INDIANAPOLIS: Tiffany Stratton has barely been on WWE's main roster for a year, but the former college athlete is quickly becoming a household name.
After getting the call-up at last year's Royal Rumble event, the 25-year-old has since gone on to capture championship gold, improving leaps and bounds between the ropes.
Stratton – real name Jessica Woynilko – brings a brand of legitimate athleticism to the company but has also managed to develop the entertainment aspect with ease.
That total package scenario that wrestling promotions yearn for has seen Stratton race to the top of the card and it all culminated last month with her maiden title win.
Speaking to Wide World of Sports, Stratton admits the was on "autopilot" as the crowd erupted for her crowning moment, reflecting on a whirlwind 12 months.
Tiffany Stratton wins her first WWE title on the main roster. WWE
"Honestly, I don't even really remember it," she said.
"I watch it back and they were going crazy. I was on autopilot and then it was 1,2,3 and the ref raised my hand and that's when it hit me.
"Coming back through the curtain, it was very emotional.
"Last year, I was sitting at home hoping to be in the Rumble as an NXT talent. Flash forward to a year later and I'm already the champion.
"This week has been the first time I have reflected on that and it just feels so surreal."
Play as Tiffany Stratton and others when WWE 2K25 is released on March 14.
Those crowd reactions, which have come as a shock to many, including the champion herself, started on Australian soil, of all places, last February.
During the Elimination Chamber event in Perth, Stratton received one of the biggest reactions from the 50,000-strong crowd, despite having limited exposure to the global audience and her clear positioning as an on-screen villain.
Since then, Stratton's ascension has been undeniable.
"I have been really shocked," she said.
Tiffany Stratton at Perth's Elimination Chamber in 2024. Â WWE
"I definitely think Australia had a lot to do with that. I feel like coming back to the States, a lot of people were questioning whether the fans would give me that same reaction.
"It's carried me all the way to a year later and I can't believe the crowd really has been reacting to me that way. I'm super grateful for everything that's happened."
Stratton has managed to keep both feet on the ground away from the cameras since getting the gold around her waist and it's no surprise given her humble beginnings.
Coming from a small town 32km outside of Minneapolis, she went from a gymnast to bodybuilder and weightlifter before her parents pushed her towards wrestling.
She would then be trained by Greg Gagne and Ken Anderson, with the latter admitting Stratton's success thus far in her career wasn't down to luck of happenstance.
"Obviously, she's got an athletic background," he said in a 2023 interview.
"There were nights where I would be at home and she was still in the ring with a couple of the students. She would come in on Saturdays and Sundays and get extra ring time.
"She busted her arse."
Tiffany Stratton after signing with WWE in September 2021. Twitter
After signing a a developmental contract with WWE in 2021 and going through their NXT system, Stratton had the best possible chance to hone her craft and it's a path that she hopes other collegiate athletes follow moving forward.
"Gymnastics or any other sport in general, it taught me everything that I know about hard work … thankfully, all of that translated to the ring," she said.
"Now I truly think that wrestling is my calling."
"If you have any type of athletic ability, I definitely think wrestling is a career choice that could be in anyone's future if they wanted to work hard enough for it."Â
Stratton's recent title win now places her on a collision course with who many smart judges consider the greatest women's wrestler of all-time, Charlotte Flair.
Charlotte Flair wins the women's Royal Rumble. Â WWE
After the 14-time world champion won the Royal Rumble on Sunday (AEDT), the pair now appear destined to meet in one of the marquee matches at WrestleMania 41.
While she isn't shy to admit her love for her new rival, Stratton is up for the challenge.
"I'm super excited to see Charlotte back and I can't wait," she said.
"I look up to her, she is my inspiration."Â
That impending clash of generations will be one of the most talked-about matches on the card in Las Vegas for the WWE's biggest show of the year.
Liam O'Loughlin is in Indianapolis covering WWE Royal Rumble for Wide World of Sports. His trip has been funded by WWE 2K25 – available to pre-order now.
