Popular WWE star Kayla Braxton is leaving WWE after eight years and speculation is already growing that she could move to rival AEW.
The backstage interviewer and programming host made the sudden announcement in an X-post on Saturday, revealing that next Friday’s Smackdown at Madison Square Garden would be her final show.
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The event will end a memorable tenure in WWE for the 33-year-old, widely respected by his colleagues and a real hit with fans.
Braxton’s charisma and ability to blend in with the company’s stars and intrigues earned him many admirers, including his “feud” with veteran manager Paul Heyman.
At the height of The Bloodline saga, longtime champion Roman Reigns lambasted Heyman for the pointed questions asked by The Wise Man’s “girlfriend,” with the two regularly throwing insults at each other.
She will now leave Heyman and the rest of WWE behind, explaining her decision on social media.
A post on Next week, in the most famous arena in the world, I will officially sign.
“During my years in WWE, I was able to master the art of the backstage interview. I hope I was able to turn the minutes into moments for you who watched from week to week and maybe even usher in a new fan base.
“My banter with Paul Heyman has become legendary and I am very grateful for everything he has done to elevate my career. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from the Sage and I will be eternally grateful to him.
Braxton would then thank his colleagues and bosses at WWE before hinting at the future.
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She continued: “I am extremely grateful to Triple H, Nick Khan, WWE and all of its partners for allowing me to be a trusted voice on WWE television for all of these years.
“Thank you to every person who made me feel like this was my home and part of this family. Thank you for taking a chance and welcoming this stranger with open arms.
“I hope I made you proud and I would love for you to stay with me for this next chapter. I’m excited to reveal to you all what I have coming up!!!!
While Braxton was coy about what exactly the future held for her, that didn’t stop wrestling fans from speculating that rivals All Elite Wrestling might be looking to catch up with her.
Sean Ross Sapp of US outlet Fightful reported following the Alabama-born star’s announcement that she had already worked out the latter part of her WWE tenure without a formal contract in place and that AEW had been “informed » of his status.
Their report stated: “Braxton is currently working for (WWE) under a verbal agreement between both parties following the recent expiration of his contract with WWE.
“Both sides have had discussions, but we are not told what came out of them.
We’re told AEW was informed of the status of his contract a few weeks ago, but we don’t know if that was due to direct communication between Becker/an agent, or AEW.
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In 2021, Braxton came out as bisexual, posting on X that she “didn’t have to choose anymore.”
The message, warmly applauded by fans and colleagues, read: All my life I have had to choose. are you black? Are you white? Which bubble do you fill on the SATs? I always filled in “other” because nothing applied to me.
“Tonight, I choose to no longer have to choose. Hi world. My name is Kayla. Oh. And yes, I am Bi.
Braxton first appeared on WWE programming in 2016 on NXT, the company’s developmental program.
From there, she progressed to the “main” roster, competing on Raw, SmackDown and Premium Live Events – WWE’s term for pay-per-view.
She also acted as a ring announcer and was a longtime co-host of The Bump and Talking Smack.
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