash by Elegance, formerly known as Dana Brooke, was sent back into the "WWE NXT" fold after her main roster tenure, it marked a chance for a metamorphosis. This journey back into WWE's developmental brand allowed her to nurture emerging talent while reforging her own wrestling persona. In a candid conversation on "Busted Open Radio", Ash peeled back the curtain on her "NXT" experience, revealing the precarious nature of her journey and the unexpected opportunities it yielded.

"Unfortunately in that business, you just never know [when you'll be gone]," Ash said. "I definitely loved going down to 'NXT' and being able to work with people down there, and kind of see the potential that they had. I remember talking to Shawn Michaels back at a WrestleMania, and I was like working with Zoey Stark and a couple of the other girls. And I was like, I would love to come down there and like work and just reinvent myself, reinvent my character." When asked about the many connections forged in "NXT", Ash's mentorship of Kelani Jordan stood out as particularly important. 

"Kelani, 'cause it was truly like a mentorship. She had no idea about the business. She really had no idea about wrestling. And we came from a similar background with gymnastics, so it was like me paving the way for her and having her along my side. And then boom, I got the call [of her release]," Ash recounted. "It caught me off guard. ... Everything came so abruptly and I was like, oh my God, my world felt like it came crashing down. But I always stay positive and when one door closes, another door opens." Ash's renaissance in TNA has showcased the fruits of her "NXT"-inspired reinvention. And under the new TNA/WWE working relationship, Ash recently reemerged on "NXT".  

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.