The TNA Wrestling roster has lost two prominent figures. Following initial reports from Fightful Select, Steph De Lander has publicly confirmed that both she and her husband, Mance Warner, have officially departed the promotion.
“They Just Didn’t Feel Comfortable”
During an incredibly candid appearance on TMZ’s Inside The Ring podcast, De Lander opened up about the frustrating sequence of events that led to her exit. She revealed a major medical secret: she had actually undergone two neck surgeries, not just the one she previously publicized. “My surgeon wanted to put a little bit more hardware in there. But fully recovered, fully healed,” she explained, noting that WWE’s official spinal surgeon performed the operations.
Despite receiving full medical clearance from her surgeon a few weeks ago, TNA management refused to allow her back in the ring. “I received a phone call on Monday of this week that basically they never wanted to let me wrestle at TNA again. They just didn’t feel comfortable with that,” De Lander stated.
She detailed a frustrating conversation with TNA President Carlos Silva, where he admitted they were not comfortable with her wrestling, despite not even knowing the specifics of her injury. “They haven’t evaluated my medical history, they haven’t contacted my surgeon, they haven’t looked at any of my medical stuff. It’s just, they made a personal decision,” she lamented. Consequently, she opted to leave the company, and Warner followed suit in a show of marital solidarity. While hurt by the situation, De Lander maintained that she holds no ill will and left the door open for a potential return in the future.