Amanda Saccomanno is one of the most talented and successful female wrestlers in WWE history. She has been a NXT Women’s Champion, a SmackDown Women’s Champion, and the leader of the dominant faction Toxic Attraction. She has also been a fitness model, a reality star, and a fashion designer. She is best known by her ring name Mandy Rose, and has earned the nickname “The Golden Goddess” for her stunning looks and charisma. This is the story of Amanda Saccomanno, the NXT Women’s Champion who conquered WWE.
Early Life and Fitness Career
Amanda Saccomanno was born on July 18, 1990, in Westchester County, New York. She was the youngest and only daughter of four children, and has Irish and Italian ancestry. She attended Yorktown High School, where she participated in dance. She later earned her bachelor’s degree at Iona College, majoring in speech pathology.
Amanda Saccomanno started fitness modeling as a way to make some money while studying. She entered her first fitness competition in 2013, and took first place in the World Bodybuilding Fitness & Fashion Boston Show. She was also crowned the 2014 World Beauty Fitness & Fashion Bikini Champion.
Amanda Saccomanno’s fitness career caught the attention of WWE scouts, who invited her to try out for the company in 2015. She impressed them with her looks, charisma, and athleticism and signed a contract with WWE. She was sent to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, to train as a professional wrestler.
Tough Enough and Total Divas
Amanda Saccomanno was a contestant in the sixth season of the WWE competition WWE Tough Enough, which began airing in June 2015. She adopted the ring name Mandy Rose and dyed her hair red to stand out from the other contestants. She was at risk of elimination on the July 28 episode, but was saved by judge The Miz. During the season finale, she lost a match against Alicia Fox, and placed second overall, after winners Sara Lee and Josh Bredl.
Amanda Saccomanno also became one of the main cast members of Total Divas, a reality show that followed the lives of some of the WWE divas behind the scenes. She quickly became one of the most popular and polarizing stars of the show, as she revealed her personal struggles, relationships, ambitions, and controversies.
Amanda Saccomanno continued to appear on Raw and SmackDown as a manager or a wrestler, often teaming up with or against other Total Divas stars. She also had some memorable moments, such as slapping Jerry Lawler, kissing Brie Bella’s husband Daniel Bryan, faking an injury to avoid wrestling, and getting suspended for violating the wellness policy.
NXT Run and SmackDown Return
In mid-2015, Amanda Saccomanno decided to improve her wrestling skills by moving to NXT, WWE’s developmental brand. She trained with former WWE wrestler Brian Kendrick and debuted on NXT in August 2015, defeating Carmella. She then started a feud with Bayley, the NXT Women’s Champion at the time.
Amanda Saccomanno challenged Bayley for the title in November 2015, but failed to win despite having the referee on her side. She then formed an alliance with Nia Jax and continued to wrestle on NXT until April 2016, when she returned to the main roster.
Amanda Saccomanno became part of the SmackDown brand in July 2016, as part of the WWE draft. She debuted with a new gimmick, where she had an elaborate entrance with a voice-over that praised her attributes. However, she always found an excuse to avoid wrestling, such as wardrobe malfunctions, injuries, or traffic jams.
Amanda Saccomanno was supposed to compete in a six-woman tag team match at SummerSlam 2016, but she was suspended for 30 days for violating the wellness policy again. She never returned to WWE television after that and left the company in August 2017.
Other Projects and WWE Comeback
After leaving WWE, Amanda Saccomanno pursued other projects outside of wrestling. She made her film debut in Inconceivable (2017), starring alongside Nicolas Cage and Faye Dunaway. She also appeared in other movies such as Action #1 (2018), Hard Kill (2020), Paradise City (2021), and The Demonic Dead (2021).
Amanda Saccomanno also launched her own fashion line, NEM Fashion, in 2016. She designed and modeled various clothing items, such as dresses, swimsuits, activewear, and accessories. She also started a fitness program, NEM Fit, in 2018, where she shared her workouts, nutrition tips, and motivational messages.
Amanda Saccomanno also appeared in several television shows, such as Celebrity Big Brother (2019), where she finished in third place, and Paradise City (2021), where she played a recurring role. She also hosted a podcast, The Natalie Eva Marie Show, from 2018 to 2019.
In late 2020, Amanda Saccomanno signed a new contract with WWE and returned to the promotion in June 2021 on the Raw brand. She debuted with a new partner, Doudrop, and competed in matches such as Money in the Bank and SummerSlam. However, she was released from WWE in November 2021, as part of a mass layoff.
Amanda Saccomanno is a remarkable woman who has achieved success in various fields, such as wrestling, acting, modeling, and fashion. She has also been a source of inspiration and empowerment for many women and fans. She is truly a NXT Women’s Champion who conquered WWE.
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