Maria Kanellis is weighing her future.
Maria was heavily involved in the Ring of Honor women's division, getting the division back on track with Women of Honor, crowning a new women's champion, and introducing different storytelling elements such as Women's Division Wednesdays. Maria and Bobby Cruise, who helped Maria with the division, have publicly spoken about their plans for the ROH women's division when the company went on hiatus following ROH Finale Battle 2021 and was then purchased by Tony Kahn in March.
Maria ended up signing with IMPACT Wrestling once it was official that ROH would not be returning in the same capacity.
Speaking to Will Washington, Righteous Reg, & Phil Lindsey on Grapsody, Maria discussed he future in wrestling.
"I'm on a per-appearance deal with them [IMPACT Wrestling] until October 8. It's so hard to make decisions moving forward because I love what we're doing in IMPACT and I know the possibilities of where we might go with it and where I might go with it as an individual. Scott D'Amore is a fantastic boss, if I'm not in the Maria Honor No More voice [laughs]. I absolutely love what we're doing there. When [The Kingdom] won the tag titles, that meant something, especially after losing what, to me, was going to be the next ten years of my life, if not longer, Ring of Honor. I was looking at Ring of Honor like, 'Okay, this is going to be the next ten to fifteen years of my life. I'm going to run this women's division. I'm going to transition completely to the other side. I'm going to help with production. I want to move forward with taking over more responsibilities.' Then it ended, and Scott gave us an opportunity. It's really hard looking 'where do I go next?' I talked to Tony Khan, I talked to Triple H, I talk to Scott all the time. Recently, I talked to WOW [Women of Wrestling]. It's a very interesting time for me. For me, it's about creating opportunities for all of the women I'm working with now. Where does that make sense?" she pondered.
The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) won the IMPACT Tag Team Titles on the September 1 episode of IMPACT Wrestling. Taven and Bennett have been competing in the same circles since 2008 and became a regular team in ROH in 2014.
Maria continued, discussing how her heart will influence her next decision.
"Not only that but then there is the heart of me that says when Mike, my husband, went to WWE and it was his ultimate dream to be in WWE. That's all he talked about. He was a WWE person from the moment I met him. We got to WWE, and it was not the way he wanted it to go. I think, for him, there is still a part of him that thinks there is unfinished business. For me, I don't know if you guys could see it, but when [The Kingdom] won the tag team titles (in IMPACT), there were tears. They are my boys. Taven married us. I was literally standing with the both of them at my wedding going, 'you are my husband's best friend and my friend, and this is my husband, we are family.' The idea of the two of them walking out at WrestleMania and me managing them. Of course, that thought is in my mind. Then I look at AEW where they have some of the greatest tag teams in the world. Competition-wise, there is that at AEW. The fact that the boys have never gotten in there with FTR. I look at all of these things and go 'shit.' Then, where is Ring of Honor going to go? I think it's an amazing time in wrestling right now," she said.
Mike & Maria signed with WWE in 2017 but were released in April 2020.
Along with her on-screen role in IMPACT, Maria runs Women's Wrestling Army, an all-women's promotion currently airing on Pro Wrestling TV. Women's Wrestling Army will hold its next set of tapings in Chicago, IL on November 4 and 5.
Fans can check out the full interview with Maria in the video above.
