Ash: From Heartbreak to Elegance...and why the journey is far from over

Ever since her WWE release exactly one year ago today (September 21, 2023), TNA (Total Nonstop Action Wrestling) Knockout Ash by Elegance (fka Dana Brooke in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)) has been putting in work in her character development and in-ring skills and has surpassed how she was portrayed in WWE, in our honest opinion. It was never made clearer than during her first-ever World Series Wrestling tour in Australia and during Slammiversary in her first opportunity at a major women's championship in her career. During her WSW tour, she would compete in a singles match on Night One, have a mixed tag match on Night Two, win the vacant World Series Wrestling Women's Championship on Night Three in a fatal-4-way match, and would defend the title in a brutal No Disqualifications (No DQ) match. At TNA Slammiversary in front of the biggest crowd TNA has had in over a decade, Ash would get her first crack at a major women's championship, the TNA Knockouts World Championship, taking on Jordynne Grace, who has been on an historic run since early January. She would fail to win but would win over a lot of folks that have hated and/or doubted her for years...or at least the folks that decided to pay attention to Ash. Yes, despite putting on a four-day, four city tour overseas and having a Match of the Year candidate a few days after, the majority of wrestling fans STILL don't view Ash as a legit performer, and quite frankly, we're getting sick and tired of how the internet fans keep devaluing her. In fact, Ash would have ANOTHER Match of the Year candidate in a Match by Elegance and rather than giving both ladies props, the focus of the majority of the IWC focused on Jordynne. In no way are we talking down on Jordynne, as she is incredible and deserves all the praise she has received this year...we just wish folks would give Ash some praise as well.

2024 was the year of an ELEGANT comeback
Photo credit: TNA Wrestling

If you have followed Ash throughout her career, it has been no secret that she has had a hard time trying to win over the IWC. They constantly putting her down in various ways, from her wrestling to her look. It's like she can't win with them no matter what she does. But we aren't that ignorant. We have seen the hard work Ash has put in in her decade-plus in pro wrestling, whether it be in WWE or now in TNA. Now, can you say she's a late bloomer? Yeah, it's fair to say that she has taken longer to pick up on wrestling that others, but no need to vilify her for that. She has been given crap and has done her best to make it as entertaining as possible. Hell, she made a silly green title in WWE (the 24/7 Championship) have some value in it before they discontinued it under the TKO regime.

We honestly have no clue why the hate for her is so deep when all she has wanted to do is prove that she belongs in pro wrestling. You would THINK that would be appreciated among wrestling fans, but NOPE! They shun her because she didn't go through the traditional way aka "paying your dues in the indies" and it's not right. She has put in the work since her WWE release last year and completely reinvented herself as Ash by Elegance. If you can look at it from a unbiased look, Ash lowkey has had one of the best breakouts years of a non-WWE wrestler due to her character development and match catalog, especially with Jordynne and the WSW tour. We don't know what will awaits her for the rest of 2024 and beyond, but we do hope that one day, folks will stop hating on Ash because it's the cool thing to do and actually THINK for themselves and come to the realization that Ash isn't as bad as dirtsheets and podcaster CLAIM she is. Among the hate and venom she gets, we are proud to give Ash her flowers right now so she has the chance to smell them. 

More elegance to come! The fight is far from over!
Photo credit: TNA Wrestling

For more on Ash, follow her on X and Instagram

Our DraftKings Wrestling Combine Preview and Predictions

8 wrestlers (4 men and 4 women) will make history tomorrow night!
Photo credit: Black Label Pro/Scott Fishman

Earlier this month, Black Label Pro announced the first-ever DraftKings Wrestling Combine, which will be taking place TOMORROW (September 4th) T 7:45PM Eastern/6:45PM Central at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago, Illinois. Four very fit female wrestlers (Xia Zhao, Jordynne Grace, Mandy Sacs, Ash by Elegance) will take part in history to determine who among them is the fittest wrestler in the game today. Not sure what the prize will be other than being called the inaugural DraftKings Wrestling Combine Champion, but it will be something to see. The four events that they will take place in is: Rope Run, Armwrestling, Tug of War (with a Pro Wrestling Twist) and Shoot Collar and Elbow Lock Up. Here's a rundown of the four events and how we THINK this will play out. 

