Mandy Rose: "I Feel Like Our Sport Is The One That You Can't Really Have Without Our Fans"

On the latest episode of After The Bell, Mandy Rose was interviewed before a recent empty arena episode of SmackDown. WWE has broadcast their weekly TV shows without an audience, and Corey Graves asked Rose her thoughts on a no fans show.

"I'm very curious as to how this is gonna go down," Rose said. "I feel like our sport is the one sport that you can't really have without our fans. I don't know. That's what I'd think."

"I was talking to Corbin about it how integral our fans are. They tell you when things need to happen and if something is working or if it's not," Graves said. "Now you just remove them from the equation. All of a sudden we're back in NXT in the empty warehouse at 9:00 on a Wednesday morning."

Baron Corbin was on a previous episode of After The Bell and spoke about his transition from the NFL to NXT and the divide between the indie wrestlers and the athletes. Graves asked if there was a similar divide for those that were on Tough Enough.

"A little bit although coming in through Tough Enough, it was a little different because a lot of the cast members on Tough Enough, everyone came from different backgrounds. I think Patrick (Velveteen Dream) was the only wrestler on Tough Enough as I remember," Rose said. "There was, for sure, that kind of divide especially from fans too, like you didn't grow up watching this. You didn't always want to do this your whole life. You don't belong here type of things, and I was just always like whatever," Rose said. "I think all of us may still get the hate. Just because I didn't always grow up wanting to do this or always want to be a wrestler, doesn't mean [I can't fall in love with something]. It kind of drives me and makes me more competitive than I even am to want to prove those haters wrong and show them that I can do this. If I love it, why can't I pursue it?"

Rose and Otis have been involved in an extended storyline that has escalated after Dolph Ziggler's involvement in Otis' date with Rose. Otis has been on After The Bell before to talk about how he would have nicknames for Rose during their time in NXT. Rose talked about how they would joke with each other in NXT, and she and Graves talked about how beloved Otis has become on the main roster.

"I never would have thought. To be honest, I thought it was always really funny. He's been doing this since NXT days. The first time he used to call me 'Mandy Candy'. Every time I walk by, he'd make these weird noises. I don't even know what he's saying. I still don't know what he's saying to this day, but it was always a joke," Rose said. "We always kind of joke around with that. He posted my pictures. Sometimes I'd think it was kind of creepy, but it's also funny. I never thought that the WWE Universe would take it like this.

"It's pretty incredible just to see how everybody has latched on, and there are very few things in our company specifically, across the board, everybody reacts the way they're supposed to," Graves said. "Roman Reigns comes out and 70% of the people cheer him but there's always that 30 that always want to be contrarian. When it comes to Otis, it's, 'yup that's my guy.'"

Mandy agreed saying, "Right. Exactly. Who doesn't love Otis?

Graves responded, "It's you apparently."

Otis will face Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania 36 this weekend. New subscribers can sign up for the WWE Network today by clicking here and get their first month for free, which includes both nights of WWE WrestleMania 36.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit After The Bell with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.