"It was like a 'f**k you" - Top ex-WWE star opens up about getting fired
Former Women's Champion Melina recently opened up about getting fired from WWE.
Melina joined the Stamford-based company in 2004. She spent about a year in developmental before making her official main roster debut in 2005 as the manager of MNM. Over the next six years, the 44-year-old competed on SmackDown and Monday Night RAW and held the Divas Title and the Women's Championship. However, she was released from her contract in 2011.
During a recent interview with Ring The Belle, Melina addressed her release from the then-Vince McMahon's company. She stated that she was told Creative had nothing for her.
"[What happened? It was such a shocking moment for everybody?] Because I left on my own free will. I'm just kidding. No, this is the way I took it and who knows? Like, really I don't know. We could always speculate. But I have my speculations and I'll end up writing it in my book because that in my mind, it's like, 'well, I don't wanna get in trouble for saying stuff because again it's a speculation.' But I already felt like, 'uh, somebody looked at me the wrong way and that means I'm gonna get fired.' And everybody told me, 'no, no, no, Melina they need you. That can't happen,'" she said.
The former WWE Women's Champion added:
"I said, 'yeah, it's gonna happen because they looked at me that way.' And it was like a 'f**k you.' They thought I was crazy. And it happened. And I said, 'it's okay.' It kinda felt like a relief, burdens off my shoulders. Everybody, like, I thought like the rumors and the heat and pissing people off, like, it would go away because now they can't blame me for stuff anymore. And so, it's good. It felt good. But when it came to that moment, they told me that it was because the whole line of creative had nothing for me." [From 21:00 to 22:02]
Check out the entire interview below:
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Melina believed WWE would bring her back
Over the past few decades, several WWE Superstars were fired but later returned to the Stamford-based company. As Melina was told she was getting released, she believed she would be one of these wrestlers.
During the same interview with Ring The Belle, the former Women's Champion revealed that she was confident that the company would later re-sign her.
"And they said, 'we have so many new girls. We need to start bringing some girls up and we need to get rid of some of the girls.' And they're like, 'Are you ok with that?' And I was like, 'I kinda have no choice.' But I said, 'yeah.' I mean, I've been around long enough to know that people get let go and they get brought back. And I said, 'I know I'll be brought back.' I said, 'it's okay, this is for me to grow on my own.' So, I said, 'I'm good.'" [From 22:03 to 22:24]
Although Melina never returned as a full-time competitor, she made a one-off comeback last year to participate in the Women's Royal Rumble match. However, she was eliminated after 53 seconds.
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Please credit Ring The Belle and give a H/T to Sportskeeda if you use the above transcription.