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WWE released several notable names following their merger in September 2023. Aliyah was one of the names from the list who left the promotion after spending years on the developmental brand. Recently, a wrestling veteran detailed the problems he felt the star faced during her run.
In 2021, Aliyah made it to WWE's main roster and joined Friday Night SmackDown. The following year, she won the Women's Tag Team Championship alongside Raquel Rodriguez and remained champion for nearly two weeks before dropping it to Damage CTRL's IYO SKY and Dakota Kai.
Unfortunately, she spent months on the bench after she got injured and eventually was released from the promotion. On Keepin' It 100, Konnan discussed why the management released her and detailed the problems he saw in the former champion during her run with the company:
"Yeah, she was hot, but like Disco [Inferno] says they have a lot of hot girls, especially in NXT waiting to come up. She must've done something where they didn't see anything in her. My problem with her was that her work was not that good, okay? And, she was like almost anorexic skinny. I was like this girl needs a steak or a protein drink or both." (From 1:00 to 1:32)
WWE Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley broke character and supported Aliyah
In March 2015, Aliyah signed a contract with WWE and started her journey as a singles star on the developmental brand. She has often teamed up with different stars during her time on NXT. After years of working on the brand, she received her main roster call-up under the old regime.
Apart from making history on Friday Night SmackDown, she is a former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion. After her release, some fans made fun of the star, and Rhea Ripley came to her defense by giving a fitting reply to the fans on X (Twitter). Check it out:
"She’s out here having FUN. What IS embarrassing is when you decide to try and demean and bully someone for simply existing while you hide behind a profile picture of someone else. Go touch some grass."
Mami and Aliyah have feuded on the developmental brand and had matches against each other before they both moved to WWE's main roster.
What are your thoughts on Aliyah? Sound off in the comments section below.
If you use quotes from this article, please credit Keepin' It 100 Official and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
