Steve Carrier on March 5, 2026
Steph De Lander is finally revealing the full story behind her exit from TNA — and according to her, the decision came after the company refused to let her wrestle again despite being medically cleared.
While speaking on TMZ’s Inside the Ring on March 5, 2026, De Lander addressed the controversy surrounding her departure and explained that the situation stemmed from a serious neck injury and multiple surgeries she kept mostly private.
De Lander revealed that she actually underwent two neck surgeries, even though fans were only aware of one at the time. According to her, the procedures were performed by WWE’s spinal surgeon, and she was eventually cleared to compete again.
“So basically, I’ve had a neck injury for a while and I actually had two neck surgeries, and no one knows that. I only posted about one, but I actually had two. My surgeon wanted to put a little more hardware in there.”
After recovering, De Lander said she began pitching storylines to prepare for her in-ring return in TNA. But instead of moving forward with the comeback, she received a phone call informing her that the promotion was not comfortable allowing her to wrestle again.
“But I’m fully recovered and fully healed. I actually went to WWE’s spinal surgeon to do the surgeries, and I got cleared a few weeks ago. So I had been pitching storylines and working toward my in-ring return with TNA.”
According to De Lander, the final conversation happened when a company executive contacted her directly.
“Carlos called me on Monday and said, ‘Look, we’re just not comfortable with you wrestling.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m literally fully cleared.’ He said, ‘Yeah, we’re not into it. Then I asked him if he even knew what my injury was, and he didn’t. He couldn’t tell me what my injury was.’”
De Lander said that moment made it clear there was no path forward with the company. She chose to leave TNA, and her husband — wrestler Mance Warner — followed her out in solidarity. She also claimed that the decision did not come after a full medical evaluation by TNA.
“So yeah, it definitely feels like it’s based on personal feelings. I haven’t been evaluated by any medical professional on the TNA side. They have a chiropractor at the shows and maybe one other doctor who I’ve barely spoken with. They haven’t reviewed my medical history, contacted my surgeon, or looked at any of my medical records. They just made a personal decision, and that’s where things are now.”
The situation originally surfaced when reports noted both De Lander and Mance Warner had quit the promotion following a dispute over her in-ring clearance. Bottom line — De Lander says she’s fully healthy and ready to wrestle again, but TNA wasn’t willing to take that risk.
Where do you think Steph De Lander should wrestle next now that she’s cleared to compete again? Let us know your thoughts.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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