On October 24th, Maria’s husband Mike Bennett revealed that Maria underwent a successful procedure and thanked fans for their support.
“Maria’s surgery went well. She is staying overnight at the hospital for observation and should be released tomorrow. My wife is a badass. Thank you to everyone who’s reached out. We love y’all so very much.”
Maria’s surgery went well. She is staying overnight at the hospital for observation and should be released tomorrow. My wife is a badass.
Thank you to everyone who’s reached out. We love y’all so very much.
Maria is currently under a contract with AEW. In October 2022, Maria Kanellis had joined AEW alongside her husband Mike and Matt Taven. Her signing took place after she parted ways with TNA Wrestling.
However, Maria previously revealed that the deal is due to expire on October 31st. She had reached out to get clarity on her future with the company but she hasn’t “heard anything yet”. Maria had said that she’s trying not to focus too much on her health concerns or her future with AEW. She would get into the ‘spooky season’ by setting up some Halloween decorations.
Earlier this month, Kanellis revealed that she would be accepting interviews about her time and treatment in AEW after October 31st. She revealed that she would be able to start taking bookings six weeks after her surgery, which is second week in December.
In October 2022, Maria Kanellis-Bennett arrived in AEW alongside her husband Mike and Matt Taven, shortly after exiting Impact Wrestling. As well as AEW, the trio have also appeared and competed for Ring of Honor, but Maria’s time working with Tony Khan may be ending within a matter of days.
On Instagram, Maria shared an update on her retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy, sharing that she has been consulting with a surgeon and will undergo an operation soon. Maria was diagnosed in July of this year after a mass was found on her adrenal gland.
Addressing her AEW future on Instagram, Maria shared that her contract is due to expire on October 31 and despite reaching out to AEW about whether she’ll be re-signed, “I haven’t heard anything yet”. Maria said she’s trying not to dwell too much on her health concerns or her worries about her AEW future, but is instead getting into the ‘spooky season’ by setting up some Halloween decorations.
With over 20 years in the wrestling business, Maria has proven herself in a variety of roles from being an in-ring talent to an interviewer to a manager of other wrestlers. Ultimately, it will be Tony Khan’s decision as to whether Maria is presented with a new contract, and if so, her choice as to whether she’ll remain with AEW/ROH or try herself in a different promotion. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Maria and other contracts in the world of professional wrestling.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett will go under the knife later this year to deal with a concerning matter regarding her adrenal gland. Earlier this month, Kanellis-Bennett shared that she had visited a doctor after showing symptoms that had her concerned. The ROH performer learned that a mass had been found on her adrenal gland and urged fans to listen to their bodies if they suspect something is wrong.
In an update, Maria shared that she has had blood work done and is expected to undergo surgery this September. The former WWE 24/7 Champion will undergo a retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy and doctors will biopsy the mass after.
A retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy typically requires the potential to lie face down on the operating table. The surgeon then places a small lighted camera into the back through a series of small incisions so they can view and access the adrenal glands. Small surgical tools are used to remove the entire adrenal gland if it is wholly infected or if possible, only a portion of it.
Maria’s announcement comes days after she appeared at ROH Death Before Dishonor where Mike Bennett and Matt Taven retained the ROH World Tag Team Championships against The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii.) Maria also appeared at AEW Battle of the Belts XI where the Undisputed Kingdom (Mike, Taven, and Roderick Strong) lost to the Von Erichs and Dustin Rhodes in a match for the vacant ROH World Six-Man Tag-Team Championships.
We here at SE Scoops are continuing to send our very best to Maria at this difficult time.
Maria Kanellis has cleared the air regarding her role at Ring of Honor.
Taking to Twitter, the former WWE Diva said that she’s not a backstage manager at ROH, but she mentors the girls at her own time when she can. She added that she tried to get her old job of being the booker of ROH’s women’s division, but that fell flat.
Kanellis concluded by stating that she’s focused on family, finding a home for the promotion Women’s Wrestling Army, and managing Griff Garrison and Cole Karter in ROH.
“Just saw some news about being a backstage agent at @ringofhonor. I’m not. I mentor the girls on my own time when I can. I tried to get my old job back in ROH booking the women’s division but it didn’t work. So, I’m focused on family, finding a home for @WWrestlingArmy, and managing @griffgarrison1 and @realcolekarter”
The First Lady of Wrestling also spoke about not being happy about the “minor role” she has at ROH. she wrote on social media:
“I’m not happy about it. I’ve tried to fight it. I can only do my job and look for opportunities,” she wrote to a fan who said that she’s happy with her role at ROH with “about 2 minutes of TV time.”
She also agreed with a fan who pointed out that they were surprised Kanellis wasn’t used as part of the Undisputed Kingdom. Kanellis served as the manager of the stable at one point. However, she was given the role of managing Griff Garrison and Cole Karter in the Tony Khan-owned promotion. It seems like Kanellis wants to be part of the faction with Mike Bennett, but for whatever reason, that hasn’t come to fruition.