Event 1: Rope Run

Rope Run is who can run the ropes 10 times the fastest. That's going from one end of the ring to another. This one by default, I feel this is going to go to Jordynne or Ash. Jordynne can be pretty fast when she wants to. Hell, have you SEEN her this year?! But Ash can be a speedy demon as well. The woman can book it in freaking HEELS faster than those that wear running shoes. Xia has been in the ring a BIT since her WWE release but not much, and Mandy has not been in the ring AT ALL since her WWE release. Now Xia and Mandy are in incredible shape (Mandy recently did a fitness show) but as they all know, in-ring shape is much different than bodybuilding shape, so this is gonna be a wakeup call for both Xia and Mandy, moreso Mandy. 

Predictions: Ash, Jordynne, Xia, Mandy

Event 2: Armwrestling

It's armwrestling. Nothing fancy. Real simple. I honestly don't see how Jordynne loses this event. Jordynne is SIGNIFICALLY stronger than the rest of the ladies (who are no pushover themselves, BTW). Xia is a very strong woman as well from the workouts she has posted on her social media. Mandy is sneaky strong, as in folks don't know how strong she actually is. Ash is by far the weakest of the four, but not weak by any means. Leverage will play an key role in this, but even with that, I just have a hard time seeing anyone other than Jordynne taking this.

Predictions: Jordynne, Xia, Mandy, Ash

Event 3: Tug of War w/ Surprise Pro Wrestling Twist

I have no clue what the pro wrestling twist is for the tug of war so my predictions here might be way off from what takes place. I'll just go with the tug of war part. Again, based off her fitness background, which includes powerlifting, I don't see how Jordynne loses this event either, unless this pro wrestling twist is to her disadvantage. Xia and Mandy are very strong in their own right but neither have been in the ring in a good minute so this twist could throw them off. Ash despite being the weakest of the four has been in the ring, so she can potentially be more prepared for the twist than Xia and Mandy. Again, I'm not confident in this prediction based off the surprise twist in tug of war.

Predictions: Jordynne, Ash, Xia, Mandy

Event 4: Shoot Collar and Elbow Lock Up

Lock up collar and elbow and see who can push their opponent into the ropes first. Strength advantage, Jordynne once again. In-ring advantage, Jordynne and Ash. With this being the final event of the combine, fatique is gonna set in for all four women, but I feel the women who have stayed ring shape (Jordynne and Ash) will have a significant advantage over those that haven't (Xia and Mandy). I do feel Jordynne will win but it won't be an overwhelming win as this will be about more leverage than pure strength (which will still play a key factor, BTW). 

Predictions: Jordynne, Ash, Xia, Mandy

Factoring everything together, this might be a runaway win for the current TNA Knockouts World Champion, with Ash taking the runner-up spot, followed by Xia, then Mandy based off our predictions. But as we all know, ANYTHING can happen in the world of professional wrestling so my predictions could go up in smoke. Either way, this looks to be a fun competition that I hope continues for years to come and congratulations to the history-making women (and men) that will be part of this. Good luck to all and may the fittest triumph!

To view the combine and the entire wrestling show Crowning Glory FREE on YouTube (for those that can't make it to Chicago), you can click here and set a notification. For more on Black Label Pro, go to https://blacklabelpro.com. For more on DraftKings, go to https://www.draftkings.com. BTW, new DraftKings users can use the code "COMBINE" while placing a $5 bet to get $250 instantly on Bonus Bets PLUS one month of NFL Plus Premium (yes, this is updated from earlier). Hell of a way to get ready for the NFL Kickoff on Thursday! 

1st-ever DraftKings Wrestling Combine, hosted by Black Label Pro

In what is being called a first in the independent pro wrestling world, Black Label Pro will be hosting the first-ever Wrestlers Combine, which is presented by DraftKings. On their website, Black Label Pro is an independent wrestling promotion based in Chicago, IL, bringing its eclectic brand of professional wrestling to the Midwest Wrestling scene since 2017. The wrestlers combine will be part of their next event Crowning Glory. This event will take place on September 4 at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago. Yes, there will be wrestling matches, but this combine will be something not seen in the world on professional wrestling outside of WWE, and even then that's limited to NXT and not even shown much to the public. Four men and four women will take place in this historic event. 

