WWE Women’s Champion Stratton Reveals Shawn Michaels Ended 'Daddy’s Little Rich Girl' Gimmick

Ash By Elegance, formerly Dana Brooke, recently won the TNA Knockouts World Title at NXT Heatwave 2025, a milestone she credits in part to encouragement from Shawn Michaels, who advised her to relax before her match and previously told her she would return to WWE. Meanwhile, WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton discussed the early scrapping of her original “Daddy’s Little Rich Girl” gimmick in NXT, revealing that Shawn Michaels ended the character due to a lack of a storyline payoff. Stratton explained that the gimmick was inspired by pop culture figures like Sharpay Evans and Paris Hilton but was replaced because the narrative lacked depth. She also shared that portraying a heel comes naturally to her, as it allows more freedom to make mistakes without losing crowd support, unlike being a babyface, which demands consistent likability. Her current babyface status developed organically through fan reactions rather than a planned creative direction, and she is still learning to adapt her promo style accordingly. Both wrestlers highlighted the significant influence of Shawn Michaels on their careers and character development.