She said that she was “released” by WWE in 2010 when her contract was up, and she didn’t want to renew the contract only to make “one third what my male contemporaries were making.” Here’s what she further added:
“When I went back, I was told by many people I trusted that WWE had changed. WWE knew we were planning on adding to our family when we resigned. Mike asked for his release, I did not. Mike never went to WWE rehab. Nor did they pay for any rehab. We were lied to many times about our storyline and what direction it was going. I fought back against it to no avail. We were never paid millions of dollars in WWE. We had the average contract for WWE for 6 months. We are not millionaires and we don’t live in a mansion. I hope this helps people separate fact from fiction.”
There are a lot of stories going around in the pro wrestling world, especially concerning WWE Superstar releases and the reasons behind it. Now, Maria Kanellis has stepped up to address some of those misconceptions.
Maria Kanellis Speaks Out About Her WWE Departure
Maria Kanellis addressed the misinformation surrounding her WWE departure, clarifying several points. Contrary to some reports, her initial release in 2010 occurred when her contract expired, and she declined a renewal at one-third of her male counterparts’ salaries.
Despite initial assurances of change upon her return, she said WWE’s treatment did not align with expectations, especially concerning family planning. She emphasized that Mike Bennett’s request for his release was separate from her situation. Contrary to rumors, WWE did not facilitate rehab for Mike, and they were misled multiple times about their storyline.
“There are a lot of reports about things that happened when I was in WWE. Most of them are just wrong. Some are rumors circulated by WWE loyalists, bots, or ‘news’ organizations on the WWE payroll. Here are some facts: When I was “released” by WWE the first time in 2010 my contract was up and I refused to sign for one third what my male contemporaries were making. When I went back, I was told by many people I trusted that WWE had changed. WWE knew we were planning on adding to our family when we resigned. Mike asked for his release, I did not. Mike never went to WWE rehab. Nor did they pay for any rehab. We were lied to many times about our storyline and what direction it was going. I fought back against it to no avail. We were never paid millions of dollars in WWE. We had the average contract for WWE for 6 months. We are not millionaires and we don’t live in a mansion. I hope this helps people separate fact from fiction.”
Maria refutes claims of earning millions, highlighting their average WWE contract duration of six months and dispelling notions of a lavish lifestyle. Her aim is to provide clarity amid the mix of facts and fiction.
What’s Next For Maria Kanellis
When it comes to what she’s doing now, Maria replied to a fan to say how proud she is of her current work in ROH.
“I love what I am doing. I have watched the tag team division in @ringofhonor get better and better since July of last year. These guys are working their asses off to represent the division that has given us some of the Best Tag Team Wrestling in the world. I can’t wait to see what it looks like in a year.”
SE Scoops will have continued coverage of ROH, AEW, WWE, TNA and every other company making waves in the pro wrestling world. We will have to see what Maria Kanellis says next, but she certainly addressed some popular rumors in this situation.
Maria Kanellis wants light to be shed on the darkness of the ongoing Vince McMahon allegations, which gets muddier by the week.
Just as WWE was set to celebrate Royal Rumble weekend, the Wall Street Journal released information on a 67-page lawsuit against McMahon and heinous allegations of sexual assaullt against former employee Janel Grant.
Kanellis, a former WWE talent, has already gave her thoughts on McMahon in the past, but offered a new response since John Laurinaitis’ legal counsel issued a statement, claiming that he himself was a victim of Vince’s power.
“All the news coming out is horrible. Many of us experienced or heard rumors of different levels of evil for years. Some tried to speak up to build momentum to change the culture in WWE. Many times we’ve been called bitter or crazy. Others have been paralyzed by fear. I just hope justice is served and I hope this brings some people peace. I pray for all of the victims, the ones that have spoke up, the ones no longer with us, and the ones that suffer in silence.”
It’s not just former employees who have commented on the McMahon allegations as Cody Rhodes, Shawn Michaels and Triple H have all been asked to address the matter. Michaels was the latest, stating that everyone in NXT is aware of the matter and called it an incredibly sad situation. Both Cody Rhodes and Triple H were asked about Vince during the Royal Rumble Press Conference on Saturday and gave their own degree of a response.
Maria Kanellis and her husband Mike Bennett were released from WWE a couple of years ago as part of cost-cutting measures. They later found employment in AEW and ROH. Recently, Kanellis became entangled in another online dispute involving Mark Briscoe, and in the aftermath of the controversy, she decided to delete her Twitter account due to the backlash over her expressed views.
The story behind Maria Kanellis deleting her X account
Mark Briscoe gained attention when he publicly called out the “WWE on FOX” social media account for appropriating The Briscoes’ well-known “DEM BOYZ” term in reference to Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits. Briscoe even tagged Triple H, urging him to address the situation.
Maria Kanellis joined the discussion by sharing her perspective on the matter. She highlighted the significance of ‘DEM BOYZ’ to Mark Briscoe, emphasizing that the “WWE on FOX” account made the comment on the first anniversary of his brother’s final match. However, Kanellis faced unexpected backlash for her remarks, ultimately prompting her to announce her departure from Twitter and subsequently delete her account.
