Sean Rueter has been thinking too much about pro wrestling since at least WrestleMania I, and blogging about it for SBNation & Cageside Seats since around WrestleMania 28.
More and more, WWE is opting to let talent's contracts run out without renewing rather than releasing them before their deals expire.
We're getting word this afternoon (Feb. 21) that's the situation with former SmackDown Women's champion Carmella. PW Nexus' Masked J and Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp are both reporting that Carmella's contract expired recently and that she's no longer with the company.
The 37-year-old has been out since early 2023. Some of that absence was related to the birth of her son in November of that year; she's since shared about getting treatment for drop foot, a nerve condition that can be caused by childbirth. As recently as December of last year, however, Carmella was talking about how excited she was to return and how much she misses performing.
Carmella signed with WWE in 2013, and made the main roster in 2016. She won her SmackDown title after grabbing the first women's Money in the Bank briefcase. Carmella also held the WWE Women's Tag titles, the 24/7 championship, and won the second season of Mixed Match Challenge with R-Truth. She is married to current NXT commentator Corey Graves.
Join us in wishing Mella success in whatever comes next.