All Elite Wrestling fan-favorite star Maria Kanellis has announced that she has left the promotion, effective January 31.
More News: Vince McMahon WWE Lawsuit Gets Bombshell New Evidence
Kanellis, a former TNA Knockouts Champion and a significant figure in both WWE and ROH, recently announced her departure from AEW, sharing the news with her followers on social media: “This is my last day with AEW.”
his marks the end of her AEW tenure, which began in 2022 when she was paired with her husband, Mike Bennett, and Matt Taven as part of The Kingdom. She later transitioned to managing Cole Karter and Griff Garrison in ROH in 2023.
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA – NOVEMBER 16: A general view of the AAA Mexican Lucha Libre friday night show at the Movistar Arena during an AAA World Wide Wrestling match on November 16, 2018 in Bogota, Colombia. BOGOTA, COLOMBIA – NOVEMBER 16: A general view of the AAA Mexican Lucha Libre friday night show at the Movistar Arena during an AAA World Wide Wrestling match on November 16, 2018 in Bogota, Colombia. Juancho Torres/Getty Images
Before AEW, Kanellis had stints in WWE, TNA (now Impact Wrestling), and Ring of Honor. Her wrestling journey began in 2004 as a contestant on the reality show Outback Jack, and she gained fame shortly after by placing fifth in WWE’s Diva Search that same year.
Kanellis quickly ascended the ranks in WWE, starting as a backstage interviewer before transitioning to the ring. She earned the 2009 Slammy Award for Diva of the Year and was later crowned WWE 24/7 Champion during her 2017–2020 return alongside Bennett.
Notably, Kanellis made history during her 24/7 title run, becoming the first pregnant champion in WWE history.
Earlier in 2023, she underwent surgery for an adrenal gland mass, later revealing that she was cancer-free after a successful recovery. Her health scare, which involved a retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy, was followed by a period of rest and recovery.
Kanellis kept fans updated throughout her health journey and her plans for the future, which include pursuing a master’s degree.
Kanellis’ departure from AEW was no surprise, as she had hinted her contract was ending in October 2023.
Following a brief extension through the end of January, she confirmed that her time with the promotion had come to an end. While her husband, Mike Bennett, remains with AEW and ROH, Kanellis is looking forward to the next phase of her life.
She mentioned that she would be appearing at WrestleCon in Indianapolis, where WWE’s Royal Rumble will take place this weekend, although she didn’t confirm any Royal Rumble involvement. She also shared her excitement about the future, especially following the birth of her second child in February 2020.
Throughout her wrestling career, Kanellis played pivotal roles in multiple companies. She helped rebuild the ROH Women’s Division at the tail end of the Sinclair era, prior to Tony Khan’s acquisition of the promotion in 2022.
Her journey has been a mix of on-screen character work, managerial roles, and behind-the-scenes contributions, and fans are eager to see what this next chapter holds for the talented performer.
More News:
WWE News: Stephanie McMahon Says She Wasn’t on the Hulk Hogan ‘Bandwagon’
Wrestling Icon Sting Reveals Final Appearances for Classic Persona
For more on AEW and pro wrestling, head to Newsweek Sports.
A legjobb élmény biztosítása érdekében olyan technológiákat használunk, mint a cookie-k az eszközadatok tárolására és/vagy eléréséhez. Ha beleegyezik ezekbe a technológiákba, akkor olyan adatokat dolgozhatunk fel ezen az oldalon, mint a böngészési viselkedés vagy az egyedi azonosítók. A hozzájárulás elmulasztása vagy visszavonása bizonyos funkciókat és funkciókat hátrányosan érinthet.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
