Forgotten AEW Star’s Contract Has Expired
A female AEW star has announced that her contract with the company has ended.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett got her start in the pro wrestling business over 20 years ago when she was part of the 2004 Diva Search. Even though she didn’t win that contest, she earned a WWE contract and worked there until 2010.
After departing WWE, Maria worked in other companies like ROH and met her husband Mike Bennett. The couple also worked for TNA before Maria and Mike worked for WWE from 2017 until their release in 2020.
In October 2022, Maria signed with AEW and her husband Mike Bennett was there along with Matt Taven to form the tag team known as The Kingdom. During Maria’s three-year run with AEW, she didn’t appear on television that much although she was part of the ROH brand as well, which only has a streaming service.
It was announced by Maria late in 2024 that she needed surgery after a mass was found on her adrenal gland and the good news is that the surgery went well, so she was cancer free.
Maria Announces End Of Her AEW Run
Regarding her time in AEW, Maria posted on X/Twitter that it was her last day with WWE on January 31st meaning she’s no longer with AEW today.
This is my last day with @aew
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) January 31, 2025
When asked by a fan about a new AEW contract, Maria replied: “No thank you.”
On the AEW roster page on the company website, Maria no longer appears as an active talent.
Maria made it clear that her husband Mike Bennett still works for AEW. The couple has two young children together. Maria appeared at Wrestlecon in Indianapolis and plans to still appear at conventions in the future.