On a recent edition of the “Insight” podcast, former WWE talent Steph De Lander discussed her release from WWE, noting that she didn’t enjoy her time in NXT.
De Lander was signed to a WWE developmental contract in March 2021. She was released in April 2022.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On her WWE release: “I knew it got to a point where I wasn’t motivated, I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing. And I knew continuing to work through that and wrestle while I was in that mindset was actually going to be detrimental to my career because I didn’t want to start putting out work that I wasn’t proud of. And I knew my mind wasn’t right. So I kind of took a tactical break of like, six months, take a step back, recalibrate, figure out what it is that you want out of this. And also, I had to find my love for wrestling again. Getting released was such a big shock to the system. And it did take quite a while to go through all of those emotions. And I didn’t feel like I could process that while I was wrestling. I had to really step back, miss it, learn to love it. And then that’s kind of what happened over that period of time. I had the time and the clarity to sit down and really figure out who I wanted to be. And I think that really helped kickstart this amazing run that I’ve had.”
On her partnership with Matt Cardona: “That’s something that we talk about all the time, we’ve been speaking about it the last few weeks, winding down the year and going into the next year. I think it’s common for everyone to get a little bit reflective. But we’ve both kind of been sitting here going wow, like we had such an amazing year. What are we doing next year to top this? Because if you’re not going up, you start going down. So we’re already brainstorming about certain places we want to go that we haven’t wrestled at yet. Different countries we want to go to, what can we add to our act? What can we maximize for our social media? What can we be doing more of? He and I are always thinking of what’s next and what we can be doing more of and we’re never getting complacent. And I think that’s why this pairing has worked so well. Because it’s not one person steering the ship and dragging the other person along. It is very equal, we are both super motivated. And we’re also both motivating each other.”
On a possible WWE return: “I think that’s definitely the end goal, but it’s not like I’m rushing to get there. And I think when I had that mentality switch, that’s when things started coming together for me too. Because when I first got released, the first thing I did was I texted Matt Bloom, I said, How do I get my job back? And I got him on the phone, I said, What do I need to do? And I spent the next couple of weeks like what’s going on? How do we undo this? And then I thought about and I would dream about it all the time, and it was this unhealthy obsession with all I want to do is get back there. And then once I kind of let go of that, and I made peace with what I was doing. I realized if I do the indies begrudgingly, and I do it dragging my feet, and I do it not really enjoying it, always looking to the next thing, I’m not going to have fun, and I’m not going to put out my best work. So I kind of had to pack up that WWE box and put it away and really focus on what I was doing. And then have the faith and know that if I do what I need to do, and I work really hard and I commit fully to this. The end result will be I be getting new interest from WWE and from elsewhere, which I have, because of how hot our act is.”
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Former WWE talent Steph De Lander recently opened up about her release from the company and her time in NXT. In a podcast interview, De Lander revealed that she didn’t enjoy her time in NXT and felt it was necessary to take a break from wrestling to recalibrate and find her love for the sport again.
De Lander signed a developmental contract with WWE in March 2021 but was released in April 2022. She explained that she reached a point where she wasn’t motivated and wasn’t enjoying what she was doing. Recognizing that continuing to wrestle in that mindset would be detrimental to her career, she decided to take a tactical break of six months.
During this break, De Lander took the time to reflect on what she wanted out of her wrestling career and rediscover her passion for the sport. She acknowledged that getting released from WWE was a shock to her system, and it took a while for her to process her emotions. Stepping back from wrestling allowed her to miss it and learn to love it again, which ultimately kickstarted an amazing run for her.
De Lander also discussed her partnership with fellow wrestler Matt Cardona. She emphasized that they both constantly strive to improve and never become complacent. They brainstorm ideas for their act, plan to wrestle in different countries, and explore ways to maximize their presence on social media. Their equal motivation and support for each other have contributed to the success of their pairing.
When asked about a possible WWE return, De Lander expressed that it is definitely her end goal but not something she is rushing towards. Initially, she had an unhealthy obsession with getting back to WWE after her release. However, she realized that if she approached independent wrestling begrudgingly and without enjoyment, she wouldn’t produce her best work. By focusing on her current endeavors and committing fully to them, she has gained new interest from WWE and other promotions due to the success of her act with Cardona.
In conclusion, Steph De Lander’s release from WWE and her time in NXT were challenging experiences for her. However, she used the opportunity to take a break, rediscover her passion for wrestling, and find success in her career. Her partnership with Matt Cardona has been instrumental in her growth, and while a WWE return is her ultimate goal, she is focused on making the most of her current opportunities.