WWE News: Former Women's Champion recounts career-ending injury

What's the story?

Candice Michelle hasn't stepped into a WWE ring in almost a decade after suffering a shattered collarbone at the hands of Beth Phoenix back in 2008, but finally, the former Women's Champion has been able to tell her side of the story.

In case you didn't know...

Michelle came to WWE through the annual Diva Search and even though she wasn't able to win the competition, WWE signed her to a contract and she became a huge part of the Raw roster. Candice went on to become the first Diva Search contestant to win the Women's Championship back in 2007, as well as being part of matches at WrestleMania and even posing for Playboy throughout her time with the company.

Michelle was never given a retirement match, which is why she officially announced her retirement from the ring last year following her match against Victoria at House of Hardcore in her hometime of Wisconsin.

The heart of the matter

Beth Phoenix faced Michelle on an episode of Raw back in 2008 where the former Women's Champion resorted to climbing to the top rope and being knocked to the ground face first. Michelle was out of action for 14 weeks but when she made her return to the ring, she re-aggravated the injury and it was later declared that she couldn't wrestle anymore.

Michelle recently appeared on Tedx Talks where she was able to talk about the injury that ended what was a promising career in the ring, just as she had finally reached the top.

"She was a bigger, stronger opponent than me and I knew I needed to go to the top. I sauntered so tirelessly to that turnbuckle and I remember putting my first boot on the second rope and I swung my other leg over, my legs felt like cement and my arms started to shake but I pushed right throughout it up to the top...BAM!

"The next thing I remember is barely being able to see Stephanie McMahon leaning over me saying, 'don't worry, your husband is being flown in.' I knew this was real, they never fly your husband in. The diagnosis that night was a concussion and I shattered my collarbone and it shattered my dreams of ever wrestling again."

What's next?

Michelle has since gone on to become the mother of three beautiful daughters and stated as part of the show that the best title she has ever held is "mother" and the injury gave her the chance to explore what was on the other side.

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