WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton recently appeared on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, where she opened up about the evolution of her character since her NXT debut and why WWE decided to scrap her original “daddy’s little rich girl” persona.
Stratton revealed that the original concept was inspired by pop culture icons such as Sharpay Evans from High School Musical and Paris Hilton. However, the gimmick was ultimately dropped due to a lack of long-term payoff.
“The ‘daddy’s little rich girl’ gimmick kind of came from like Sharpay Evans from High School Musical or like Paris Hilton,” Stratton explained. “I think we went with it for a little bit, and then Shawn [Michaels] was like, ‘We don’t have a daddy for you. We don’t really have a payoff. So, I think we just kind of needed to scrap it.’ And that’s what we ended up doing, which was totally fine, because I don’t think I needed to be ‘daddy’s little rich girl.’ I think just being the blonde, pink Barbie doll was enough.”
Since then, Stratton’s character has continued to evolve, and she admitted that while being a heel comes naturally to her, adjusting to her current role as a babyface has been more of a challenge.
“I think being a heel is 10 times easier than being a babyface. Because you can mess up, you can fall on your butt, and that’s totally fine as a heel. However, as a babyface, if you do that, the crowd could turn on you or you could get booed — and you’re supposed to be the face of the company.”
“Being a heel for me is how I learned wrestling. I feel like I was a heel right off the bat, so that’s why it comes so easy to me. And you know, I’m still learning to be a babyface — to be likable and not have so much ‘stink’ on what I say in my promos. So, it definitely comes more natural for me to be a heel. However, bear with me. We’re learning. Maybe one day I’ll just go back to being a heel, but for now, we’re little ol’ babyface Tiffy.”
Stratton remains one of WWE’s fastest-rising stars, and her transition from NXT standout to main roster champion has highlighted her ability to adapt and grow as a performer.
Fans can check out the complete interview below:
