Nikki Cross spent a decade building her life inside WWE. Then suddenly, it was over—and she admits she never saw it coming.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Cross opened up about her WWE release and confirmed there was no long goodbye waiting for her at the end of the Wyatt Sicks run. The news caught her by surprise, leaving her to say goodbye to another character she’d become deeply attached to.
“It was unexpected. It was unexpected. And for every character I’ve played, whether it be SAnitY, whether it be Nikki A.S.H., even Nicky Storm, when I said goodbye to her in 2016 before I joined WWE, and Abby the Witch, you always feel—for me, I always feel attached to the character. So it’s always difficult to say goodbye.”
Abby the Witch was only part of what Cross was losing. Ten years in WWE had taken her around the world and through almost every version of Nikki Cross imaginable. There was SAnitY. Nikki A.S.H. A RAW Women’s Championship. Women’s Tag Team Titles.
Then came the Wyatt Sicks and a completely different chapter alongside Bo Dallas, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Erick Rowan. Cross said the friendships she built along the way are the part she gets to keep.
“You know, with WWE, I was there for 10 years. I got to travel the world. I got to make amazing friends, make these incredible friendships with people like Sarah Schreiber, with people like Julia. And I get to take them forever, you know? And with WWE, I was there for 10 years. So it’s always hard to say goodbye to such a substantial, significant chapter in your life.”
The Wyatt Sicks made that goodbye even harder. That could’ve left Cross staring backward for a long time. But she doesn’t want that.
“It was unexpected, and it’s always hard to say goodbye to a character and people that you’ve become, you know, so bonded with. You know, myself and Dexter and Joe Gacy, Bo Dallas and Erick Rowan. Like, we’ve shared something that I don’t know if anyone will ever be able to relate to. The five of us shared this experience. So it’s just always hard to say goodbye. But I think, I don’t want to ever look—I don’t ever want to be stuck in the past, you know? It was a great 10 years, but I’m also excited for the next 10 years.”
And she’s already started them. Cross appeared at Over The Top Wrestling’s After Dark event in July, getting involved during husband Big Damo’s tag team match and stepping back inside a wrestling ring for the first time since leaving WWE. After years of conflicting schedules, she finally got to share the ring with her husband again. Her WWE ending came without warning, but the next chapter clearly isn’t waiting around.
Where do you want to see Nikki Cross show up next now that her WWE run is behind her? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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