Ex-Champion Addresses Retirement 3 Years After Final WWE Match

One former WWE star has finally discussed retirement three years after having their last match in the company.

In September 2023, WWE made cuts to its roster, with long-time talent Aliyah being among those let go. Aliyah had been with the company since 2015, chiefly competing on NXT, although she found main roster success when she captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Raquel Rodriguez.

Although Aliyah was not let go by WWE until 2023, her last match in the company came a full year before that on the September 12th 2022 edition of Raw. That show saw Aliyah and Rodriguez lose their championship to Dakota Kai and IYO SKY.

Was WWE The End Of The Road For Aliyah?

Since leaving WWE, Aliyah has competed in just two matches, but is she considering hanging up her boots completely?

Speaking to PWMania.com, Aliyah explained why she doesn’t feel that she’s done with wrestling despite finding success in other areas of her life:

I always feel like my best is yet to come, which is why I know I’m not done yet. I’m still too athletic, talented, beautiful, and marketable to retire this young — it just doesn’t make any sense or feel right. Especially when I feel like I’m being pulled/engineered in different directions that don’t align with my goals.

Right now, I’m doing my best to stay true to myself. If I need to pivot strategically and meet people halfway, I’m more than willing. This journey has also shown me I can succeed in other areas and still connect with the audience. My first appearance outside WWE, I DJed — I’d never done it before — and I sold the place out. I had everyone on their feet singing & dancing, and I didn’t even have to wrestle to have people show up or react.

That’s real power and influence. I’ve also competed in show jumping with my horse, winning multiple ribbons and championships across all the top shows in Florida. The sky is truly the limit for me.