Former WWE star Carmella has confirmed that her professional wrestling career is over, stating that she now considers herself retired.
Speaking with businesswoman and author Laura Clery during a recent episode of her Hot Mom Sh*t podcast, Carmella discussed her relationship with husband Corey Graves and how their dynamic has changed now that they no longer work together in WWE.
Carmella explained that because their relationship developed while they were both working for WWE, their professional and personal lives were frequently intertwined. “We worked together and met through work. We worked together all the time, and then we were home,” Carmella said. “I related a little bit to your book when you were saying, ‘Our dates were half romance, half business planning.’ We did that.”
During the conversation, Carmella then casually revealed that she now considers herself retired from professional wrestling. “Luckily, I don’t…I’m retired now,” she continued. “It’s definitely a little bit different.”
When Clery responded by saying she loved that Carmella was retired, the former WWE Women’s Champion made her status even clearer. “I was a professional wrestler,” Carmella said. “I can’t wrestle anymore. I’m a mom. I have kids. I’m retired.”
Carmella has not competed since March 2023, when she stepped away from WWE before giving birth to her first child with Graves. She later revealed that she experienced drop foot following the pregnancy.
Carmella and Graves welcomed their second child in October 2025.
Her comments now provide a definitive answer regarding her wrestling future after more than three years away from the ring.
Carmella enjoyed a successful run during her WWE career, becoming SmackDown Women’s Champion and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion. She also made history in 2017 as the inaugural women’s Money in the Bank winner, becoming the first woman to hold the briefcase before eventually cashing in to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
With Carmella now describing herself as a former professional wrestler and explicitly stating “I’m retired,” her latest comments appear to officially close the door on an in-ring return.
