Serena Deeb was out of the in-ring game after her Mae Young Classic appearance in 2017. She took a coaching job with WWE at the time, where she remained until 2020.
On April 15, 2020, Deeb was part of the company-wide cutbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on AEW Unrestricted, Deeb commented on her WWE release.
"It was pandemic related. I remember the day, there were a lot of people; from producers to coach to talent, that all got the call. It is what it is. It was a sign of the times of needing to cut back. I said this the other day amongst the women; it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, losing my job. This probably would not be happening right now. I don't look back on that with any type of negative feelings or anything. It is truly positive with me," she said.
Later in the interview, a fan asked Deeb if she would have left WWE had she not been fired due to the pandemic.
Deeb replied, "I thought a lot about that. I think the answer is no. I was embracing that chapter and following the path of what seemed right in my life. When I was offered the coaching job, it felt really right. I felt like it was more my time to give back in that way. It was a matter of following the path and that path seemed right for me at that time."
Deeb returned to the ring in September, appearing on AEW Dark. She signed a contract with AEW shortly after and won the NWA Women's Championship from Thunder Rosa in October.
In an interview with Steel Chair Magazine, Deeb said she hopes to bring her coaching experience to AEW as a player-coach. You can find her full comments by clicking here.
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