Nikki A.S.H. on Fans Criticizing Her New WWE Persona

Nikki Cross appeared on the June 21 episode of Monday Night Raw with a brand new gimmick — Nikki A.S.H. (Almost a Superhero). She’s explained both on TV and in interviews that the character was purely her creation, one that is meant to uplift others through the power of believing in oneself. But for as positive of a message as her character is meant to deliver, it has been met with some criticism from vocal fans watching along at home. Initial reactions to her costume were mixed, and her loss against Charlotte Flair on the July 26 episode of Raw followed by the show-closing “I almost beat you” promo was met with widespread mockery.

But despite all of that, A.S.H. has remained positive in what she’s created. She won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match last month, cashed in a night later to become Raw Women’s Champion and is set to defend it against both Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam in a few weeks.

“When we approached this and when we came up with this, we put a lot of thought and love and a lot of time and energy into this,” A.S.H. told the Ring The Belle Podcast (h/t 411Mania). “For me, I’m so happy to spread this message, and I’m so happy to show this character because it’s something I’m so proud of and satisfied with, and feel really fulfilled with. So for me, for the fans who are still warming up to it, that’s OK. That’s the joy of coming to a WWE event. That’s the joy of tuning into Monday Night RAW every week. You can resonate with the message, and it might be something you resonate with right away. Or it might just take a little time to warm up to. I just want to connect with our younger audience and inspire them.”

“For me, there’s always been some of me in every stage of my career,” she later added, talking about the evolution of her character over the years. “I think if you’ve been on this journey with me [you’ve seen that]. Whether it was in SHIMMER at the Berwyn Eagles Club coming to cheer me or boo me, and then the NXT Nikki, and then the Nikki that was in a tag team with Alexa, and then Nikki when me and Alexa parted. And then you’ve got now. I think it’s all been different parts and different layers of the personality. We’ve just spent the last five years exploring and developing that. So I think if you’ve been on the ride with me, and this roller coaster ride with me, buckle up because we’re about to go to even more amazing heights.”