Zayda Steel Reveals Real Reason Behind WWE ID Exit

Zayda Steel isn’t holding anything back — because now we know exactly why she walked away from WWE and ended up in AEW.

The 22-year-old star opened up in a March 19, 2026 appearance on AEW Unrestricted, finally explaining the real reason behind her decision to leave her WWE ID deal — and it had nothing to do with opportunity. It was about losing her passion. She made it clear the moment things stopped feeling right, she knew she had to step away.

“I chose to walk away from my previous employment. I’m on my own journey. I want to be with people that love it as much as I do.”

Zayda then got deeper into it — explaining that wrestling, which once felt like her escape, started to feel like something else entirely. That’s when things hit a breaking point. She admitted she was losing both herself and her connection to wrestling — and that’s what pushed her to make the call.

“I love wrestling, and this is my escape from reality. And once I started to feel like my only escape was work, and I started to not like it and not have fun, I knew I needed to change. I always want to love this, so I chose to walk away and focus on my mental health. I was losing myself and my love for wrestling, so I knew I needed to do my own thing.”

Then came the twist. Just days after publicly announcing she was leaving WWE, Zayda got a call that changed everything — directly from AEW President Tony Khan. That moment clearly stood out to her — especially how much Khan already knew about her work.

“Tony Khan called me five days after I tweeted. This guy watches everything — he knew everything I did, what I’ve done. I was like, some of my best friends don’t even know what I’ve done. I was like, yeah, this guy is as crazy as I am.”

And even though the call was short, Zayda Steel says it was exactly what she needed to hear: “The phone call was exactly six minutes, but that phone call was what I needed.”

Zayda didn’t just leave WWE for a new opportunity — she walked away to rediscover her passion, and AEW stepped in at the right time. Now, this isn’t just about a move between companies — it’s about a reset, and if everything she’s saying lines up, AEW might end up getting a version of Zayda Steel that’s more focused, more driven, and fully locked in again.

Do you think Zayda Steel will thrive more in AEW after this decision, or could leaving WWE so early come back to haunt her? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback below.

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