The wrestling world loves a good character transformation, but sometimes creative visions don’t align between talent and management. Former WWE superstar Shotzi has pulled back the curtain on one of the most intriguing “what if” scenarios from her company tenure – revealing how her brief foray into psychological territory got shut down before it could truly develop.
The Aborted Character Evolution
During a candid conversation with Chris Van Vliet, Shotzi opened up about WWE’s decision to pump the brakes on her darker persona. The shift was supposed to capitalize on a pivotal moment in her storyline with Bayley.
After Bayley shaved her head during their feud, Shotzi saw the perfect opportunity to unveil a completely unhinged version of her character. The physical transformation seemed like the ideal catalyst for a psychological one.
Unfortunately, WWE’s creative team had different plans entirely.
“I was like, I wanted to change up my character and be a complete psycho. Bayley shaved my head and I just lost it. They were immediately like, ‘No, no more of that. We want you to be real.’ I was like, ‘Oh, I thought this was going in a completely different direction.’ Yeah, they were not into it at all—thought it was too much.”
Building Momentum That Led Nowhere
What makes this situation particularly fascinating is how WWE seemingly laid the groundwork for this character shift. Shotzi wasn’t operating in a creative vacuum – the company had been positioning her for this transformation.
The lead-up included segments where she chased Bayley around with clippers while laughing maniacally. These weren’t random character moments but deliberate storytelling choices that suggested a deeper psychological break was coming.
The most telling example came before WarGames 2023, where Shotzi delivered a promo that showcased this unhinged persona. Fans who watched closely noticed this intensity never returned to her character work.
“I was doing all that stuff with Bayley beforehand—laughing manically, chasing her around with clippers—I thought we were on the same page. I thought my character was going on a more psychotic route. So I cut that promo before WarGames and that’s why you see me do that and then it doesn’t come back. Because they’re like, ‘No, we don’t want you to do that with your character, we want you to be yourself.'”
The Creative Vision WWE Abandoned
WWE’s production team went all-out creating atmospheric content for this character direction. They filmed vignettes featuring Shotzi in dark rooms filled with smoke, repeating Bayley’s name obsessively while laughing.
These cinematic elements suggested significant investment in the concept. The production value alone indicated this wasn’t a throwaway idea but a calculated character evolution.
For Shotzi, these elaborate segments reinforced her belief that everyone was aligned on the creative direction.
“They had me laughing manically with smoke, sitting in a dark room just repeating Bayley’s name over and over again—so I thought that’s what they wanted, that was the vibe we were going for.”
Defending the Unfinished Product
Despite WWE’s rejection of the concept, Shotzi remains convinced the character could have succeeded with proper development. She acknowledges the mixed fan reaction but attributes it to the abrupt nature of the change.
The key issue, according to Shotzi, was timing and execution rather than the core concept itself. Wrestling fans often need time to adjust to dramatic character shifts, especially when they happen without sufficient build-up.
Her confidence in the idea hasn’t wavered since leaving WWE.
“But yeah, I still stick with that. If they had just let me run with it, people would have warmed up to me. I think people were shocked by it since it was such a quick change. I don’t care what people say—people hate on it, but I loved it. If there was a build-up, it would’ve hit differently.”
Life After WWE’s Creative Constraints
Since departing WWE, Shotzi has found new creative freedom on the independent wrestling scene. Without corporate restrictions, she has the opportunity to explore character work that might have been deemed “too much” in her previous environment.
The independent circuit often provides wrestlers with the creative latitude to take bigger risks and develop more extreme personas. This freedom could be exactly what Shotzi needs to fully realize her vision.
Whether she chooses to revisit this psychological character remains an open question that could define her post-WWE career trajectory. Will Shotzi finally unleash the unhinged persona that WWE refused to let flourish, or has she moved on to completely different creative territory?
