Budget cuts are part and parcel of any business-driven organization, let alone the pro wrestling industry. No one wants to see their favorite wrestlers get released. This past week, WWE axed three names, and one of them was Indi Hartwell.
Since the moment she was laid off, the fans have been sending all the love to her that she needs. Though it took a minute, the 28-year-old Aussie grappler has broken the ice on her WWE release. Speaking in the first vlog of her newly-created YouTube channel, Hartwell looked back on what has been some of the most emotionally wrecking days of her career.
The former NXT Women’s Champion mentioned that she didn’t see her WWE exit coming. Indi noted how being back in the weekly rotation on TV couldn’t help her foretell that she’d be cut. As the fans saw, Hartwell and her tag team partner Candice LeRae were beginning to build some momentum on SmackDown lately.
Last Friday, they lost a closely-fought bout against a well-accomplished duo of Bayley and Naomi. Indi Hartwell addresses getting released via her YouTube channel:“A week ago today, I was released from my WWE contract, and it’s been a weird week of different feelings and emotions. It’s still pretty fresh, but honestly, I can say that I’m doing well, and I’m feeling good.
… pic. twitter. com/VrI3wKVMvw— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) November 9, 2024 The past few weeks, like maybe 2 or 3 weeks of being back on TV.
I didn’t have that feeling at all, and I didn’t expect it. But, I took it like a champ. Indi Hartwell on her WWE releaseReacting to Hartwell’s aforementioned YouTube vlog, Bayley cheered her up.
The Role Model appreciated the real-life Samantha De Martin for making her laugh even in probably her most troubled time. Bayley has long harbored a soft spot for Hartwell. A couple of years ago, the former Damage CTRL leader told Corey Graves on After The Bell podcast about how Indi got into wrestling.
RELATED(Video) Nick Aldis unveils a brand new WWE title on SmackDown; reveals what it looks like and what it’s calledAs per Bayley, De Martin was moved by the former’s iconic match with the erstwhile Sasha Banks at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn in 2015. She then pledged to follow in Bayley’s footsteps and began training at the tender age of 19. WWE didn’t capitalize on Indi Hartwell after an acclaimed NXT runIndi Hartwell was looked at by many as one of those up-and-coming female superstars who could make it big on the main roster.
But that wasn’t meant to be, was it? Indi Hartwell (via WWE)After first appearing on Raw in May 2023 alongside her The Way cohorts, viz. Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, and Candice LeRae, she was in the middle of nowhere.
Apart from some paltry one-on-one matches, she kept getting reshuffled in the tag team division. RELATED(Video) Sami Zayn and Jey Uso team up with Roman Reigns’ old rival in dark match following OG Bloodline’s reunion after SmackDown went off-air Indi’s WWE career peaked in NXT itself, where she caught the public eye after a romantic storyline with Lumis. They even tied the knot on-screen in a segment that was promoted by WWE as InDex Wedding.
It was hailed as the greatest love story told in NXT history.
