Former WWE star Barbie Blank isn’t sugarcoating her feelings about one of her most controversial storylines from the mid-2000s. The woman wrestling fans knew as Kelly Kelly recently pulled zero punches when discussing her weekly dance segments on WWE’s ECW brand.
Looking Back with Regret
Speaking on The Wrestling Classic YouTube channel, Blank delivered some brutally honest thoughts about her “Kelly’s Exposé” performances. These solo dance routines became a weekly fixture during ECW’s WWE-controlled era between 2006 and 2012.
The former Divas Champion didn’t mince words when reflecting on career moments she views differently now. Her immediate response zeroed in on those infamous weekly segments that helped establish her early WWE persona.
“Exposé. Yeah, just me by myself… The Exposé by myself is cringe. With Extreme Exposé with Brooke and Layla, I actually enjoyed—we had fun. I was still a terrible dancer, but having to go out there on national television and do a strip piece by myself every week… I wish we could leave that in the past.”
The Uncomfortable Reality Behind the Gimmick
Kelly Kelly’s comments reveal the stark difference between wrestling entertainment and performer comfort. While WWE positioned these segments as must-see television for ECW’s rebranding efforts, Blank experienced significant discomfort during the performances.
The solo nature of “Kelly’s Exposé” particularly stands out in her criticism. She drew a clear distinction between performing alone versus working alongside fellow wrestlers Brooke Adams and Layla in the group “Extreme Exposé.”
Those weekly strip-tease performances were designed to inject sex appeal into WWE’s version of ECW. However, they’ve become increasingly outdated as professional wrestling has evolved beyond such exploitative content.
From Controversial Beginnings to Championship Success
Despite these uncomfortable early experiences, Kelly Kelly’s WWE journey eventually led to significant accomplishments. She captured the Divas Championship and became one of the most recognizable female performers during WWE’s PG Era transition.
Her evolution from ECW dance segments to legitimate championship contender demonstrates how WWE’s women’s division began shifting away from purely aesthetic roles. Kelly Kelly represented a bridge between the “Diva” era and more athletic women’s wrestling.
The contrast between her early ECW gimmick and later success highlights how female performers often had limited creative options during that period of WWE history.
Wrestling’s Changing Landscape
Kelly Kelly’s candid reflection speaks to broader changes within professional wrestling’s treatment of female talent. Today’s WWE women’s division emphasizes athletic competition over purely entertainment-based segments.
Her willingness to criticize these segments publicly shows how former WWE stars are increasingly comfortable discussing problematic aspects of wrestling’s past. This transparency helps contextualize how the industry has evolved since the mid-2000s.
Modern wrestling fans viewing those ECW segments today would likely share Kelly Kelly’s “cringe” assessment, as audience expectations for women’s wrestling have dramatically shifted toward legitimate athletic competition.
The Price of Early Fame
While “Kelly’s Exposé” helped establish name recognition for the young performer, Blank’s recent comments suggest the personal cost was significant. Being “famous for the wrong reasons” clearly weighs on her mind years later.
Her preference to be remembered for later championship work rather than early ECW appearances reflects a desire to control her wrestling legacy. This sentiment resonates with many female wrestlers who navigated similar roles during that era.
Kelly Kelly’s honest assessment of her ECW days provides valuable insight into how WWE’s creative decisions affected the performers themselves. Do you think modern wrestling fans can separate a wrestler’s early controversial content from their overall career achievements, or do those initial impressions prove impossible to overcome?
