Say hello to Ash By Elegance. After spending a decade wrestling as Dana Brooke for WWE, the real-life Ashley Sebera appeared ringside at TNA Hard to Kill this past January, officially rebranding herself as Ash by Elegance.
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“I feel as though everything now is created with a brand. Let’s bring 2024 into the picture: I can have a makeup brand, I can have a perfume brand, I can have a champagne brand under Elegance, and Ash is sponsored by it, and Ash is me,” Ash told ComicBook. “Fashion has always been a key to my life. I went to school for fashion. I have a degree in fashion, merchandising and design. It’s like tapping into a side of me that brings out something fun and amazing.”
Ash’s rebrand within TNA came as a result of a sink or swim moment. In Fall 2023, Ash was released by WWE, ending a ten-year tenure with the company.
“I must admit, and this is a big word to use, I was scared, because WWE was all I ever knew,” the former World Amateur Bodybuilding Championship competitor noted, as she was signed to WWE in 2013 with no prior wrestling experience. “It’s like I hit what I thought was the very tippy, tippy top of the wrestling industry. Now where do I go?”
Ash fielded interest from numerous organizations before landing with TNA. When it came time to make a decision, Ash was drawn to the former Impact Wrestling due to promises made regarding her presentation.
“What made me feel super comfortable was the communication that I had with TNA. From day one it was tremendous, especially how they guaranteed creative freedom,” Ash said. “I felt as though with other places, I had a little bit of PTSD when it came to creative. Other places were like, ‘Well, we can do this, we can do that, but we just don’t know. TNA was like, ‘Yep, whatever you say, we’re going to do it. We’ll take it as far as we can possibly go. We might have some tweaks and changes, but this is what’s going to happen.’ I was like, ‘This is exactly where I want to be.’”
Ash named TNA veterans Gail Kim and Tommy Dreamer, both of which hold backstage positions in the company today, as talent who have welcomed her into the family with open arms. While those stars have made TNA feel like home, it was former TNA Knockouts Champion Trinity (WWE’s Naomi) who pointed Ash in the direction of the company to begin with.
“I had called her and I had got some advice from her,” Ash recalled a conversation with Naomi during her career crossroads. “She’s like, ‘Girl, if this is where you want to rebrand yourself and be creative, this is the place and you won’t regret it.’ Mickie James, I had spoken with her as well. She was super, super amazing and gave me great advice. ‘If you want to rebrand yourself and create something magical, TNA is the place to go.’”
As for what’s next for Ash in TNA, she emphasized that she still has her sights on TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.
“I’m always ringside for her matches, always keeping an eye out. I just have to feel out when the time is right,” Ash said. “I must say Jordynne brings one hell of a fight. She is truly an amazing, amazing performer. Maybe I’ll capture one or two more matches at ringside and then go after the gold.”
Grace defends her TNA Knockouts Championship in an open challenge this Friday, June 14th at TNA Against All Odds.
