Tay Melo has been removed from AEW’s official roster page, a significant development that indicates her nearly six-year association with the company has likely come to an end.
Neither Melo nor AEW has publicly issued a formal statement confirming her departure. Still, her absence from the promotion’s roster listing follows a release request that became public earlier in the summer, making the website change a strong indication that AEW has completed the process of parting ways with the Brazilian wrestler.
The development would leave Melo free to consider the next stage of her wrestling career if her release has indeed been finalized. It also closes an important chapter for a performer who arrived in AEW in 2020, grew considerably as an in-ring talent during her early run, and became a familiar figure in the company’s women’s division both as a singles wrestler and alongside Anna Jay.
Release Request Had Already Been Confirmed
Melo’s roster-page removal does not arrive without context. Earlier in the summer, it was reported that she had asked AEW for her release. AEW President Tony Khan subsequently addressed the situation during a press scrum after Melo and Anna Jay challenged Divine Dominion for the AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship.
For more background on this topic, read Kyle Fletcher Admits Nerves Are Higher for AEW World Title Clash With Will Ospreay.
Khan confirmed at that time that Melo had sought her release. He said she had expressed a desire to step away from wrestling, while also making clear that he intended to honor the request.
That characterization was later complicated by Melo herself, who told a fan that she was not retired. The distinction is important: asking to leave a particular promotion and retiring from professional wrestling are not necessarily the same thing. Melo’s removal from the AEW site may point to the end of her contractual relationship with the company, but it does not establish that she has ended her in-ring career.
Until either side comments publicly, there remains no official declaration of her status. However, the sequence of events is notable. Melo requested her release, Khan said he intended to grant it, and she is now no longer featured among AEW’s active roster members.
A Long Road From WWE to AEW
Before becoming Tay Melo, she began her national wrestling career in WWE under the name Tay Conti. Her combat-sports background was a defining part of her presentation from the outset. Melo holds black belts in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, credentials that gave her a legitimate athletic foundation as she transitioned into professional wrestling.
She spent four years in WWE’s NXT system, developing within an environment that introduced her to a wider wrestling audience. Her WWE tenure ended in early 2020 when she was released during the roster reductions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
That departure quickly led to a new opportunity. By August 2020, Melo was working with AEW, and the company officially announced her signing the following month. The move proved pivotal for her development. While she had shown athletic potential in WWE, her AEW run gave her greater room to evolve, particularly in high-profile women’s matches and tag team settings.
Melo never captured a championship in AEW, but title reigns alone do not define a wrestler’s impact. She emerged as a consistently visible presence in the women’s division and earned recognition for the progress she made after joining the company. Her matches often leaned into the physicality of her judo and jiu-jitsu background, while her increasing confidence helped establish her as a credible challenger in a growing division.
Notable AEW Moments and TayJay
One of Melo’s most notable singles opportunities came when she challenged Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Although she did not win the title, the match was an important measuring stick in her AEW journey and underscored the company’s willingness to position her against one of its leading women’s champions.
Her strongest identity in AEW may have come through her partnership with Anna Jay. Together, the pair became known as TayJay, with their friendship and chemistry helping make the team a recurring part of AEW programming. Their work created a clear connection with viewers and offered a central pairing around which the women’s tag scene could develop.
Their most recent major storyline point came in the aforementioned AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship match against Divine Dominion. The loss preceded the public confirmation that Melo had requested her release. In hindsight, that match now stands as an especially meaningful moment in the closing stretch of her AEW tenure.
For Jay, Melo’s apparent departure also marks the end of an established on-screen partnership. Teams change frequently in wrestling, particularly as performers move between singles and tag competition, but TayJay had a history and familiarity that made it distinct within AEW’s women’s landscape.
Personal Milestones During Her AEW Run
Melo’s AEW years also brought major personal changes. During her time with the promotion, she began a relationship with fellow wrestler Sammy Guevara. The two married in August 2022.
In November 2023, Melo gave birth to their daughter, Luna. Her family life necessarily became a significant part of the timeline surrounding her wrestling career, including periods away from active competition. The arrival of Luna added a new dimension to Melo’s priorities while she continued to navigate her place in the industry.
It is therefore difficult to reduce the current situation to a simple roster transaction. Melo’s request to leave AEW followed years of wrestling, personal milestones, and changes in her professional circumstances. Khan’s comments that she wanted to step away from wrestling reflected her position at that moment, but Melo’s later denial that she was retired leaves her future open-ended.
What Comes Next for Tay Melo?
With Melo no longer listed on AEW’s roster page, attention will naturally turn toward whether she intends to wrestle elsewhere. Her background, name recognition, and experience on national television would make her an intriguing addition for another promotion should she decide to return to regular in-ring competition.
At the same time, there is no confirmed destination, timetable, or announcement regarding her next move. Any assumption about where she may appear would be premature. Melo has not publicly declared retirement, but she also has not announced plans to sign or compete for another company.
For now, the clearest takeaway is that her AEW run appears to be over. From her arrival shortly after her WWE release in 2020 through her work as a title challenger, a member of TayJay, and a recognizable personality in the women’s division, Melo spent a substantial portion of her wrestling career under the AEW banner.
Her removal from the company’s official roster page appears to bring that period to a close. Whether it represents a permanent departure from the ring or simply the beginning of a new chapter elsewhere remains a question only Melo can answer.
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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.