Heenan mentioned that Kimberly wasn’t that bad, but once they put her in charge of the Nitro Girls she became so arrogant & stuck up - basically, another Ultimate Warrior, who used to shake everyone’s hand in the dressing room until he won the big belt. Then he couldn't be bothered.
I think DDP just made friends with the right higher-ups (Bischoff).
He really wasn’t a main event player until Eric became president of the company, and it‘s well-known that Bisch put all of his buddies in top spots - whether they deserved it or not.