Former WWE Women’s Champion Layla has explained why she didn’t return to the company, even if it was just for a cameo appearance.
Layla had her final match at a house show in July 2015, but has not been in a ring since. In the 11 years that followed, women’s wrestling has come on leaps and bounds with the division being granted more opportunities at major events such as Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank with their own matches.
That being said, WWE has regularly given odds to its past with legends coming back for one more run or having cameos in Royal Rumble matches. However, despite her former tag partner Michelle McCool having multiple entries in the Rumble and a Hall of Fame induction, Layla has remained off TV.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, the former Women’s and Divas Champion stated that she was invited for something back in 2021, but she was pregnant at that point:
“Yeah, actually, I got invited to a couple of [things]. I can’t remember exactly which ones, but the last time I think they invited me was in 2021, but I was pregnant.”
Layla chose to keep her pregnancy secret at that time.
Would Layla Come Back For One More WWE Match?
With legends such as The Bellas, Trish Stratus and Lita all coming back over the past few years, some have wondered if a LayCool reunion could be possible. Addressing this possibility, Layla admitted that it could happen, but ruled out a singles run:
“No, I’m too old, and I’m out of shape. I can’t say never, because I feel like if there was ever an opportunity for Michelle and I to do something like LayCool or something like that, of course. But not a run or anything. But if there was ever that opportunity, I think that would be so wrong of me not to do that. So to me, that would be the only thing I think I would come back for. But am I trying to have a match or anything like that right now? No. Sorry, no one wants to see it. I don’t want to embarrass myself, I don’t want to tarnish what I’ve had in my past career, kind of thing. So if I never come back, then I’ll just rather leave it the way it was.”
Layla also admitted that while a solo Hall of Fame induction was unlikely, she may get inducted as part of LayCool down the road.
Originally leaving the company in 2015, Layla stated that 9 years of full time travel played a part in her exit:
“If you look back, for me, I started in 2006, so I was there for nine years, and I’ve been travelling. I was never a part-time talent, I was always full-time, and we worked a lot at that time. I just was like, I’m 38, what am I gonna do? My looks, you get to the point, you don’t look the same, and I’m getting tired and worn out from just travelling all the time, stuff like that. Where was there really for me to go? I kind of did everything, and they were coming in with the new girls, younger, fresh. So I just was like, it’s just time to go. Then that’s what I did. I just made up my mind one day, I went in, and I just asked, ‘Can I have my release, please? I just want to go.'”
Featured image: WWE