‘‘I think I’m about done on this particular platform. It’s too crazy. Disagreeing is one thing. Threatening my family, name calling, agism, racism, family planning shaming, religious prejudice, and sexism is all too much. I will keep my Instagram. But it’s about time to move on from the negativity.”
Oh yea, thatsss why I quit posting on Twitter lol. Just logged back on…woww. Some of y’all are wild lol. I just miss my brother, that’s all, and I got a little in my feelings when I seen the Fox post. Triple H, you ain’t gotta fire nobody, times is tough. Love y’all..take it light people
Oh yea, thatsss why I quit posting on Twitter lol. Just logged back on…woww. Some of y’all are wild lol. I just miss my brother, that’s all, and I got a little in my feelings when I seen the Fox post. @tripleh, you ain’t gotta fire nobody, times is tough. Love y’all..take it…
Nevertheless, Maria Kanellis decided that leaving Twitter was the optimal choice for her mental well-being, and fans acknowledge and respect her decision. We will have to see if there are new updates on this story from this point on.
Maria Kanellis’ post on 12/10 prior to deleting her X account
We will have to see if Maria Kanellis reactivates her X account. She should have around 30 days to do so, if she wants to come back to the platform. What’s your take on this? Let us know how you feel by engaging with us on social media!
Maria Kanellis-Bennett is not ashamed to be considered a WWE Diva, despite the stigma that era of women’s wrestling has with fans.
In 2015, WWE began its ‘Women’s Revolution’ and has made a concerted effort to treat women’s wrestling with more respect.
This revolution has resulted in female wrestlers being referred to as Superstars, the introduction of Women’s Tag Titles, and 2018’s all-female event WWE Evolution.
Proud
Maria debuted during the heights of WWE’s Divas division in 2004, and her first match the following year would be a Lingerie Pillow Fight.
This era of women’s wrestling has often been ridiculed by fans, especially compared to the more athletic competition seen today.
Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, Maria admitted to having mixed feelings about the Divas era for a long time.
“It was a different time. I’ve gone through so many transitions of loving that time, hating that time and now I’ve come to a really happy place where I love that I was able to come from that generation of women.”
Maria Kanellis-Bennett.
Kanellis-Bennett’s time in the Divas era would end in February 2010 when she was released, and by the time of her return, the Women’s Revolution was two years in effect.
Respect
While Maria may have come to terms with her part in the Divas era, many fans still believe that this era was detrimental to women’s wrestling.
Addressing the apparent lack of respect, Maria said the idea made little sense given how many women of the time remain big names in wrestling today.
“You have the people that were considered Divas, the Beth Phoenixes who have come and gone back and forth with NXT and have had matches on WrestleMania just recently. The Divas have done a lot and we really set the stage for everything moving forward. Whether people want to respect that or not that’s up to them.
“The facts are the facts and the facts are that Beth is still relevant. Maryse is still relevant. Mickie [James] is still relevant. I’m still doing my thing. Go down the line. The [Bella] Twins have had kids and come back. We’re still a part of this industry and we are still part of this generation. Love us or hate us but you got to respect us.”
“Love us or hate us but you’ve got to respect us.”
Maria Kanellis
Death Threats
While WWE treats their women with much more respect now, there are some fans who didn’t get the memo.
Kanellis-Bennett captured the 24/7 Championship in July 2019, the first pregnant person to hold gold.
Speaking about working with WWE while pregnant, Maria recalled the incredibly rude comments she received.
“I was having so many problems of like getting into the mode of motherhood, and like seeing all the comments of like, ‘oh your husband is just this and you’re just that and how dare you have a kid!’ and saying things about my daughter. She was like a couple of days old and I’m getting like death threats.”
Maria and her husband Mike would welcome their son Carver Mars Bennett into the world in February 2020.
Vince McMahon is under an immense amount of scrutiny at this time, as he has been accused of inappropriate behavior with several women.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that McMahon is alleged to have had an affair with a female paralegal who left WWE this year, with the ex-CEO reportedly arranging a $3 million hush money payout.
It was later reported that McMahon has allegedly been inappropriate with several women, paying out $12 million in total.
A Change in Management
In 2017, Maria Kanellis-Bennett returned to WWE, alongside her husband Mike.
While both had reigns as 24/7 Champion, they were cut in 2020, and Maria is not interested in making a return at this time.
On Twitter, a fan asked Maria about a possible WWE return, and she refused until there is a change of management or ownership.
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) July 17, 2022
Past Comments
Maria isn’t interested in working for WWE until the McMahons are no longer in charge, but this is hardly surprising from the former WWE Diva.
Kanellis has previously stated that she hopes to see WWE sold to someone else, who will treat it “like a business and not a boys club.”
The 40-year-old wrestling personality has also claimed that WWE spread lies about her during her pregnancy in 2019.
Maria alleged that she informed WWE that she was pregnant with her second child prior to signing a contract extension with the company, and was told it would not be a problem.
She later claimed that rumors circulated that she did not inform WWE prior to signing a new deal, and that those false rumors came from WWE.
The Wall Street Journal reported news of the investigation, while WWE announced Stephanie’s new interim roles.