For the men, it's Jake Hager, Moose, Mike Rallis (who will have his wife and fellow wrestler Tenielle Dashwood in his corner), and Parker Boudreaux. But as we are a FEMALE fitness network, our focus will be on the ladies: Current TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace, former WWE Superstar Xia Zhao, former WWE Superstar and NXT Women's Champion and WBFF Bikini World Champion Mandy Sacs, and former WWE Superstar/current TNA Knockout and IFBB Fitness Pro Ash by Elegance. 

All four women are fitness freaks in their own rights (two of the competitors are fitness pro and one of them has a World Champion in the fitness world) and over the next few days we will be highlighting each woman on here individually on their wrestling careers as well as their fitness backgrounds showing why they deserve to be part of history next Wednesday. As of this writing, we do not know the format of the combine but we are going to assume it will be based off the NFL Scouting Combine that is pretty popular among sports fans. IF we are able to know how the combine will go down as far as events go before next Wednesday, we will have a preview post next Tuesday with us giving our predictions on the historic event. It will be cool to see how this unscripted competition will play out for the world to see. Who knows what this could start in the years to come! 

To view the event FREE on YouTube (for those that can't make it to Chicago), you can click here and set a notification. For more on Black Label Pro, go to https://blacklabelpro.com. For more on DraftKings, go to https://www.draftkings.com. BTW, new DraftKings users can use the code "COMBINE" while placing a $5 bet to get $200 instantly on bonus bets. 

Mandy Sacs is Coming Home...to the WBFF!

Mandy Sacs has never been shy of showing off her physique, as she as done for several years, most noticeably in the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion (WBFF) federation as a Bikini Pro and in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a pro wrestler. In many ways, Mandy was a muscle mommy before muscle mommies became a thing. Her strong physique combines with her Hollywood looks made her a very hot commodity within WWE, making her one of the most popular females in the company during her time there, and of course being very popular on social media. We all know how her WWE career ended so we won't get into that here, but what we WILL talk about is how she has grabbed folks' attention moreso than usual this year. 

Mandy Sacs stealing the show at Miami Swim Week last year

As we mentioned before, Mandy's physique has always seemed to be an attraction on social media, but this year, things felt a tad bit different but no one could tell exactly what it was. She was looking a bit more lean and defined than usual. Some speculated a return to wrestling (if not WWE, then somewhere else). Everything became perfectly clear on Episode 28 of Power Alphas, her podcast with fiancé Sabby Piscitelli, a former WWE Superstar himself. At the end of that particular episode, she announced that she was going to return to competition at the WBFF Worlds in Miami, 10 years after winning the WBFF Bikini Pro World title. 

From her title win in 2014 to now. A near 30lb difference!

Returning to competition after being off the stage for a decade is a pretty big deal, and for Mandy, it will be very interesting to see what kind of look she will bring on stage. We're not sure if she will do Bikini or not because of the sheer amount of muscle she has put on her body since the last time she stepped on stage. She was around 115lbs when she won the title back in 2014. She is a bit over 140lbs now, and yes, a majority of that added weight has been dense muscle. Since most of her muscle has went to her legs, we feel she will either do Wellness or Fitness Model, but that's for Mandy to speak of, not us. Heck, she just might end up staying in Bikini. We have no clue. Either way, we are extremely excited to see what kind of look Mandy is going to bring in in early August. Despite the amazing look she brought to WWE, we have a gut feeling we haven't seen anything yet and we will be looking at the hottest Mandy Sacs...EVER! IS IT AUGUST YET?! 

Oh...BTW, #MandyforVictoriaSecret (if you know, you know) 

A recent photo of Mandy. She is going to put this look to shame come August!

Follow Mandy at the following links:

Her Instagram: https:/www.instagram.com/mandysacs
Her Twitter/X: https://www.x.com/mandysacs
Power Alphas Podcast: https:/www.youtube.com/@PowerAlphasPodcast
Her OnlyFans: https:/www.onlyfans.com/mandysacs
Her FREE OnlyFansTV: https:/www.of.com/mandysacstv
Her TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@mandysacs
All her other links: https://amandasaccomanno.komi.io/

2024 FitGems Awards Update

As you know, I do special awards every year to highlight the best of the female muscle world each year. I only cancelled it once due to losing a family member and it wasn’t fair to do those awards with a fractured state of mine. This year, life just happened and I failed to realized that I didn’t do them and that’s 100% on me. I didn’t prioritize my time and I apologize to you all for that. With the bodybuilding season about to kick off very soon, it’s too late to get stuff together tor the past year so I’ve decided to not do the awards this year. It’s also become painfully clear that I can’t do this alone anymore due to how things in my personal life are.

