Meet Charly Arnolt: Everything you need to know about the ex-WWE personality who just quit ESPN

Charly Arnolt, who went by the name Charly Caruso in WWE, recently departed ESPN to join OutKick.

Arnolt, born on July 14, 1987, in Indianapolis, United States, is an American sports broadcaster. She started her journalism career with WSAZ-TV in 2010 as a reporter in West Virginia. It was in 2014 when she returned to WXIN as a sports anchor after previously working there as a freelance reporter.

Arnolt worked for ESPN between 2018 and 2023, appearing on popular shows like First Take and SportsNation.

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Charly Arnolt worked with WWE for five years

In 2016, Arnolt was invited to WWE SmackDown by Tony Khan, and this was when she met WWE's former Senior Director of Talent Relations, Mark Carrano. He connected her to veteran wrestling announcer Michael Cole.

While Cole was interested in hiring her, WWE didn't have openings. However, Brandi Rhodes exiting the company in 2016 opened the door of opportunity for Arnolt. Initially, she debuted as a ring announcer for WWE NXT but quickly moved up to the main roster.

During her time with WWE, Charly Arnolt (fka Charly Caruso) was a popular backstage interviewer. She exited WWE in 2021 after choosing not to re-sign with the Stamford-based company.

There has since been widespread speculation about why she actually left the company. Many reports suggested WWE didn't want to renew her contract, while others claimed she had backstage heat after being late to an interview with Randy Orton and Sheamus. However, Arnolt mentioned that she exited the company positively and wished to advance in her career.

“There is always going to be chatter. The contract was coming up. Instead of renewing, I’m moving on. Everyone is going to have their own opinions regardless. I never had any issues while I was at WWE. Nothing bad happened. As far as I’m concerned, I’m leaving on a positive note and beginning what I believe to be the next step in my career.” (H/T WrestlingNews)

Her transition from WWE to ESPN went relatively smoothly as she worked part-time with the sports media conglomerate during her WWE tenure. She initially provided SportsCenter updates on Snapchat in 2018 but eventually began hosting one of ESPN's biggest shows - First Take.

“The climb for me happened a bit quicker than I anticipated, and I’m so happy about that because it really shows how much ESPN believes in me and is willing to give me those opportunities (...) It’s very hard to put into words how happy I am,” said Charly Arnolt.

It goes without saying that Charly Arnolt is a highly talented sports broadcaster with immense knowledge of the industry. We at Sportskeeda wish her all the best in her new journey.