WWE Abandoned Plans for All-Women Tough Enough-Style Show

WWE nearly launched an all-female version of Tough Enough—but according to NWA Women’s Tag Team Champion Valentina Rossi, the project was shelved at the last minute.

Rossi revealed the behind-the-scenes story during her January 27, 2026 interview with The Wrestling Classic, describing how close she came to being part of the unrealized competition series. According to her, the show was meant to crown a new WWE Diva, similar in concept to the original Tough Enough that produced stars like The Miz and more.

“So then I saw this casting call for a reality show, and it was through WWE. It never ended up happening, but it was kind of like Tough Enough, except it was all females. It was a competition show, and whoever made it to the end won a Divas contract. And I was like, ‘Oh man, that’s going to be so cool.’”

Rossi said she advanced through the entire casting process, only to learn the project had been shut down right before filming.

“I made it all the way to the end of the casting process, and then they were like, ‘Sorry, we’re actually not going to do the show.’ And I was like, ‘Damn.’”

Before wrestling, Rossi had been working as a model in Los Angeles, but never felt creatively fulfilled. She said this WWE opportunity seemed like a perfect fit.

“Modeling was fun, but it’s a very short rush… I wasn’t high-fashion modeling — I was doing a lot of fitness stuff, which was fine, but it wasn’t performing like dance. It seemed right up my alley — performing, movement, whatever. It’s still a sport, I get to perform, and I thought it was the coolest thing.”

WWE’s Tough Enough franchise has been dormant since 2015, and fans have often wondered if the company would revisit the concept. Rossi’s story suggests they came closer than most people realized, but it just didn’t happen in the end.

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