Kacy Catanzaro is not preparing for an immediate return to professional wrestling, but she has not closed the door on a future comeback that could bring her back together with former WWE tag team partner Lacey Lane in AEW or Ring of Honor.
Catanzaro has been away from the ring since the April 18, 2025 episode of SmackDown. A few weeks after that appearance, WWE released Catanzaro and her longtime partner Kayden Carter. Carter has since taken on the name Lacey Lane, creating understandable interest in whether the two could eventually reconnect outside WWE.
Asked directly about the prospect of joining Lane in AEW or ROH, Catanzaro made clear that there is nothing currently in motion. At the same time, she did not frame her exit from wrestling as permanent.
“For right now, it’s not a thing. But I’m also a never say never person. For me, I was ready to let my wrestling journey take a break in that moment and see where life wanted to take me after that. Never say never.”
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That answer offers a measured update rather than a declaration of retirement or a tease of an imminent signing. Catanzaro’s position is that she needed space from wrestling following her WWE departure, and there is no indication that she is presently headed to AEW, ROH, or another promotion. Still, her willingness to leave open the possibility of returning will keep attention on what comes next for the former WWE performer.
A Break Rather Than a Firm Goodbye
Catanzaro’s wording is important because it separates a current absence from a definitive decision to end her wrestling career. She said she was ready to put her wrestling journey on pause and find out where life would lead after that point. That is a notably different stance from announcing that she is done in the ring for good.
The practical takeaway is simple: fans should not read her comments as confirmation of an AEW or ROH move, but they also should not treat her time away as an absolute final chapter. “Never say never” has long been a familiar phrase in wrestling because circumstances can change quickly, particularly for talent who have maintained relationships with fans and possess an established identity from national television exposure.
For Catanzaro, any decision to return would apparently need to come at the right time personally as much as professionally. Her comments do not identify a timetable, a preferred destination, or active talks with another company. They instead underline that she is allowing herself the freedom to evaluate her future away from the weekly demands of the wrestling schedule.
That patience is central to the story. There is often immediate speculation when a recognizable WWE name becomes available, especially when a former partner has moved into the wider AEW/ROH landscape. Catanzaro, however, has directly said that a reunion is not a current reality. The possibility exists only as a future option she is unwilling to dismiss.
Why a Reunion With Lacey Lane Draws Interest
Catanzaro and Carter were closely associated as a team during their WWE run, and their partnership gave each wrestler an established connection in the women’s tag division. Carter’s return to the Lacey Lane name naturally makes a potential reunion a subject of conversation now that Catanzaro is no longer under WWE contract.
A reunion would carry built-in familiarity. The two were known to viewers as partners, and their shared history would not need extensive explanation if they were ever to appear together again. Whether that could happen in AEW or ROH remains entirely uncertain, but Catanzaro’s response shows that she has at least considered the question rather than rejecting it outright.
There is also a broader reason the idea resonates. Tag teams and established pairings can provide immediate direction when wrestlers enter a new environment. In Catanzaro and Lane’s case, their history could offer a natural foundation, but it would still depend on Catanzaro deciding that she wants to resume wrestling. That decision has not been made publicly.
Lane’s name change is another meaningful detail in the discussion. Fans who followed the pair in WWE knew her as Kayden Carter, while the Lacey Lane name reflects a different stage of her career. If the two were to cross paths again, it would be a reunion between performers with a shared past but potentially new opportunities and identities outside the company where they became an established team.
For now, though, the pairing remains an idea rather than a confirmed plan. Catanzaro did not suggest that a debut, appearance, match, or contract is being arranged. Her answer was deliberately grounded in the present: she is taking a break.
Catanzaro Says She Misses the Crowd Connection
While Catanzaro is not ready to announce a return, she did identify one part of wrestling that she misses: the relationship between the performer and the audience. She spoke about the emotional atmosphere of being in the ring with fans reacting in real time and backing the talent in front of them.
“I feel like, honestly, the fans. I miss having those moments where you’re in the ring, you can feel them there with you, them supporting you, whatever that might be. Those interactions, even if they’re small, when you’re out there on TV, like I missed that environment of having the crowd with you and having them there.”
That comment does not change her answer about a return not being a current plan, but it does show that the parts of wrestling that matter to her remain clear. Catanzaro specifically pointed to the feeling of live fan support, the smaller interactions that can happen on television, and the distinctive energy of performing in front of a crowd.
For many wrestlers, that audience connection is difficult to replicate elsewhere. The response of a live building can shape a match, a character, and even the memory of a particular moment. Catanzaro’s comments suggest that she still values that shared experience, even while choosing to step back from the business at this stage of her life.
It is also notable that she did not focus solely on major matches or career accomplishments. Instead, she highlighted the atmosphere around the ring and the personal connection with supporters. That perspective helps explain why a future return is not impossible despite her current break. Missing the fan experience does not necessarily mean a comeback is near, but it can be a meaningful part of why someone remains open to one.
What Is Known and What Remains Uncertain
The confirmed timeline is straightforward. Catanzaro’s last match took place on the April 18, 2025 edition of SmackDown. She was released by WWE a few weeks later alongside Carter. Carter has since adopted the Lacey Lane name. Catanzaro is currently not wrestling, and she says joining Lane in AEW or ROH is not something happening right now.
Beyond that, there are more questions than answers. Catanzaro has not announced a return date. She has not announced that she is retired. She has not said that she has signed with AEW, ROH, or any other promotion. And she has not indicated that a reunion with Lane is currently being planned.
What she has done is leave the door open. In a business where careers can shift rapidly, that is enough to make any future development worth watching. Her remarks present a balanced picture: Catanzaro is taking time away because that was what she felt she needed, yet she remains open-minded about where her wrestling journey could lead later.
Until she decides otherwise, the focus remains on her time away from the ring. But with Lacey Lane continuing the next stage of her own career and Catanzaro still missing the connection that comes with performing for fans, the possibility of their paths crossing again cannot be completely ruled out.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.