Shotzi Says WWE Once Pulled Her Contract Over ‘Risky’ Photos Before AEW Made Them Reconsider

Shotzi’s journey to WWE wasn’t as smooth as fans might expect. In a recent interview, the former WWE star opened up about how the company initially rescinded her contract offer over what they considered “risky” photos online—only to change their mind months later.

She revealed the situation during her appearance on Unwrapped, sharing that she originally signed with WWE in 2018 and completed all the required medical evaluations. But despite being on the cusp of officially joining the company, things took a sudden turn.

“So, I had like a weird thing where I got signed in 2018 and then they were like, ‘Never mind.’”

Shotzi said she was crushed by the decision and believed her WWE dream was over. She explained that the issue wasn’t medical or related to wrestling skill—it was about image.

“I was just like—I was over the idea of WWE at that point. I was like, okay, I’m coming to terms that WWE is never going to sign me. I wasn’t signed because of like background check stuff. They were just like—I had like risky photos up that, which I don’t even think are that risky now, but they were just like, ‘Oh yeah, no, that’s not what we want out of our WWE superstars.’”

Thinking she had missed her shot, Shotzi went back to grinding on the indie scene—until WWE called her again out of the blue in 2019. This time, it was a completely different story.

“Then like AEW started blowing up and then they were like, ‘Actually we are going to sign you. Can you start in like two weeks?’”

By her own account, WWE suddenly reversed their stance on the so-called “risky” content.

“Not even a year later they hit me up and they were like, ‘Actually it’s not that bad.’”

Shotzi’s return to WWE in 2019 eventually led to a full run in NXT, a memorable main roster debut, and several standout appearances before her non-renewal in 2024. Her story is another example of how quickly the wrestling industry—and the company’s priorities—can change.

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