CJ Perry Suggests She’s Not Retired, But Says Her Biggest Value Is Promoting Talent

CJ Perry has pushed back on the belief that she’s retired from the ring, though she says that she knows her biggest value in wrestling isn’t necessarily in the ring. The former Lana stated commented after her 2021 release from WWE that saying she was retired. She appeared in AEW but only as a manager.

Perry was asked about her in-ring status on TMZ’s Inside the Ring. She noted that she was being “sarcastic” when she said she retired. She noted that she knows that her value is more in promoting talent, though she acknowledges that she misses being in front of WWE crowds. Perry later noted in the podcast that “Lana is in Siberia, waiting for the call” from Rusev. You can see highlights from the discussion below:

On Saying She’s Retired:

“I think when I said I retired, I was being very sarcastic. Well, because they let me go at 36, so I just claimed that apparently I retired at 36. But you know, I think that’s really young. I would love to wrestle again. But I do believe that my money pocket, and what I add the most value to wrestling companies, is talking and promoting their talent. And at the end of the day, we’re in the business of promotion. If you watch the McMahon documentary, if you watch Logan and Jake Paul talk about boxing and wrestling, we’re in the business of selling tickets and promoting. And that’s why Logan and Jake are so good at what they do, is because they know how to tell stories. And they know how to promote, and they know how to make it really entertaining at that. I believe I do well at those things.

And you know, Rusev? Lana knows she can help Rusev. He just needs to call.”

On If She Misses It:

“Oh my god. Are you kidding me? I miss it so much. I feel like a drug addict a little bit, you know? And it’s like, that’s the high. There’s no high and no adrenaline rush like that in the world. We have a very, very special relationship with the audience. A little bit like standup comics, because you’re out there in the middle and you can feel people. And as a heel, you know you can really dictate everything. You’re setting up for the baby face and the hero to come out there and steal the show.

“And to be able to have that connection and that relationship, and really just promote provoke emotion and put smiles on people’s faces. You know, we live in a rough world. So it’s nice to be able to have that little bit of moment of light and connection.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit TMZ Inside The Ring with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.