Maria Kanellis Slams Vince McMahon
Former WWE talent Maria Kanellis took to her Twitter account to say that while she doesn’t want to see WWE fall, she hopes that there is a shift in power.
Vacation days, child care, and a clear direction for the future. This is going to be an anxiety filled time for a lot of people that work there. Hopefully, the COMPANY CULTURE will change. And people will still have jobs they love to feed their families. ?
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) June 17, 2022
“Let’s not wish that. There are a lot of good people that work there. WWE employs hundreds of people. Let’s just hope the company is bought out by someone/company that will treat WWE like a business and not a boys club. Health insurance, retirement plans, parental leave.”
“Vacation days, child care, and a clear direction for the future. This is going to be an anxiety-filled time for a lot of people that work there. Hopefully, the COMPANY CULTURE will change. And people will still have jobs they love to feed their families.”
Former WWE Superstar Maria Kanellis-Bennett has praised newly-signed talent Roxanne Perez, comparing her to Becky Lynch.
Perez, previously known as Rok-C, officially signed with WWE in March 2020, and is a former Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion.
Speaking to the Bleav in Pro Wrestling Podcast, Kanellis-Bennett said that Perez shares a lot of similarities with the former Raw Women’s Champion:
“I hesitate to say this because I don’t like anybody comparing anybody to anyone else, but the ability that you have in Becky Lynch, you have in Roxanne. I think that is only going to continue to grow. Of course, she’s still got things she has to work on but I think at some point, Roxanne will be on the same level as Becky.
“She has the technique down. She has the story, she has the heart. She used to ride the bus to go to wrestling training before she could drive a car or anything like that. She rode a bus so she could go to training.”
Roxanne Perez’s ROH Women’s World title win came when Kanellis-Bennett had a backstage role with Ring of Honor’s Women’s division.
Perez made her WWE in-ring debut on the April 12, 2022, episode of NXT LVL UP, defeating Sloane Jacobs.
In her most recent match, she faced NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose in a losing effort
Kanellis-Bennett recently announced the start of her own all-female promotion ‘Women’s Wrestling Army.’
Maria Kenellis-Bennett looks to change the landscape of women’s wrestling with Women’s Wrestling Army.
Her new all-women’s promotion has its first show this Sunday, May 1st from the Fete Music Hall in Providence, RI (tickets).
The veteran performer turned promoter spoke with SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay this week about what makes Women’s Wrestling Army so unique, the challenges of starting a company, plans to crown the first WWA champion and much more.
Below you’ll find the complete interview, as well as highlights from the half-hour discussion.
Maria says she was really nervous at first and questioned how the promotion would be received. There are already a lot of great women’s promotions out there, but she’s excited to give women’s wrestlers another place to work and show what they can do.
She’s been blown away by the reception so far. She’s received support from legends including Mickie James, Lita, Gail Kim, Christy Hemme and Renee Paquette.
Women’s wrestling has come a long way, but it’s still a male-dominated industry, if you look at television time, company executives, employees, camera people, etc.
She doesn’t consider herself a great wrestler, but she can be a great promoter. She spoke about legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick. He always focused on building a team, not just collecting talent. She shares that philosophy.
What is the most challenging aspect of starting a wrestling promotion?
Maria joked, “Flights. I hate flights! I hate them. (Laughs) Um, gosh, and luckily, Bobby Cruz has been amazing, he did all the flights. But, just figuring that situation out, because everybody’s got their own lives, you know, girls are coming in from here and there and everywhere, they’ve got shows the day before. Taya’s a champion, but she’s literally flying from Mexico to do our show on Sunday. So, that’s tough, the logistics of everything.”
Aside from coordinating travel logistics, Maria says it’s been a challenge to narrow down which talent they can work with.
“Beyond that, it’s controlling my own urge to have 50 people on the show, and realizing there is a budget and I cannot be like, ‘She’s great and I want her here!’ so that’s tough too. Bobby [Cruz] has to temper that a lot with me, of me wanting to get far too many people, and he’s like no, that’s not possible, so that’s really tough for me, and just accepting that it’s not gonna be perfect, we’re just going to do our best.”
Profit Sharing with Talent
Women’s Wrestling Army is unique in that it will be sharing profits from shows with talent.
“I didn’t want to own this company. I didn’t want to be a promoter. The only way I felt comfortable doing it was this way.”
Maria added, “Essentially, they own the success, they own the failures, they own their own bumps and that to me is the most important thing.”
She hopes this experiment will become a model that other companies can emulate.
“I really want this to be an example moving forward, that we can profit share with the talent, we can give them a piece of the pie and it will be successful.”
After the first show takes place this Sunday, they hope to release it for streaming purchase within a week. If their production team is unable to get the show edited and released by then, they will at least have a teaser video to show people what they have in store.
Aside from the live wrestling event, they’re also filming documentary footage to give fans an inside look at “how the sausage is made.”
Up for the Challenge
Right now, the focus is on the first even this Sunday. Eventually, they will crown a Women’s Wrestling Army Champion.
