Major WWE name's exit from the company due to "backstage heat", says Teddy Long; discusses current star's 'demoted' role (Exclusive)

WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long recently discussed a major star's sudden departure from the Stamford-based promotion. It is none other than Carmella. Long also discussed her husband, Corey Graves' new role in the company.

For most of 2024, Corey Graves served as a commentator on both SmackDown and RAW. However, in January 2025, Graves was shifted to the company's developmental brand, NXT. This was extremely controversial as many people wondered why the star was 'demoted' from his main roster role. Although Corey has been doing an excellent job alongside Booker T and Vic Joseph in the black and silver brand, his wife, Carmella, is no longer signed with the company.

The former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion recently took to social media to confirm her departure from WWE. Carmella also said that she would soon provide details about her departure.

During the latest edition of Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine, Teddy Long said he always liked Corey Graves' work on the main roster and believed his wife, Carmella, also did a great job in the company.

Long added that he thought there might have been some backstage tension between the two parties that led to the former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion's departure.

"Well I don't really know, you know, what to say about that. I mean, as far as I know Corey Graves was doing a great job. I always liked him, you know, behind the mic. Carmella, his wife, I thought she done a great job in the ring and everything, so I really don't know what to say. Maybe there's some backstage heat that we don't know about," he said. [5:17 - 5:36]

Check out the video below:

---

Bill Apter also talked about Carmella's departure from WWE

During the same episode of The Wrestling Time Machine, Bill Apter highlighted that WWE chose not to renew Carmella's contract because the creative team might not have anything for her at the moment.

Apter also said that he believed Corey Graves was not 'demoted' from his role as he was still working on television every week.

"Regarding Carmella, her contract has expired, they're not firing her. It's expired and they've chosen not to renew it, so they don't have anything for her to do at this particular point. I'm not gonna look at this as, 'Oh well they took Corey and they demoted him.' He's still on TV, so it's not a demotion. Umm, and with Carmella, they probably just don't have a program for her at this point. They got a lot of ladies in that company," Apter said. [6:01 - 6:31]

It remains to be seen what Carmella has to say about her departure from the Stamford-based promotion.

Please embed the YouTube video and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use any quotes from this article.