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Beth Phoenix is considered a legend of women’s wrestling. Even though she is still just 42 and could easily keep competing regularly, the fact that she is already in the WWE Hall of Fame and has been in retirement for over a decade is a clear indication of the impact she had during her time as a performer and the legacy that she has etched for herself. Although Phoenix has sporadically returned for the odd match here and there, it has been eleven years since she was last a full-time performer. Given her age and the fact that she has proven that she can still go in the ring, there will be some fans that wonder why exactly she made the call to retire back in 2012.
Beth Phoenix Was At The Top Of Her Game When She Retired From WWE
At a time when women’s wrestling was treated very much like an afterthought, Beth Phoenix was one of the shining lights of WWE. The Divas era was a rough time, and even though she was saddled with silly gimmicks, relationship storylines, and more, Phoenix still managed to retain the reputation of being the most bad-ass and dominant woman on the entire roster, with some strong women’s title reigns, a great physique, and a well-rounded style that made sure she would fit within any era of women’s wrestling.
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Phoenix was one of the faces of the women’s division for a good four or five years between 2007 and 2012, with multiple Women’s and Divas Title reigns, in addition to a notable entry into the Men’s Royal Rumble in 2010, with her picking up a huge elimination of The Great Khali. Even with her continued success, strong matches (especially when considering how little time the Divas got during this time), and years more of in-ring work to give, Phoenix stepped away from the ring, retiring in 2012.
Starting A Family And Creative Frustrations Played Into Beth Phoenix’s Decision To Leave
There were a few reasons which played into Phoenix’s decision to walk away from WWE, and at the time it was believed that it was due to family reasons. Her husband (then just partner), Edge, had already left WWE after being forced into retirement by that point, so there was a sense of wanting to settle down. It was no coincidence that a year after leaving WWE, the pair had their first daughter. Starting a family whilst on the road in WWE is a very tough thing to do, due to being away from home most of the year, so it is easy to see why she would want to walk away from the business in order to start a family.
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That wasn’t the main reason though. As mentioned, Phoenix was at a higher level than where she was being presented in the women’s division, and despite attempts at pushing for change, more time, and better storylines, Phoenix was unsuccessful in her attempts at causing a culture shock in the division. Even by the time 2012 rolled around, many of the Divas were made to partake in things like “Christmas Outfit Battle Royals”, bikini photo shoots, and if they wished to get featured higher up the card, it was as a girlfriend to a male superstar. Phoenix didn’t like this, and it led to her giving her notice to WWE.
Beth Phoenix Was Unable To Force A Change In WWE For Women’s Wrestling
Phoenix knew that this wasn’t how things should’ve been, especially so long after the Attitude Era had come to an end. The culture in sports was changing, but WWE were still far behind. It is easy to see why Phoenix was frustrated due to this. Speaking on Prime Time with Sean Mooney (h/t SESScoops), Phoenix explained, “I was really frustrated with where the women were at from a company standpoint, and the investment that was being made in us. I felt in my heart I had done my best, and I’d try really hard to change things but, at some point I just got really frustrated.”
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Unlike others such as Mickie James and Gail Kim of that era who went elsewhere to find success in the wrestling world, Phoenix remained in retirement for the next six years until she was a surprise entrant in the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble. It is no coincidence that Phoenix only returned at a time when the women of WWE are given the respect they deserve, and get booked like top stars. Many wrestlers over the years have left WWE due to losing their passion for their dream career, which is certainly a huge shame. For Phoenix, she is another name added to the list of wrestlers who grew tiresome of their treatment and booking in WWE.
