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AEW has bolstered its roster with several major talents this year, but it might be about to lose a veteran. Just a few days ago, ROH manager Maria Kanellis revealed that she might be departing the Jacksonville-based promotion, and she's now defending herself against accusations from fans.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett joined AEW and its sister promotion, ROH, in 2022. Early on, she managed her real-life husband, Mike Bennett, and his partner, Matt Taven, in The Kingdom. However, since splitting with the tag team last year, she's seen only minimal television time.
Maria took to X/Twitter yesterday and revealed that she would begin taking bookings and discussing her time in AEW after October 31. Some took this to mean that she would be bad-mouthing the company, but Kanellis defended herself from that accusation, as well as the idea that she is injury-prone, today on X:
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"I haven't said anything. My contract is coming up. I am proactive with my career. I am worried about my surgery and need to plan. I have never taken time off for injuries. Never in 20 years. Last year I had thyroid surgery for a disease and was back the next week. I’ve worked pregnant, post-postpartum, and in casts. During the pandemic with a new baby I ran the @ringofhonor women’s division with a mask on. Don’t question my work ethic. Maybe your anger should be towards the people that just don’t show up," Kanellis wrote.
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Maria Kanellis gives scary health update amid uncertain AEW status
Outside of a batch of releases in April of this year—one of which was quickly rectified—AEW President Tony Khan generally allows underutilized talent to ride out their contracts. It seems that might be the case with Maria Kanellis, who recently revealed that she hasn't heard anything from the promotion.
Kanellis has been battling health issues and is set to undergo surgery soon. She took to Instagram a few days ago to express her anxiety over her current health situation as well as her contract status:
"Update!! Don’t know if it’s cancer. Dont know if it’s genetic. Don’t know if I will be working for AEW. I have zero answers but I have this stick and it will make my kids happy," she wrote.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett is an experienced veteran with a history in WWE, TNA, and ROH. It's unclear what the future holds for the 42-year-old, but it stands to reason that she'll be able to find her footing if she does indeed depart All Elite Wrestling.