The first WWA show will feature champions from other promotions. Maria has no problem with the talent showing off the belts they’ve earned elsewhere.
When they do crown the inaugural WWA Champion, her goal is to hold a Tournament of Champions featuring women’s champions from other promotions.
Building a wrestling company is a tall order, but Maria Kenellis-Bennett is ready for the challenge.
“Will it be controversial and different? Of course, but I do hard things, that’s fine.”
Maria Kanellis has claimed that false rumors of her pregnancy came directly from WWE.
Back in April 2020, Maria and Mike Bennett were released from their WWE contracts. This was a part of a wave of post-WrestleMania roster cuts that year. The two unleashed several rants about the company in the following months.
During an interview with Cageside Seats, Maria claimed she let WWE know about her second pregnancy before signing a contract extension. She claims that WWE officials told her it wasn’t an issue and that Vince McMahon loves kids.
Soon, Maria Kanellis began hearing rumors that she didn’t inform WWE of her pregnancy plans. She claims those rumors came straight from WWE.
“From there, I started getting direct messages from different news outlets. ‘Oh, did you not tell them blah blah, blah.’ Those rumors are coming directly from WWE and they are just trying to make us look bad so that when they release us they can feel better about it? But we give them every opportunity to restructure my contract or not pay me as much. They came with more money. That’s not my fault. And so those are the facts.
“Mike was on the road every single weekend during his recovery. He didn’t go to WWE recovery. They didn’t pay for his recovery. If they had, Mike would have ended up paying 50 percent of it back anyways through his contract. A little-known fact. Linda McMahon actually spoke about it during a congressional Congress interrogation, I guess you would call it. So you guys can look it up if you want facts. Those are the facts that even if they had, Mike would have paid for fifty percent of it anyways. But they did not. If you look it up, you can find out that WWE was on the road every single weekend that I was pregnant. He did not go to rehab. He did not go away.”
Since their WWE releases, Maria and Mike have returned to Ring of Honor.
Triple H’s comments about the best women’s wrestlers in the world wanting to join WWE has created some controversy. AEW President Tony Khan previously took exception to his remarks. Now Maria Kanellis has responded to them as well.
The former WWE star has taken up a new role after her return to ROH last year. She has taken up a position in the ROH board of directors. Apart from being an on-screen figure for the company, she is also helping the promotion in recruiting new stars and rebuilding their women’s division behind the scenes.
When asked about Triple H’s comments about the female stars during an interview with Inside The Ropes, Kanellis claimed that if The Game gets honest with himself, he will realize that his comments are not true:
“So I think. I think, of course, has to say something like that, he has to say that everybody wants to be in WWE because that is where he works and that’s what’s required. But I think if you were honest with himself, he would realize that they aren’t the only place to work anymore and for a lot of people, they’re not even the place that they want to work.”
Maria Kanellis then mentioned how they have women in the current ROH roster who have previously turned down offers from WWE. The ROH star explained that any company, however big or small can have the best wrestler in the world. She also claimed that some of the most memorable moments of her career had nothing to do with the promotion:
“There are great wrestlers everywhere and not all of them want to work for WWE. And after being there twice myself, I have to say that some of my most memorable moments in this industry had nothing to do with the big Stamford, Connecticut company, and it had everything to do with the people I was working with and the way that I felt working there.”
Apart from this, Maria Kanellis discussed Lana’s comments about women’s wrestling in WWE. The Ravishing Russian had said that the company made her feel like women’s wrestling was not as important as men’s wrestling. Kanellis explained why this is not true mentioning how women’s wrestling always draws big international audience.
ROH has confirmed the plans for a reboot of their women’s division that will kick off with a tournament to crown a new women’s champion this Summer.
The announcement was made by the newest member of the ROH Board of Directors Maria Kanellis-Bennett during the company’s 19th Anniversary PPV.
Maria cut a promo during the show and the former WWE and Impact star invited women from all over to participate in the upcoming tournament to determine their new champion.
She also announced a match between Angelina Love and Quinn McKay for an upcoming episode of ROH TV, with the winner getting entry in the first round of the tournament.
ROH hasn’t had a women’s champion since the last Women Of Honor title holder Kelly Klein’s contract expired in 2019. Her title defense at the Glory by Honor XVII in October 2019 was the last time the company had a women’s match.
The coronavirus pandemic, however, forced the company to halt the tournament and it appears that the officials have rescheduled their original plans with this announcement.
Former WWE Superstar Mike Bennett has reflected on his WWE tenure in a recent interview with The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast. He also vented his frustrations with Vince McMahon concerning how his wife, Maria Kanellis, was treated by the company.
Bennett explained how it didn’t bother him when WWE decided he would debut with his wife’s last name. He noted how he was aware that trying to use his own name would be an issue because of how WWE wants to own the rights to everything.
“But when they told me it was Mike Kanellis, my first thought as a worker is that it is really good heat because I know a lot of people will be upset that a man took his wife’s name,” Bennett explained. “It really didn’t bother me because in my head, a name is a name and I will let my talents speak for itself and if this is a way to get heat from the crowd instantly right out of the gate, sure, no problem, I’ll do it.”
