I’m a former WWE champion and WrestleMania star who retired at 25 after burning out – I’d love my kids to see me wrestle

WWE legend Kelly Kelly has revealed the main reason why she would love to wrestle one more time.

The beautiful blonde, who became a mum to twins in September with her bodybuilder husband Joe Coba, shot to stardom as a youngster in the wrestling business but left WWE in 2012 aged 25.

Instagram @thebarbieblank

Kelly Kelly became a superstar in WWE during the 2000s[/caption]

WWE

THe blonde beauty became Divas champion but retired from the ring aged 25[/caption]

She has since enjoyed great success as both a model and influencer after semi-retiring from the ring.

The former Divas champion Kelly – real name Barbie Blank – regularly shows off her flawless body to her 1.3 million Instagram followers.

And she has also shown how she is still in magnificent shape in her sporadic returns to WWE over recent years as she competed in the 2019, 2020 and 2022 Royal Rumbles.

Kelly even became the first woman to win the 24/7 title when pinning Gerald Brisco during her appearance on Raw Reunion in July 2019.

This week she appeared on the “Insight” podcast to discuss her incredible career – and why she retired at such a young age.

The 37-year-old said: “I just think I was on the road nonstop for six years. No injuries and the injuries that I had I was still on the road because I was still able to do things because I had a broken rib or bursa sac burst or whatever. It’s gnarly.

“You don’t want to [experience it], it’s disgusting. Like, literally, I hit it. I hit my knee. And I remember it doesn’t happen right then. It’s kind of like you feel like a little sting.

“Then like seven hours later, we were at dinner. It was like me, Eve [Torres] and the [Bella] twins. It’s in Chicago, 11 at night, we’re at dinner. And I just remember my knee getting nasty, like, so big. And I’m like, ‘You guys?’ They are like, ‘What is happening with your knee?!’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’

“I texted the Doc I’m like my knee. [He says] Oh my God get to the hotel. Literally, they had to cut me out my jeans. So what happens is it fills up with blood and pus, I guess. And it’s just like, they got to drain it. But the blood had already clot. And so he is stabbing it and he’s like, I can’t drain it, you’re gonna just have to let it disperse.

“And so my leg was bruised from the toes all the way up to you know, my butt like, just bruised. It was wild.”

Despite that injury, she still pushed ahead with her duties both in and out of the ring.

Kelly explained: “[So you are still on the road?] Still on the road. It was The Price Is Right. Bob Barker was hosting.

“And so I was like backstage and doing the thing with him that night and I had this thing on my knee, and I still had to work. I never took a weekend off. I was there.

“I just was like, ready to take a break. I think my neck had been hurting. And so they were like totally, take some time. I took a few months.

“I felt like I was ready to do more stuff outside, and girls aren’t really doing things outside of WWE, like you weren’t really getting that much stuff. And I was like, well, I want to do like modeling, I want to maybe get into some acting.

“I just remember having this conversation with Hunter. And he’s just like, look, the doors always open, just whatever. Right? And I was like, Okay, I think that there was nothing like really, there was not one thing.

“It was just like one day I had taken the time off. And I remember I got the call and they’re like, look, we’re gonna release you. But, you know, the door’s always open.

“I was happy to be at home. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just was like, kind of burnt out, and I think they could feel that. And here’s the thing with wrestling, your heart has to be in every match. If it’s not you, it’s gonna be s***. And I just wasn’t 100% in it at that time.

“Like, I just was like, I was burnt out. I was tired. I just wanted to be at home. Yeah, and I just think that was just like that moment in time, because I had worked so hard. And I was like, I just need some time.”

As mentioned, Kelly has made brief cameo returns to WWE since then.

Although a full-time run back in the company seems unlikely, she admits that she would love her son Jaxon Matthew and daughter Brooklyn Marie to watch her wrestle in person one day.

She added: “I really want my twins to see me wrestle. I think it would be so amazing when they’re like four or five.

“I don’t even know if they would still [understand], they probably would get it then. But like seeing that’s my mom and they’re sitting in the front row.

“I just remember watching Michelle McCool when she came into the Rumble and her daughter was sitting there and her daughter’s face was priceless.

“I’m like, ‘oh my gosh’, because that’s what I want. If you could just see her daughter’s eyes we’re just so big. And she was just like, ‘that’s my mom’, so proud.

“And I just want that moment for me and my twins one day for them to just be like, That’s my mom and just go out there and kick some butt for a few minutes.”

Instagram @thebarbieblank

She and husband Joe Coba welcomed twins into the world last summer[/caption]

Instagram @thebarbieblank

Kelly has enjoyed huge success as a model and influencer since wrestling[/caption]

WWE

Kelly has made sporadic returns to the ring over recent years[/caption]

Instagram

Her followers continue to love her cheeky social media snaps[/caption]