Ex-WWE Champion Confirms Retirement At 43, Details Cancer Battle
A former WWE champion has confirmed their retirement from wrestling.
Last year, Maria Kanellis informed the wrestling world that doctors had found a mass on her adrenal gland. A few months later, she revealed that she had undergone surgery and that everything went as planned.
In September 2025, the 43-year-old also spoke about a skin cancer diagnosis after getting a mole checked, which turned out to be cancerous.
The ex-WWE champion is expecting her third child with her husband, Mike Bennet, who is signed to All Elite Wrestling.
Maria took to X, confirming the end of her wrestling career, while also sharing news about her future with Women’s Wrestling Army, a wrestling promotion which she co-owns.
In the past few years I’ve had half my thyroid removed, a rare life threatening tumor removed along with my adrenal gland, skin cancer, polyps removed, and now I am having my third baby. In January, my 20 year career effectively ended which is another story. I am not ready to…
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) October 17, 2025
Maria Kanellis’ WWE Dream
While Maria Kanellis’ wrestling career has effectively ended, she spoke about securing a manager’s role in WWE.
During a virtual signing for Signed By Superstars, she was asked if she would ever return to the Stamford promotion.
Replying to the question, Kanellis stated that she had heard good things about the current regime, while taking the ‘never say never’ approach.
She explained her intent to manage The Kingdom, which features Mike Bennett and Matt Taven, at WWE WrestleMania.
My dream is to manage The Kingdom at a WrestleMania. That’s the only thing that I feel like I just — I didn’t get to do. Or to manage my husband at WrestleMania and experience that together. I’ve had WrestleMania matches and he’s been in a WrestleMania match but we’ve never done it together and I feel like that would be really cool.
Kanellis had two stints with the company, with her last appearance coming in 2019.