"12 years of being loyal" - Major star reveals frustration with WWE

A major star has revealed frustration with WWE after years of loyalty. Over the years, several wrestlers who were once contracted to the global juggernaut have expressed their unhappiness over how they were treated by the promotion.

Former SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella has revealed how, after giving birth to her first child, she was let go by WWE. Carmella became a mother in November 2023 but suffered complications during and after the delivery.

She suffered from nerve damage and drop foot, leading to a delay in her in-ring return, and the promotion eventually chose not to renew her contract, confirming her departure in February this year. The 37-year-old was a part of the sports entertainment giant for 12 years. During a recent interview with Forbes, she revealed why she is frustrated with the promotion.

"I told WWE, 'I know I can’t wrestle, but I would love to come back in any capacity.' Legally, they did nothing wrong, but after 12 years of being loyal, it was frustrating. Had I not had a baby, maybe they still wouldn’t have renewed my contract. It's impossible to know. But it's hard not to connect the two,” she said. [H/T: Forbes]

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The Princess of Staten Island had worked her way up in World Wrestling Entertainment after starting in NXT. She became a mainstay of the women's division on SmackDown and became the first-ever winner of the Women's Money in the Bank Match.

She would later cash in the briefcase on Charlotte Flair to win the SmackDown Women's Championship for the first time in her career.

Former WWE champion revealed struggles during second pregnancy

A few weeks ago, on Instagram, former SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella shared her struggles during her ongoing pregnancy.

The former Ms. Money in the Bank said it has been exhausting and rough, adding that she hasn't been able to eat properly.

She also mentioned that she hasn't been able to enjoy this pregnancy compared to the first time.

Carmella, whose real name is Leah Van Dale, has been married to SmackDown commentator Corey Graves since 2022.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Sherjeel Malik