Message #9947

[nightrain]

Re: Maria's release

FORMER WWE Diva Maria Kanellis has revealed the real reason the company let her go — an argument about who owned her rights outside of wrestling.

Fans were shocked in February when Vince McMahon's company released the stunning singer and Playboy cover girl, who had just been named Diva of the Year for 2009.

But none were more taken aback than Maria and her family, especially as she didn't even have time to call her mum before the move was announced on WWE.com.

Speaking to SunSport's Rob McNichol on The One Sided Ring Podcast, Maria confessed: "It came as a big surprise to me. I was never expecting to get released from WWE that way.

"I had such a great relationship with them. I did a lot of charity work, a lot of signings and appearances. I had even just come over to the UK doing a huge tour talking about the WrestleMania Revenge Tour that's coming up.

"I can't wrestle for the rest of my life, but I would have liked to do it for five or six years.

"I had been in talks with WWE about my music, my contract was coming up and I was just trying to make sure I was protected.

"The release came as a shock, but basically it comes down to that I wanted more rights and they weren't willing to give them to me.

"It wasn't a money thing or anything like that. I think we left on good terms. It was a great experience while I was there, I love all the Divas."

Maria, 28, added: "I'm thankful to WWE and Vince McMahon for giving me so many great opportunities, but at the same time I am disappointed in how they released me.

"They didn't even give me time to call my mum.

"My mum called me, frantic, to see if I was okay — which I was, I was totally fine — but it would have been nice, instead of putting it up on the Internet 30 minutes later, waiting until Monday, letting me call my family, letting me call my friends and tell them personally."

And Maria insists that rather than being held back by her shock sacking, she is using the experience to drive herself on towards bigger and better opportunities.

She is currently starring in the US version of Celebrity Apprentice alongside Sharon Osbourne, Cyndi Lauper and former WCW and WWE champion Bill Goldberg, has an album coming out this month and is now working as a backstage interviewer for MMA group King of the Cage.

The brunette added: "I'm extremely busy. It's pretty crazy, actually.

"I'm enjoying life. I'm hoping to finish my album this summer and then I want to go on to do Dancing With the Stars this fall.

"Busy, busy, busy!"

Maria, who was once in a relationship with WWE star CM Punk, describes her forthcoming EP Sevin Sins as "rock music, twisted lyrics and sex appeal" based on her real life experiences.

Speaking about the inspirations behind her songs, she admitted: "I had so many different inspirations. I dated a guy who completely broke my heart and so used that as inspiration to start with the lyrics.

"I'm a very creative person. Writing lyrics has always been something I could focus on.

"And it's all me — I paid for everything, I wrote everything, I was co-producer on it. It's coming from me."

The Slammy Award winner is also enjoying her new reality TV career.

She was offered the role on Celebrity Apprentice thanks to its famous central figure performing a cameo on WWE's flagship show Monday Night Raw.

Maria said: "It was really cool. Donald Trump himself asked me to do the show.

"When he was at Raw he asked me if I wanted to do it and I said 'I'd love to'

"In the first episode, Sharon Osbourne is crawling underneath a table and covering her ears because Cyndi Lauper is talking about all these historic facts. It was so funny.

"Cyndi has been an idol of mine for a very long time, so working with her was incredible. But by the end of the show I never wanted to work with that woman ever again. It was just really horrible.

"Everybody was so strong. Everybody wanted to be there for their charity. That part was really cool.

"There was a funny story HOT STUFF ... Maria is set for a singing career Sharon was like 'I might be an old woman but these are six months' and she flashed me her chest, showing off her brand new boob job. It was so funny."

As for the one thing every fan wants — Maria back in wrestling in some capacity — she is never saying never.

She says no doors are closed with WWE or rival firms TNA and Ring Of Honor.

Although Maria does feel that her fellow female wrestlers in WWE are undervalued and not given adequate time and space to shine.

She moaned: "In the WWE I was a little bit stifled at times.

"I wasn't allowed to do as much as I wanted to do. I had all these great, creative ideas and was constantly entering them into the WWE creative, but I couldn't use a lot of them.

"The Divas weren't given enough time, which I think is a horrible, horrible disadvantage that the girls have. I felt like I was held back — all the time.

"If you look back at Trish Stratus or Lita, or back in the day when there was Ivory or any of the women of the past, they got a lot more time than the girls do now.

"I remember watching a match with Gail Kim and Lita the match lasted 10 minutes. On TV. It wasn't PPV or anything but they got 10 minutes.

"I wonder what would really happen if the Divas were given that much time.

"I don't know if it's that they think the Divas can't sell tickets, but I truly believe in the Divas division and always will. I think they are missing out on a lot of talent right there.

"They're not going to know what they are missing until it's gone."

Maria added: "That's one reason I'm not sad they fired me. I got eight minutes of time on an MMA show to just talk to people and that was amazing. WWE never gave me eight minutes the entire time I was there."

Listen to the full interview on Rob McNichol's "The One Sided Ring" podcast.

Sevin Sins is released exclusively on iTunes on April 13. You can listen to a preview of the music on Maria's website MariaKanellis.net

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/2926347/Maria-Kanellis-lifts-the-lid-on-her-WWE-release.html#ixzz0kgxQWiun