Raquel Rodriguez Admits She Contemplated Retirement During Health Crisis

Raquel Rodriguez had to deal with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome for a long time, which ended up costing her several months of her career. In fact, Rodriguez has now admitted that she contemplated retirement during her health struggles.

While speaking on The Takedown, Raquel Rodriguez was asked whether she contemplated retirement during her WWE hiatus. Rodriguez admitted that she did contemplate retiring from wrestling during her time away from WWE due to health issues.

Rodriguez talked about how hard it was to go from being busy with shows, traveling, interviews, and appearances to suddenly doing nothing. Wrestling had been her dream since she was a little girl, and it was a big part of her life.

Rodriguez added that the break made her think about what she would do if she couldn’t wrestle anymore. Even though she believed she could overcome her challenges, she knew she needed a backup plan. It also reminded her that wrestling wouldn’t last forever because of the toll it takes on the body. The experience felt like a breakup with wrestling, and it made her reflect on life outside the ring.

“Oh, yeah, 100%. I think that’s the position any athlete, fighter, or wrestler finds themselves in when they get injured or taken out. All of a sudden, you’re so busy—you’ve got Raw, SmackDown, you’re on the road, you’ve got interviews and appearances—and then it just stops.

For a moment, you’re like, ‘I’ve been doing this for so many years. This is what I’ve worked for; this has been my dream. And now, it’s just… gone. What do I do? What’s next?’ I think that’s the hardest part for a lot of us—struggling with what comes next.

I had to think about it for almost a year. I told myself, ‘Okay, I’m not going to say it’s completely over because I feel like I can get through this and get back to it. But I do need to have an idea of what I’m going to do if it doesn’t work out.’

It gave me a new perspective—not just about wrestling, but also about my real life and what I want to do outside of wrestling. Wrestling is the best thing ever; I love it. It’s been my dream since I was a little girl, watching my dad do it. But I know I can’t do it forever. My body won’t let me do it forever.

So, yeah, it definitely gave me a lot to think about. You do get that fear, like, ‘This has been my rock for years—my life, my everything. What am I going to do now?’ It felt like having a breakup with wrestling—but not fully. And I thought, ‘This might be harder than a real breakup.’ I don’t know, you know?”

That’s not all, as Rodriguez even faced backlash for not wearing makeup during her match at Elimination Chamber. Regardless, Rodriguez is healthy again and is looking forward to having a long and successful career as a WWE Superstar now, and fans wouldn’t want it any other way.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

Does Raquel Rodriguez’s resilience inspire you, or do you think athletes should focus more on their long-term health over their careers? Let us know in the comments below.