During a recent appearance on the Lightweights Podcast, Chelsea Green reveals WWE release warning from husband Matt Cardona, sharing how he informed her just minutes before she received the official call from WWE in 2021. This early notification allowed Green to gather herself and plan her response to the sudden change in her wrestling career.
A Timely Warning from Matt Cardona
Green recounted that Matt Cardona, her husband and fellow wrestler, reached out to her only moments before she was released.
“Matt called me, like, three minutes before I was fired, and said, ‘You’re about to get fired.’ I don’t know how,”
Green revealed. This brief advance notice, she said, proved crucial in preparing herself emotionally and mentally.
“I’m so glad he did, because it just gave me a split second in my kitchen… to, like, regroup, and be like, ‘How am I gonna handle this?’”
—Chelsea Green, WWE Star
Preparing for Life After WWE
Instead of feeling helpless, Green used the warning as motivation to take immediate action and think seriously about her future outside WWE.
“I immediately wrote down all the companies that I had not been able to get to before I got signed the first time. So that was like Ring of Honor and NWA,”
she explained. This proactive approach helped her begin charting out her potential opportunities as she contemplated her next moves on the independent circuit and beyond.
Negotiating for an Early Release and New Opportunities
Taking her planning a step further, Green contacted WWE and requested an early release from her contract so she could join the indies sooner rather than later.
“Then I called WWE back and asked if I could be released from my contract early. So usually we have, you know, 90 days. I asked if I could be released, I believe, like on day 60 or 70, and forego my pay so I could get onto the indies earlier than the group… WWE said yes.”
—Chelsea Green, WWE Star
After receiving approval, Green worked the independent wrestling circuit, including appearances with Ring of Honor and NWA, notably making the most of her time away from WWE. She returned to WWE in 2023 and has since had a successful run, which includes winning the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
Looking Back on a Pivotal Career Moment
Chelsea Green’s experience, marked by her husband Matt Cardona’s timely warning, demonstrates the importance of being prepared for sudden changes in the wrestling industry. Her story also highlights how quick thinking and decisive action can open doors when navigating career setbacks. As her return and championship win show, Green’s ability to regroup and plan ahead proved vital to her ongoing journey with WWE.
