Maria Kanellis Finds New Path After AEW Exit
“Because I was in AEW and I was in ROH and I had a tumor and I had skin cancer and I had this and I had that. So, it was a lot of self-reflection. Luckily, I have a husband that's just allowed me to take my time to figure out, 'What do I want to do next?'— Maria Kanellis
Maria Kanellis has found a new career path after departing AEW in January of last year. The former WWE and AEW performer, previously known as the First Lady of ROH, has stepped back from the wrestling industry. Kanellis has focused on her health following her exit from Tony Khan's company.
She now works as an event planner and florist based in Nashville while also raising her children. In an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Kanellis described spending time in self-reflection after her unceremonious AEW departure. She explained the period involved processing her time in AEW and ROH along with her tumor diagnosis and skin cancer.
Kanellis stated that her husband supported her during this phase of figuring out her next steps. She admitted missing performing at times and feeling uncertain about her direction before committing fully to her current pursuits. Kanellis has not ruled out a return to wrestling but indicated it would not involve consistent in-ring work.
She noted that such decisions are not always up to the individual and referenced possibilities like appearing in the Royal Rumble or an Evolution pay-per-view.
Source: Wrestling Inc
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