Former SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella has confirmed that her WWE contract has officially expired after 12 years with the company. In a recent interview with New York Post Sports, she expressed openness to a potential return despite previous statements about feeling “ghosted” by WWE.
“So I’m not like a never-say-never person. To me, I do feel such loyalty to WWE. I loved my time working there,” she said.
“If I ever went back, I would hope it would be for WWE. I would wanna go back as Carmella and moonwalk my way out there and be in a WWE ring.
I do feel like that would be my home, but I’m not gonna say never, right? Who knows what the future holds. I don’t wanna become a hypocrite.”
Visit NY Post Sports for the full interview.
Feeling Ghosted
This marks a notable shift from comments she made earlier this month on Kail Lowry’s Barely Famous podcast, where she expressed frustration with how WWE treated her after becoming a mother.
“Why would you want to be somewhere that doesn’t want you?” Carmella said on the podcast. “It’s like you’re in a relationship and someone is trying to break up with you. ‘No, don’t leave me. I promise.’ No, you’re not wanted in that relationship. It’s not for me, and I truly feel that door is closed.”
She added that she’s not trying to bury the company but wants to be honest about how women—especially mothers—are still treated in wrestling.
“I feel like I’m being punished because I had a baby,” she said. “I wouldn’t change a damn thing. I’m obsessed with my son… but it’s just the reality of the situation.”
The 37-year-old wrestler gave birth to her first child with WWE commentator Corey Graves in November 2023 and hasn’t competed since March of that year.
During her WWE career, she accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments including holding the SmackDown Women’s Title, Women’s Tag Team Championships with Zelina Vega, and four reigns as 24/7 Champion. She also made history as the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank winner and won the Mixed Match Challenge alongside R-Truth.
