– Lana opened up about Rusev’s (Miro’s) transition away from AEW, explaining that his departure had far more to do with passion and creative fulfillment than money. She emphasized that both she and Rusev are deeply motivated by narrative-driven wrestling, noting that “WWE is a storytelling factory” and that Rusev thrives in that environment. According to her, he has always excelled as a character performer, especially when portraying a heel, saying he’s the “Super Athlete” who “loves playing a villain.”
A major factor in his dissatisfaction with AEW, she explained, was his desire to compete regularly. Lana stressed that “he wanted to wrestle every week on TV” and that this wasn’t financially motivated — “it wasn’t about a check for him.” While acknowledging that he may have earned more in AEW, she pointed out that consistent in-ring work mattered more to him than the payday. Because of that, it was challenging for him to sit idle or appear too infrequently, as “it was really hard for him to not be working.”
(Source: Insight with Chris Van Vliet)
– Gail Kim says she isn’t ruling out another in-ring return, but it would require the right circumstances and something truly meaningful. She admits she still feels the thrill of wrestling, explaining that “I miss having that adrenaline rush”, and while she’s fine doing light physical spots, an actual match is a far bigger commitment. Kim emphasized the difficulty of preparing for a full bout, noting that “I don’t think people realize how hard it is to train for the cardio of a professional wrestling match.”
Reflecting on how tough it was to get into ring shape for her 2019 match with Tessa Blanchard, Kim stressed that maintaining her reputation is her top priority. She said she’s extremely protective of what she has built in her career, explaining, “I care about my legacy. I care about my body of work that I left behind and what fans remember of me.” If she ever does return, she wants to ensure fans don’t view her as diminished in any way, adding that “I don’t want them to think I’ve slowed down… I’m very hard on myself when it comes to that.”
(Source: Toronto Sun)