He did, however, have an issue with WWE’s lack of follow-through. He stressed how they didn’t deliver a payoff with the decision, ultimately turning the gimmick into a “novelty act.”
Mike Bennett On How Vince McMahon & WWE Treated Maria Kanellis
Regarding Vince McMahon, Bennett stressed how Vince would always be nice to a person’s face. However, “[…] some of the things he’s done lately, it is hard for me to wrap my brain around. It’s hard for me to be ok with the way he treated my wife.”
Bennett explained how he asked for his WWE release as he was ready to go, noting how he asked for it 8 months before the coronavirus pandemic. He stressed how he wanted to go. Maria, however, didn’t.
“As far as getting released, I knew I was getting released. I wanted to go. My wife didn’t,” Bennett said. “We talked to them time and time again about firing me but not firing her. I wanted my release, she did not want her release. We were adamant that we were two separate talents and you should treat us differently.”
Mike Bennett argued how WWE releasing a woman on maternity leave after years of service during a pandemic was a “lousy” thing to do to a person.
Former WWE Superstar Mike Bennett recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Formerly Mike Kanellis, Bennett would discuss a number of topics from his time with WWE. These topics would include creative meetings with Vince McMahon, appearing for NWA and his battle with addiction.
Mike Bennett Talks ‘Obscurity’
“When we (Mike and Maria) got released back in April? I spent a good two months like trying to figure out where my next move would be” Bennett began on the show. “I knew I wanted it to be special, but I also didn’t know if anyone would really be interested in me.”
Elaborating further, Mike Bennett/Kanellis would discuss how he knew he was a virtual unknown on the WWE roster, nearly from day one. “I’m not completely oblivious to what the last three years were like. I would love to come out and be like, ‘oh yeah like I was a former WWE guy! So everyone’s going to be chomping at the bit for me to come and wrestle for them.’ But I was kind of living in obscurity at WWE in 205 Live.”
“I had little tidbits here on RAW and Smackdown” Bennett continued. “I really wanted to come out and do something special. But I didn’t know if that opportunity would exist, and like, thank god, this NWA opportunity came about.”
Mike Bennett recently appeared on the new NWA weekly PPV show on United Wrestling Network and FITE TV. Bennett challenged NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis for the prestigious Championship but was unsuccessful.
Bennett would describe how the opportunity to appear for the National Wrestling Alliance ‘excited’ him about pro wrestling again. “I don’t know how to explain it, it really just…it excited me about pro wrestling again. Because I had really been in a bad place. I hadn’t really enjoyed pro wrestling and a lot of that falls on my shoulders. I realised that, but the last three years [in WWE] kind of gave me a sour taste.”
Do you think that Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis deserved a better shot in WWE? Let us know in the comments
Former WWE Superstar Mike Bennett recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Formerly Mike Kanellis, Bennett would discuss a number of topics from his time with WWE. These topics would include creative meetings with Vince McMahon, appearing for NWA and his battle with addiction.
“I had many good conversations with Vince [McMahon]” Mike Bennett began on the show. “After we [Mike and Maria] had our first child? I remember going into Vince’s office and I just said to him, ‘look if this isn’t working out? If I’m not what you thought I was or whatever or you just don’t see anything? Release me.”
Mike Bennett on Vince McMahon
“I said ‘just let me go for a couple years and maybe I’ll come back and we’ll figure this out'” Bennett would continue. “And he straight up told me, he said, ‘I’ve seen your work I think you’re good. We just have to find the right storyline that fits. We just have to find the right place for you. I’ve got a million guys right now.'”
Mike Bennett would then discuss his own personal views on the WWE Chairman. “One thing I respect about Vince? He was always brutally honest with me. He never sugar coated anything, I respected that. It was other people in that company that would sugarcoat things for me or just try to do things, but Vince? If I went to him directly? He always straight up told me what was going on.”
Vince McMahon Getting ‘distracted’
Bennett would finish by saying that his creative meetings with McMahon were beneficial, but that it was easy for McMahon to get distracted. “We did have those conversations and we had many opportunities where me and Maria went in there and we pitched stuff. Vince always seemed open to it, he was very respectful about everything.”
“Then they just didn’t materialise, and I know how that works. I know I’ll go in there and I’ll tell Vince one thing he might like it…but then Roman [Reigns] goes in there, Seth [Rollins] goes in there and Bray [Wyatt] goes in there right after me. And he [Vince] probably doesn’t remember it after that, which sucks. It sucks for a smaller guys, we’re trying to get our names up there, but it at the end of the day? It’s just how that company works.”
Do you think that Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis deserved a better shot in WWE? Let us know in the comments
Former WWE Superstars Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis-Bennett have opened up about their initial push being cut short upon their debut in 2017. The two recently joined ROHStrong Podcast where they addressed their Money in the Bank experience. They shared how they had so much initial excitement at portraying a heel couple on screen.
Maria revealed how once they had signed their contracts, WWE simply didn’t utilize them. Instead, the couple “sat at home from March until June.”
