On the latest “Power Alphas” podcast, former WWE star Mandy Rose (Mandy Saccomanno) talked about going from Tough Enough to Total Divas:
“I knew I was going to be very respectful and friendly and nice and whatever. However, you know, it’s reality TV. I already went through that experience on Tough Enough of being like, the nice girl kind of finishes last, like I had Lita and Jericho come up to me and was like, ‘Listen, you got everything what it takes, but like, you gotta step it up when it comes to the reality part and like, drama. This is reality, like you have to stand out.’ So that’s when I became the Big Bad Wolf.”
“Anyway, there was a balance for me. So I was like, okay, in order to like, make a statement here, make some noise, I do have to create some drama, but like, I have no one to like, go up against with. Like, I had no one with me. For instance, I had Daria on Tough Enough that we just hit it off. We always stood by each other’s side. If one was messing with her, I stepped in. If one was messing with me, she’d step in, like, we were a team, and like, we’re very loyal like that. I didn’t have that going into Total Divas. Like it was all of them against me, you know, for TV purposes, but also like in real life, which brings me to the wonderful trip to Paris.”
“Paris was really, really interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken about this either, ever, like, I mean, maybe little bits of it, but like, whatever. Paris was the time where I was like, okay, this isn’t for me. I called my ex and I literally said to him, I cried, I was crying one night, and I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ I’m like, ‘I’m not made for this. I don’t like it. These girls are mean. I don’t even feel like it’s for television. I feel like it’s for real life. I’m being left out. Like, people don’t want to hang out with me. Like, I’m just, I hate this. I hate it.’ I was crying. It was like, really upsetting. Like, I just, I don’t know, it was just such a weird time for me, too, like, so much was happening and I had so much pressure of like, you know, Mandy Rose is the next big thing. Everything I did was just like, watched and I was just so like, oh my God.”
“I came from this show on Tough Enough that I had so much confidence. I was like, beaming with confidence and I was just like, I fell in love with this. I think this is going to be something. I’m so excited, to then going to like this and being like, I felt really small. I was like, I lost my confidence. I was trying to be nice, but I felt like I should have just been a freakin’ bitch. I was not like clicking with anyone. I clicked with Eva from the start, but I felt like because the Bellas were the big thing and, you know, they had the most time in there and they had a big presence about them. Like I felt like everyone was kind of always like trying to please the Bellas, the girls, and like, I was trying to please them too but like, I didn’t really think they liked me too much in the beginning. I’m not gonna lie. I get along with them great now. I love them and I have so much respect for them. I just saw them recently at the Big Event signing. I love them. I think they’ve done amazing things. I envy them in following their footsteps, but at the time, I don’t think they were big fans of me and I would love to ask them actually, for real, like, next time I see them like, ‘By the way, I talked about you guys on my podcast, but like, did you like me the first time you met me?’”
“Anyway, so I just was in a place where I didn’t feel like me. I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t have anyone. I didn’t know who was on my side. I felt very alone. Even when it came to producers and people behind the scenes, I just felt like they were going to always put the other girls first because, and rightfully so, that’s fine, but I felt like no one was in my favor. I went from Tough Enough that I was like, I was a big shot over there. I felt like, you know, I gained a lot of respect. The big boss saw me and he liked what I was doing and I felt like the producers were really on my side but then like when it came to Total Divas, I felt like people were trying to destroy me.”
You can watch the entire video below.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Power Alphas Podcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
