Carmella has discussed her delayed call-up to the WWE main roster.
The night after WrestleMania 32, The Dudley Boyz were interrupted by Enzo Amore and Big Cass as the tag team made their debut on Monday Night Raw. With a packed Dallas arena yelling Enzo’s catchphrase in unison, the duo quickly became one of the most popular acts on the main roster and were frequently put into matches and segments with the top stars such as John Cena and AJ Styles.
Although the act received a great ovation, fans of Enzo and Cass’ work in NXT pointed out that Carmella was not with them despite being aligned with the duo in developmental. Instead, the future Miss Money in the Bank would be called up to SmackDown in the 2016 Draft while Enzo and Cass stayed on Raw.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, the former Women’s Champion admitted that she was devastated when she was told by Triple H that she would not be joining Enzo and Cass but added that everything worked out in the end:
“We were at WrestleMania 32. I guess Triple H had talked to Enzo and Cass separately and told them they’re debuting the next night on Raw. And they were talks about it because we had done tours together, we had done loops, and I was with them. So I thought okay, well when they go up, of course I’m going up with them.
So when I found out that Triple H had talked to them and someone came and pulled me off the bus we were about to leave. It was TakeOver I think, I don’t even remember what we’re doing. But I was pulled off the bus. We’re about to head back to the hotel, Triple H wants to talk to you. I’m like, oh yeah, we’re debuting tomorrow! I was so excited.
He pulled me and he’s like, Enzo and Cass are debuting tomorrow. And I’m like, yeah, he’s like, you’re not going to debut with them. My world just came crashing down, I was devastated in the moment. But now I look back and he had told me this is a good opportunity for you to prove who you are on your own. You’re going to be a strong character, you don’t need to be with them. You’re going to be strong on your own. At the time, of course, it was devastating to hear but it all worked out I think the way it’s supposed to. And here I am 11 years later still here and killing it.”
When Will Carmella Return?
Last on WWE TV in March 2023, Carmella has been away from the ring as she and her partner Corey Graves welcomed their first child into the world. When asked about making a return, Carmella stated she is dealing with drop foot as a result of childbirth and the return date still remains unknown.
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