She explained how WWE didn’t contact them until June, which caused her to become suspicious:
“We had no contact until June. I already felt like something was fishy because if you were that excited about us ,why didn’t you bring us out at Wrestlemania?”
Mike Bennett & Maria Kanellis At Money In The Bank 2017
Upon their appearance at Money in the Bank, the couple were confident in their new characters and direction. According to them, they got a “great reaction” when they stepped out from behind the curtain. However, despite the immediate heel heat, their momentum would be almost immediately stopped.
Bennett shared how Vince McMahon apparently didn’t see the reaction they received. This led to their push being “pretty much all but dropped.”
The couple added how they were meant to be on the next episode of SmackDown. Bennett recalled how they were written into the show only to be cut entirely. It was at this point that he reveals they both went felt how “that’s it, we’re done.”
Mike Bennett stressed how the three years with WWE was a “waste of time and a mess.” However, he acknowledged the lessons and personal growth he achieved are things he wouldn’t ever trade.
The couple recently shared insight into their negative experiences in WWE. Mike Bennett revealed how WWE never supported him or paid for his addiction recovery. Instead, he credited Maria with helping him through to sobriety. Maria, meanwhile, gave fans alleged information over what WWE said and promised them as they deliberated over re-signing with the company.
The couple joined several other Superstars to be released earlier this year as a cost-cutting decision. WWE attributed its decision to the coronavirus pandemic having impacted upon business.
Former WWE Superstars Mike Bennett and his wife Maria Kanellis-Bennett have opened up to fans about their experiences with WWE prior to being released.
Bennett revealed via Twitter that, despite its drug testing policy and insistence that it puts talents health and wellbeing first and foremost, WWE never paid or supported his recovery journey.
He explained how he never went to rehab and instead “My wife was my rehab.” Bennett noted how he recovered on the road while adhering to WWE’s travel schedule. According to him, WWE “never paid for my rehab” and “never reached out” to him during his recovery from addiction.
Bennett shared how “Not a single person in management ever contacted me to see if I needed help or if I was doing ok in my recovery.All credit goes to my wife”
Bennett stressed how he isn’t saying WWE had an obligation to reach out to him. However, when people claim his rehab was paid for, it undermines and takes away all the hard work and support Maria provided. Those false claims are something that will “never be ok” with him.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett also opened up on Twitter. She shared what she and Mike were allegedly told and promised by WWE. Maria has previously called out WWE over its decision to release her and Mike amidst a global pandemic so soon after her giving birth.
Her series of Tweets seem to indicate what they were told by WWE as they contemplated re-signing with the company. Both Maria and Mike would sign multi-year contracts in 2019.
Fans speculated that the pair signed with WWE knowing Maria was pregnant. This would have allowed them to make money while at home after their baby was born. This was not the case, however, as Maria was not aware she was pregnant until after signing her new WWE contract.
According to Maria, she was told and promised the following:
“Think about your family. – @wwe”
“We want to make sure your family is taken care of. -@wwe”
“Look at the position (she) put you in by naming you. – @wwe”
“Don’t you think you’d remember something like that. – @WWE”
“(He) still wants to sign you to this. -@WWE”
“We used to get away with a lot, we can’t get away with (that) anymore. -@WWE”
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) July 18, 2020
We want to make sure your family is taken care of. –@wwe
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) July 18, 2020
Maria explained how she’s not “spilling tea” or spreading gossip with her series of tweets. Instead, she wanted to give fans insight into what she and Mike were told and experienced.
The couple joined several other Superstars to be released earlier this year as a cost-cutting decision. WWE attributed its decision to the coronavirus pandemic having impacted upon business.
Maria Kanellis has taken to social media to comment on being released just a few months after giving birth to her second child.
Both Maria and Mike were part of a large number of releases back in April. At the time, WWE claimed that this was due to budget cuts as a result of the coronavirus.
The former WWE star took to her official Twitter account where she called out the company. At the time, she was two months removed after giving birth. She later teased that she would elaborate on that some time soon.
Maria also claimed that WWE not only made the cuts during a pandemic but also told her another child would not be an issue.
She first wrote, “Did you ever hear the one about the woman that was released from WWE during a pandemic 2 months postpartum after being told having another baby wasn’t an issue…? #milkmoney #moreonthatlater #onlywrestlingcompanythatreleasedpeople #NonEssentialFamily.”
A fan responded to her tweet by bringing up the fact that their release was part of cost-cutting measures. However, Maria brought up how WWE was the only company to release people.
Maria wrote, “[Their] record numbers say differently. P.S. no other wrestling company released anyone!!”
It should be noted that WWE is on track to have its most profitable year of all-time thanks to television deals with the USA Network and FOX.
Former WWE Superstar Maria Kanellis has revealed the conclusion to the dropped storyline that featured herself and her husband, Mike Kanellis. Last September, WWE began a pregnancy storyline that revolved around Maria teasing who the father of her baby was. Several WWE Superstars were teased as being the father including Rusev, Ricochet, and Mike Kanellis.