That’s where YOU all come in.

I’m looking for 10 people that would be interested in joining the FitGems Awards Committee. These 10 people will help decide on the nominees for each category of the awards. These 10 will be different each year so if you don’t get selected this year, you can submit to be part of the committee in the future. VOTING IN THE AWARDS WILL NOT CHANGE…it will still be decided by the fans as it’s always been.

Although it’s early, you can send in your submissions beginning now at fitgemsnation@gmail.com. Because of how serious I take this, submissions will be done via EMAIL ONLY. Submit your name, your relationship to the bodybuilding world (competitor, fan/spectator, judge, etc.), and a very brief but detailed reasoning on why you should be selected as part of the committee. Put FGAC 2024 on the subject line. Last day to send in your committee submission will be October 9, the day before the start of the 2024 Olympia. You will be notified by email if you made the committee by October 14, the day after the Olympia. The tentative voting week will be January 5-11, with the awards to be announced beginning January 13. That is subject to change, but I will give plenty of notice on that.

Thank you all for your support of FitGems Nation and the FitGems Awards. Again, my apologies for now being able to do the awards this year, but hopefully this new format will get it back on track and preserve these awards for years to come. To all of you, have a wonderful season and here to you all achieving your goals this year!

Ash By Elegance: TNA Knockout

Credit to the original owners of the photos

 

When Ashley Sebera (formerly known as Dana Brooke in WWE) was released from her WWE contact, we would hope that if she wanted to continue wrestling, she would go to Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling (TNA) as their women’s division (known as the Knockouts division) is viewed by most wrestling fans to be the best women’s division in mainstream wrestling and the REAL birthplace of the women’s revolution in pro wrestling (not WWE like they claim to be). On January 17, 2024, it was made official that Ashley did indeed sign to TNA. 

Her first appearance for the company took place at TNA Hard to Kill under the name Ash by Elegance. During the premium live event (PLE), a blonde woman (whose face was not shown) stepped out of a vehicle and walked into the arena. A lot of speculation was made, and some folks discovered the shoes the mystery woman wore were the same shows Ashley wore in an Instagram photo from her Fantime site. Because of SPECULATION ONLY, her WWE name Dana Brooke trended on Twitter/X throughout Hard to Kill, even being talked about just as much as the event itself. Right before the TNA Knockouts World Championship match between then-champion Trinity and now-champion Jordynne Grace, it was revealed that Ashley was indeed the mystery woman, now going by Ash by Elegance. She even had a manager with her now, George Iceman. For those that watched Impact Wrestling before the TNA relaunch, he was part of BTI (Before the Impact) and would give insider scoops on what to expect on Impact shows and premium events. With BTI now a thing of the past, it looks like Iceman will be Ash’s manager going forward, which could do her wonders. 

While not even making a promo or being in the ring, her look caused some folks to think she copied Timeless Toni Storm in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The problem with the comparison is folks are judging Ash by less than 30 seconds of footage from a PLE where she did not speak, nor did she get in the ring. In due time (maybe as early as tonight’s TNA iMPACT), we will get our answers. 

One thing we can say is that Ash is ready to unleash her untapped potential that WWE refused to let out. TNA has done wonders for women who wanted to take their careers to the next level: Gail Kim, Taryn Terrell, Brooke Tessmacher, Tara, Deonna Purrazzo, Mickie James, and most recently Trinity, among others. If Ash gets her way, we can very well add her to that list. We said whoever gets her was gonna get a hell of a worker. TNA is about to find out why we sing her praises and will continue to do so for as long as we can. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the era of Total Nonstop Ash by Elegance! 

Follow Ash on the following social media accounts and her own premium website:

Twitter/X

Instagram

Threads

TikTok

Fantime site

Follow Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling at https://www.tnawrestling.com