Layla El is opening up about the moment she realized her WWE career was over, and according to her, the decision happened almost instantly.
Speaking with SportShadow.com, Layla revealed there was no dramatic farewell, retirement speech, or planned exit when she stepped away from WWE after nearly a decade with the company. Instead, she said years of travel, pressure, and physical exhaustion eventually caught up to her mentally.
“I think in my mind I was going to keep going and keep going… but it was just time to go both from WWE and for myself.”
Layla admitted she originally expected to continue wrestling, but one ordinary day backstage suddenly changed everything for her.
“I just was like, ‘I don’t want to do this tomorrow. I don’t want to do this. I’m done.’”
According to Layla, the realization hit while she was going through her normal routine before a show. Once she accepted how she felt, she immediately informed WWE officials she wanted out.
“I just said, ‘I’m sorry. I just want out. I want done.’ And that was it. And I flew home.”
One of the more surprising revelations was that Layla had already signed a brand-new three-year WWE contract after discussions with Vince McMahon only months earlier.
“I’d spoken to Vince… he was the one that gave me the 3 years contract which I signed.”
Despite committing to a new deal, Layla said she quickly realized she no longer wanted to continue wrestling and eventually informed talent relations executive Mark Carrano that she was finished.
Importantly, Layla stressed there was no backstage conflict or falling out that caused her departure.
“It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t anything.”
Instead, she described finally walking away as a relief after years on the road.
“It actually felt like I could just breathe.”
Layla was one of the defining personalities of WWE’s Divas Era, particularly through her LayCool partnership with Michelle McCool. While her exit may not have come with a major sendoff, her latest comments show just how emotionally draining the nonstop wrestling lifestyle had become by the end of her run.
These days, Layla says she is considering becoming more publicly active again through podcasts, social media projects, and possibly even writing a book about her experiences.
