Shotzi has opened up about the emotional rollercoaster that defined her final months with WWE, revealing a blend of initiative, uncertainty, and passion behind the scenes. In a revealing conversation on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, the former NXT standout detailed how her return from injury sparked both a meaningful NXT run and a frustrating series of delays on the main roster, including an abandoned storyline with Chelsea Green.

Following her recovery from injury late last year, Shotzi explained that she was eager to get back in the ring, even if it meant stepping away from the main roster for a time.

“I got cleared like December 5 [2024],” she shared. “I’m probably not going to come back until Rumble… I could not for the life of me sit at home any longer. So I texted (Johnny) Russo, and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m probably not going to come back to the main roster for a little bit. Can I get a little run at NXT, find my ring legs back?’ He was like, ‘Absolutely. We can only have you for two months, and then the main roster wants you back.’”

During that brief window, Shotzi fully immersed herself in the NXT environment, relishing the chance to work with rising stars.

“I was like, ‘Great, that’s perfect… I want to build up Gigi and Tatum. I really believe in them.’ I thought we were killing it… and then I fell in love with them.”

But when it came time to return to the main roster, things did not go as expected.

“I was told, ‘Oh, you’re gonna start a storyline with Chelsea’, which I was all for… They brought me into SmackDown, they’re rehearsing my entrance on the Tron, and then they cut it. Then it was week after week, nothing and nothing,” she recalled.

With no direction and her contract nearing expiration, Shotzi decided to speak out in a promo that quickly gained traction online.

“Then I start to wonder… my contract’s up in a few months. What is going on?… That’s finally when I was like, well, I’m gonna cut this promo, and I’m gonna get some answers.”