Madison Rayne reveals why she didn't sign with NXT/WWE.
When Rayne was announced as one of the participants in the 2018 Mae Young Classic, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that she was WWE bound. Rayne had a very successful run in IMPACT Wrestling, winning the Knockouts Title on five occasions. She had also wrestled in SHIMMER and ROH before her appearance in the Mae Young Classic.
In a surprise, Rayne signed a one-year deal with ROH to compete in their Women of Honor division. Speaking to Chuck Carroll of CBS Pittsburgh, Rayne revealed that location kept her from signing with WWE.
"I understand that they have a system that they put their talent through, regardless of whether you’ve never taken one bump, or you’ve been wrestling for many years, and that system starts in Orlando. While wrestling is still very, very important to me, being a mother and being a wife, those two things are greatly more important," said Rayne. "There was never that definitive conversation, but just given the fact that I knew and I never wanted there to be any gray area in my communication with WWE, and I made it clear that I could and would not be willing to relocate, I think that probably kind of settled the question there as far as whether or not a contract with WWE was going to be in my future."
Rayne currently resides in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, IMPACT Wrestling announcer Josh Matthews, and their child. Rayne is scheduled to team with Britt Baker against The Twisted Sisterz at ROH: Steel City Excellence on Saturday. The following night, in her hometown of Columbus, Rayne and Baker will meet in singles competition.
