Layla Explains Her Decision to Quit WWE in 2015

Former WWE Women’s Champion Layla recently opened up about her decision to quit WWE and step away from pro wrestling in 2015.

The former English pro wrestler was a part of WWE from 2006 to 2015, during which she won the Divas Championship and the Women’s Championship. Her pairing with WWE Hall of Famer Michelle McCool, i.e., LayCool, was extremely popular among fans.

During a recent appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Layla spilled the beans on her decision to walk away from WWE and pro wrestling in general.

Below are the highlights:

Layla on why she decided to quit WWE in 2015

“If you look back, for me, I started in 2006, so I was there for nine years, and I’ve been traveling. 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 traveling 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 and 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.’”

On whether she had been considering quiting for a while

“No, I just literally [decided], honestly. Vince actually signed me to a new contract, and I don’t know, I just woke up and I was just like, it’s just time.”

On the company’s reaction when she sought her release

“I had to wait because I left. I didn’t even stay that day. I was just like, guys, I’m done.”

On her decision to disappear from the public eye completely

“Honestly, after being there for nine years, it became my identity. So, for me, it was a decision that Layla, you’re not this person; you’re Layla. So, I really just wanted to come back to be me, instead of being Layla, WWE Diva, that kind of thing, and that’s the problem. Would it have been better if I had had a stage name like most wrestlers do? That might have been a bit better, but I think when you’re going by your own name, sometimes there’s a line, and I think for me that line was crossed around 2012. It got to the point where it was blurred. The line was blurred for me personally, and it was just good to step away from that.”

Listen to her comments below:

In a separate interview, Layla El revealed her current favorite WWE female stars. You can check her comment HERE.