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WWE Legend Confirms Retirement At 40
WWE legend Lana, aka CJ Perry, is officially retired.
Lana began her WWE career in 2013, primarily as a manager for Rusev. In the later years of her run in WWE, she transitioned into a wrestler. Her last match before her release took place on May 31, 2021, where she teamed with Naomi to take on the duo of Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose. Two days later, on June 2, 2021, WWE released her as part of cost-cutting measures during the pandemic.
WWE Star Lana Retired From The Ring In 2021
Speaking on the latest episode of the Unwrapped podcast hosted by former WWE star Sonya Deville (Daria Berenato) and her wife, Toni Berenato, Lana, who is currently 40 years old, confirmed she has retired from the ring. She said:
“I got signed in 2013, and then I apparently retired in 2021. Apparently retired. [Was it contract expiration? Was it?] No, it was.. I actually had three more years on my contract. [So, you got released.] Yeah, I got released. I was on a 5-year contract. I covered two, which was such a great blessing because I was on a higher-paying tier, which was so awesome. [But you were killing it.] Yeah. But it got cut short.” (From 3:25)
Following her departure from the Stamford-based promotion, she joined AEW in September 2023, debuting at All Out 2023, initially managing husband Miro and briefly Andrade El Idolo. Her last appearance in Tony Khan’s promotion was at Worlds End in 2023. She confirmed her AEW departure in July 2024.
In 2025, Lana signed a WWE Legends contract. This primarily covers licensing, promotional, and special appearance duties rather than active wrestling. While Lana is away from WWE TV, her real-life husband, Rusev (aka Miro), is being consistently featured in the company’s weekly programming.
In fact, on last week’s edition of Monday Night RAW, which took place in Boston, The Bulgarian Brute defeated Damian Priest in the first round of John Cena’s Last Time Is Now Tournament.
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