CJ Perry revealed that Brie Bella pitched her own WWE retirement story, but Vince McMahon chose a different direction for her exit.
Speaking with Ring The Belle, CJ Perry said Brie Bella pitched the WWE WrestleMania 32 storyline herself, including a post-Mania RAW singles match where Perry would defeat her and retire her. She said, “Brie actually pitched this story (for their WrestleMania 32 10-woman tag-team match). It was all Brie, I’m so thankful. She actually pitched for me to have a singles match the next night against her and to go over, and actually put her into retirement.”
Perry said Brie’s willingness to help her stood out and made a lasting impression. She explained that Brie pushed hard for the idea and wanted to use her retirement to elevate Perry. However, Vince McMahon had a different plan. He preferred Brie to leave WWE on a high note as a babyface rather than lose to a heel.
She said, “Vince wanted her to win on the high and go off as a babyface, I totally understand that and I supported that.” Perry admitted she felt relieved that the match never happened. While retiring a popular star like Brie could have created major fan reaction.
She added, “I was really nervous. I was okay it didn’t happen, because I wasn’t ready… I was training, and I just didn’t feel like I was ready yet.” [H/T: wrestlingnews.co] In April 2025, WWE signed Perry to a Legends contract.
Recently, Perry also announced her return to pro wrestling. Meanwhile, Brie Bella, who retired in 2019, has spoken about a possible WWE comeback and sounded open to returning if the company would be interested.
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