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It's been an exciting few months for AEW, with the company kicking off 2024 by signing some of wrestling's top free agents. As the All Elite faithful gather in anticipation of Mercedes Mone's potential debut tomorrow night at Dynamite: Big Business, AEW/ROH star Maria Kanellis has discussed the prospect of returning for one more match.
The former WWE Superstar hasn't wrestled since July 2019, when she lost a mixed tag team alongside her husband – fellow All Elite star Mike Bennett, against Seth Rollins and Becky LyncThe company later released the coupleany. Kanellis is now one of the top managers in Ring of Honor, but she hasn't exactly called it quits on her in-ring career yet.
Maria Kanellis participated in a recent Monopoly Events Q&A, where she was asked whether she ever planned to wrestle again. The former TNA Knockouts Champion didn't rule it out and namedropped several exciting opponents:
"It's tough because there have been a few women in AEW that have asked. Deonna [Purrazzo] would be a good choice. Queen Aminata has said, 'Come on, we're both mothers, let's do this.' Queen is such an inspiration and that would be awesome. Toni [Storm], for sure. There are too many. There is a lot. It's tough because my daughter wants to see me wrestle one more time. At some point, maybe I'll do it, but I can't guarantee it'll be good," she said. [H/T Fightful]
AEW's Maria Kanellis claims she never wanted to be a wrestler
Maria Kanellis has enjoyed an interesting career in the pro wrestling industry, but the veteran recently claimed that she never set out to be an in-ring competitor in the first place.
Despite having won titles (the WWE 24/7 and TNA Knockouts Championships), the 42-year-old seems more interested in helping others find the right character and voice for their in-ring careers.
In a now-deleted tweet from last month, Kanellis expressed her passion for managing talent and working backstage:
"Few other things, I don’t wrestle and I’m not trying to wrestle. I never wanted to be a wrestler but I tried it and it wasn’t for me. I like working backstage, producing, directing, developing and I like managing. I like to create. My favorite thing is helping talent find themselves in this industry. The only reason I would wrestle is for my children to see momma wrestle."
The final chapter of Maria's in-ring career is still unwritten, but if she decides to return to the squared circle, there are plenty of interesting opponents she could square off with in AEW.
