Candice Michelle believes too many wrestlers let ego get in the way after leaving WWE, and during a conversation with TMZ’s Inside the Ring, she explained why talent today actually have far more opportunities than wrestlers had during her generation.
While discussing wrestlers rebuilding themselves in promotions like TNA Wrestling, Candice said many people fail to appreciate how much the wrestling business has changed for the better over the last two decades.
“I think first being grateful because back when I was wrestling, if you got released, you didn’t have many other options, right? And nowadays there are a lot of options. So applause to the wrestling business that now there’s three national wrestling companies, including TNA, where you can go and have a job and explore what rebranding looks like, or your character in a different way.”
Candice said the biggest issue she sees is wrestlers becoming obsessed with hanging onto the top spot forever instead of understanding how wrestling careers naturally move in cycles. She then shared advice she once received from John Cena that completely changed the way she views the business.
“John Cena taught me something really valuable about wrestling. He said wrestling is like a circle, and you can’t always be on top, and you’re not always on the bottom.”
Candice continued by explaining that some wrestlers damage themselves creatively because they refuse to evolve once their position starts changing.
“Some people want to like white-knuckle the top, you know, they’re like, ‘No, I’m the champion forever.’ And I’m like, no, we’re not going to cheer for you forever. So scooch down the circle.”
She also believes wrestlers often grow the most when things stop going perfectly for them.
“When they’re at the bottom, like, you learn the most, you grow the most, you fight the most, and it’s a beautiful cycle.”
With WWE releases happening constantly across the wrestling industry, Candice Michelle’s comments offer an interesting perspective from someone who has now experienced the business both as an in-ring performer and as a backstage producer helping talent reinvent themselves.
Do you think more wrestlers struggle with ego after leaving WWE, or do fans underestimate how difficult that transition really is? Let us know in the comments.
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