On March 29 it was announced that Charly Caruso (Charly Arnolt) would be joining ESPN on a full-time basis.
The move to ESPN full-time signaled the end of her time in WWE where she was utilized as a backstage interviewer and host of Raw Talk.
Fightful Select reported on March 17 that Caruso had "gained heat backstage after consistently being late to conduct interviews meant for Raw," noting specific instances with Randy Orton and Sheamus. PWInsider added that Caruso was not expected back on WWE television and would depart once her contract expires.
Speaking to Scott Fishman of TVInsider, Caurso was asked about the circumstances that led to her WWE departure.
"There is always going to be chatter. The contract was coming up. Instead of renewing, I’m moving on. Everyone is going to have their own opinions regardless. I never had any issues while I was at WWE. Nothing bad happened. As far as I’m concerned, I’m leaving on a positive note and beginning what I believe to be the next step in my career," she said.
When asked how her peers in WWE reacted to the news, Caruso said everyone was excited for her.
"Once I stopped coming to WWE shows a few weeks ago, knowing this move was imminent, I had a lot of people reaching out. I couldn’t tell them yet until ESPN made the announcement. Now that it’s out, everyone has been so excited for me. The biggest thing I’ve heard within WWE is, “You deserve it.” People know how passionate I am about my career. They know it’s a great thing for me, as much as it sucks not being able to see everyone every week. I know my relationship with friends will not be severed. Nia Jax and I have already tentatively planned a girls trip," stated Caruso.
Charly is set to contribute to First Take, SportsCenter, SportsNation, and co-host First Take, Her Take.as part of the ESPN family.