Turns out that the story was meant to springboard Mike Kanellis into a babyface turn. It would have been an arc of hope and motivation giving strength to overcome addiction and adversity. Maria Kanellis revealed the unused ending via Twitter after a fan asked her about the dropped storyline.
When asked who would eventually be revealed as the father, Maria replied:
“My husband. He was supposed to turn face. And do a story about recovery from addiction and motivation. But… that’s just too good. Too real. Too honest. And of course I was supposed to remain the bad guy. [Winking kiss emoji] until I came back from maternity leave. Baby face momma!!”
While engaging with her fans, Maria Kanellis also suggested that it’s just a matter of time before she and Mike return to WWE.
When another fan shared how much they want to see Maria and Mike Kanellis back in WWE, Maria wrote, “Don’t worry. We will be back. They thought I was quitting after having babies. Hahahaha… that’s just the beginning. Everything I fought for before is nothing compared to those pretty baby eyes. Those browns and blues.”
Both Superstars were released back in April as part of WWE’s attempt to save money due to the coronavirus impacting business.
Following a wave of Superstars publicly requesting their releases from WWE, the company released wrestlers from their contracts over the past several days.
Sin Cara, Luke Harper and The Ascension tag team have all been “wished well in their future endeavors.” Sin Cara and Harper had gone public with their want to leave the company over the past few weeks (Cara) and months (Harper), both confirming online that they wanted to ply their trade elsewhere. It is not currently known whether The Ascension had requested their release or were let go for other reasons.
Mike Kannellis
One name on the proverbial chopping block who is still with WWE is Mike Kanellis. The former Ring of Honor and New Japan star had also gone public with his want to leave. Kanellis released the following statement back on October 14th:
“Today I asked for my release from WWE,” Kanellis wrote. “I want to thank everyone in the company who has helped me out. And who I have shared a locker room with. I love you all. I’ve been with the company for almost 3 years and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity. However it is time for me to move on. I am only 34 years old and feel I have way too much left in the tank. Working 1 day a week is just not going to cut it for me. I came to WWE to work and that opportunity does not exist right now.”
This statement came just 4 months after he and wife Maria reportedly signed a 5-year deal with WWE.
“Scuttlebutt amongst the boys”
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray elaborated more on the Mike and Maria situation this week on the Busted Open Radio Sirius XM radio show show.
“I heard rumors, and not internet rumors and dirt sheet rumors.” said Bully Ray. “I’ve heard talk of some scuttlebutt amongst the boys that Mike and Maria might have misled the WWE when their new contracts were signed. I don’t know this for a fact but I’m saying maybe the WWE didn’t want to release them because I want to keep them [and get] their money’s worth out of them.”
It is not clear exactly what Mike and Maria had reportedly ‘misled’ the company on. Maria had announced that she was pregnant soon after reportedly re-signing. Although we cannot confirm if that is exactly what Bully Ray is referring to.
Ray also commented on the situation with Luke Harper and Sin Cara. Saying “as far as Luke Harper and Sin Cara are concerned I’m happy that they will be released. Because they just didn’t want to be there anymore. And if you don’t want to be there anymore and the company’s not doing anything with you anyway get the hell out of there.”
Check out the Busted Open Radio Show at Player.FM.
Please credit SEScoops when using any transcribed quotes from this article.
Mike Kanellis recently revealed on Twitter that he has asked
for his WWE release and the 205 Live star had explained in detail why he has
made the decision.
His wife Maria Kanellis, who is also part of the WWE roster, had been quiet on the subject so far. Though she has now finally broken her silence and commented on the matter.
Maria took on her Instagram account where she posted a photo
of the couple and wrote that family comes first and she loves and supports her
husband.
The female star also went on to clear some of the rumors regarding her husband revealing that he never went to rehab and confirming that while her husband is looking to leave, she has not asked for her own release from the company:
Mike and Maria Kanellis made their WWE debut back in June
2017 during the Money In The Bank PPV and after a few weeks, they established
themselves as heels.
They were initially part of the SmackDown Live brand but
were moved to Raw in April 2018. The duo then made their debut for 205 Live in
October last year and they have been part of the Cruiserweight Exclusive brand
since then.
WWE intends to add a few more twists and turns to their current storyline revolving around who the father is of Maria’s baby, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The idea is to draw out the revelation of who the father is, playing up the mystery angle of the story for ratings.
Maria Kanellis is currently 20 weeks pregnant. She revealed that she and her husband, Mike Kanellis, are expecting a baby boy. This week’s episode of Monday Night RAW saw her claim that Ricochet is the father to her unborn child. Ricochet insisted that Maria was lying, which she admitted after Mike suffered a loss to Ricochet in a matchup.
After the match, Maria would berate Mike Kanellis as he sat dejected on the ring apron. Maria would then go on to tease who the real father of her baby is, with Rusev’s music hitting signalling his return. Rusev then destroyed Mike in his second squash match of the night.
At the time of writing, there is no information as to who WWE will eventually name as the father. It’s reported that it won’t be Rusev. It’s alleged that the baby storyline will be portrayed more like a running joke rather than a serious storyline.
