How Sasha Banks Changed Carmella's WWE Gimmick Forever
Boston ain't big enough for the both of them (apparently).
Carmella told The Wrap that Sasha Banks beat her to the punch and forced her to tweak a gimmick she couldn't wait to play.
Originally, 'Mella wanted her character to hail from Boston, but WWE officials told her that'd be impossible because Sasha was already billed from there. Thinking on her feet, Carmella picked out Staten Island instead. There was just one problem: Staten's broad, unique accent.
To prepare, the Spencer, Massachusetts native spent hours upon hours watching programs like The Sopranos, Mob Wives and Real Housewives Of New Jersey. Then, she'd mimic the voices from those shows and try to make it sound as natural as possible in promos.
'How you doin'?'
None of that would've been necessary had Banks not been filling WWE's Boston quota. 'The Princess Of Staten Island' was born and Carmella never looked back, but she did admit she wishes she'd been able to do Massachusetts proud.
Eventually, 'Mella's accent earned rave reviews from islanders like Impractical Jokers stars Sal Vulcano and Brian Quinn. They couldn't believe that the WWE worker wasn't actually from Staten when they met her. The (impractical) joke's on you, lads.