Maria Kanellis Addresses Hate She's Received From Anti-AEW Fans

Maria Kanellis made her AEW debut in October alongside husband Mike Bennett and his tag team partner Matt Taven. Collectively known as The Kingdom, the trio interrupted Shawn Spears and FTR's post-match celebration on "AEW Rampage" to put the tag team divisions in AEW and ROH on notice. Having spent time in a number of promotions including WWE, Impact Wrestling, and ROH, Kanellis was faced with a surprising reaction online after her first AEW appearance.

When asked how much hate she received from anti-AEW fans, Kanellis said, "A lot," during a recent appearance on "Ten Count." Kanellis explained, "It was amazing really. I don't hate WWE, and I had great conversations before we made our decision on where we were gonna go. My husband had great conversations before we decided where we were gonna go. I think that's also the thing that people need to realize, too, is a lot of us keep great relationships everywhere. You know, Triple H and Stephanie [McMahon] sent huge baskets to our house full of all these kids' gifts after both of my kids [were born]."

Kanellis noted that she still thinks highly of them, and is enjoying what WWE is doing today. She's also happy for her friends who have returned to the company. Similarly, Kanellis still has a great relationship with Impact Wrestling EVP Scott D'Amore. The Kingdom had a nine-month run with Impact in 2022 where they were heavily featured as part of the "Honor No More" faction. While Kanellis did not wrestle, she did manage The Kingdom as they captured the Impact World Tag Team Championship for the first time.