Carmella Says She Is Retired From Pro Wrestling

While she has not made an official announcement, Carmella (AKA Leah Van Dale) referred to herself as "retired" from professional wrestling during the latest episode of her Hot Mom Sh!t podcast.

Carmella discussed What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Hotter with author Laura Clery on the podcast, and during a reflection upon her marriage to Corey Graves, Van Dale stated:

"I related a little bit to, like, in your book and you're saying like, 'Our dates are half romance, half business planning.' We did that. Luckily I'm retired now, so it's definitely a little bit different. So, yeah, we met at work. I was a professional wrestler. I can't wrestle anymore. I'm a mom, I have kids."  

Carmella has not wrestled since March 2023 when she stepped away from pro wrestling to give birth to her and Corey Graves' first child. Carmella suffered drop foot following the pregnancy, and she exited WWE without returning to TV in February of 2025 upon the expiration of her contract. Graves and Van Dale welcomed their second child in October 2025.

The daughter of pro wrestler Paul Van Dale, Carmella signed with WWE in 2013 and she was utilised in NXT as a wrestler and the on-screen manager of Big Cass and Enzo Amore. Carmella moved to the main roster in 2016 and she would go on to become the inaugural Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match winner, a one-time SmackDown Women's Champion, and a one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with Zelina Vega. Carmella also won season two of Mixed Match Challenge with R-Truth.

With her in-ring retirement, Carmella's final match was a 10-woman tag team match at a WWE house show at Madison Square Garden on March 12, 2023, as she, Damage CTRL, and Piper Niven lost to Asuka, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Nikki Cross, and Candice LeRae. Carmella's final televised match was a WWE Raw loss to Bianca Belair on March 6, 2023.

Cultaholic Wrestling extends its best wishes to Carmella in her retirement.

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