10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Maria Kanellis

Playboy, CM Punk, and beefing with the Bellas...

maria kanellis
WWE.com

Maria Kanellis made her first WWE appearance in over seven years last week. Rumours of her imminent return had persisted since she and her husband Mike walked out of Impact Wrestling in March, and after taking a few months off so that Maria could finish her business degree, the couple finally arrived on 18 June.

It remains to be seen how they'll fit in on SmackDown, but Maria is entering a vastly different company to the one she left in 2010. The way WWE present and book their female performers has improved tenfold, and while Maria will likely operate as Mike's valet, she'll have the opportunity to succeed on her own merit.

Maria and Mike have been a wrestling double act since December 2011, spending the bulk of their time in Ring Of Honor and Impact. If their debut promo is anything to go by, they're going to feel like nothing else on the roster, making this a true fresh start for Maria, who rose to prominence during one of women's wrestling's darkest eras.

While WWE shouldn't necessarily run from Maria's past, much of it is definitely left buried in a previous era - even the parts that are their own creation...

10. Her Character's Former Flames

maria wwe
WWE

We’re yet to hear more from Mike and Maria Kanellis following their debut at Money In The Bank 2017, but their gimmick seems pretty clear. With their cheesy dialogue and ludicrous ‘80s-esque entrance theme, the duo are set to bring “the power of love” to SmackDown, with an act based almost entirely on their real life marriage.

This is far from Maria’s first on-air relationship in WWE, however. In June 2007, she was involved in such an angle with Santino Marella, which lasted for close to a year, and ended in jealousy over her 2008 Playboy cover. In 2009, Kanellis entered a new relationship with Dolph Ziggler, who eventually dumped her after costing him a match, and she was involved in a new romance with Matt Hardy prior to her release in 2010.

None of these angles were particularly memorable, and they all came during a time when WWE couldn’t resist cheapening their female talents by attaching them to male superstars. Given that her new act is based on extreme devotion to her husband, WWE will do their best to ensure that these storylines stay buried in the past, and will likely pretend they didn’t happen in the first place.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.