Beth Phoenix Clarifies Whether She's Retired

Mostly inactive legends occasionally returning to the ring is nothing new in WWE, or in professional wrestling as a whole. For instance, fans haven't seen WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix in the ring as a competitor since the 2022 Royal Rumble, where she teamed with her husband Edge to defeat The Miz and his wife Maryse. Before that, she hadn't wrestled since the 2020 Women's Royal Rumble match, and before that since WrestleMania 35.

Yet whenever a presumably retired WWE superstar makes sporadic appearances such as Phoenix has, fans continue to wonder whether or not they're really done for good. After all, WWE has teased a clash between Phoenix and The Judgment Day's Rhea Ripley multiple times over the past several months. Fortunately, there are times when fans receive clarification from the very superstar themselves. Well, somewhat. Recently, Phoenix sat down with Brandi Rhodes on "2 Lies and 1 Truth" to discuss all things parenting, but the subject of a potential in-ring return did arise.

"Who knows these days?" Phoenix told Rhodes with a laugh when asked if a return was in the cards. "You know I say this every single time, it's the most cliché thing but like, never say never." There's always a return to make or a final match to have, something the former Women's Champion believes is simply part of the business. "Retirement in wrestling isn't a thing," Phoenix added. "It's embarrassing to say I'm retired because it's never true." Phoenix was last seen on WWE programming at Extreme Rules, when she attempted to assist Edge in an "I Quit" match against Finn Bálor, only to be greeted with a Conchairto by Ripley.