Madison Rayne on Her Decision To Retire From Her In-Ring Wrestling Career

As noted before, the January 1st episode of ROH TV featured Madison Rayne announcing her official retirement from her in-ring career. Rayne had competed in a tag team match with Deonna Purrazzo against the MIT (Billie Starkz & Diamante) on the show. Following her loss, Rayne announced in a backstage segment with Purrazzo that was her last match of her wrestling career.

A recent episode of Purrazzo and Steve Maclin’s Boots to Boots podcast featured Rayne as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Rayne’s thoughts about her decision to retire from her in-ring wrestling career.

“It’s been really hard over the last few years to balance agenting, producing, and coaching with wrestling. In my opinion, you have to love them both and given 100% of yourself to both of them. Giving 100% of myself to two separate things in one day was challenging. I’ve also always had in the back of my mind this little voice telling me, ‘Get out, retire, and know when enough is enough.’ People do it all the time. They outstay their welcome in the wrestling business. I didn’t want to be somebody who did that. I think I did a good job over 20 years, moving with the ebbs and flows and the different dynamics with wrestling. It was super storytelling focus when I first broke into television wrestling. Then, a few years in, it was ‘wrestling is the most important part,’ and that forced me out of my comfort zone and forced me to get better and reinvent myself. I did that so many times that, at this point, when my full-time job is coach/producer, and I love it so much, it was like, these two things telling me that it was time to celebrate my career instead of prolonging it past necessary. I’ve done everything that, for me, I needed to do to fill my cup and feel fulfilled.

I semi-retired a few years ago because I thought it was the right thing during COVID. I got my business degree and a job selling mortgages. ‘This is my career path and my life. Let me force myself to step away from wrestling.’ It didn’t feel right and wasn’t the right time. Now, having done that, I’m glad that I did that, as much as the internet wants to tell me I’ve retired 45 times, it’s only been twice. I’m glad I did it the first time to know the difference and the way that it feels different. Before, it felt like there was more that I hadn’t done. Now, I feel so accomplished and ready to continue to move on within the wrestling industry, just in a different space. I feel really fortunate to be able to do that.”

Rayne also gave her thoughts about why her retirement went off the way she wanted it to in ROH.

“I didn’t picture my last match. All I knew is that I didn’t want it to be a huge (deal). I didn’t want it to be promoted as ‘Madison Rayne is retiring.’ I didn’t want the focus of what was happening in the women’s division, whether it was Dynamite, Collision, or Ring of Honor…I’m so glad we ended up doing it on Ring of Honor for a lot of reasons, but I didn’t want my moment to mess up the dynamic of what was already happening in the women’s division. The fact that Tony Khan allowed me to slide in with my best friend and have this match, and it just fit the way everything else was happening with Ring of Honor and the women, I’m really grateful for that. I don’t need to go out as champion. I didn’t need the streamers. I didn’t want any of that. I know the things I’ve accomplished. To have that moment, as I’m saying this, it almost felt more personal and special that people kind of found out throughout the course of the day. The people who needed to know, knew. Everyone in the match knew, Tony knew, our producer knew, (her husband) Josh (Mathews) knew, Steve (Maclin) knew. People kind of started to find out as the day went on. The crowd, after the match, they figured it out. It wasn’t shoved down their throats. They figured it out. It was natural and happened organically. Now, because of the way it happened and the way Tony let us do that, I’m going to look back and be so fulfilled and happy and know that I did it my way and I didn’t disrupt the dynamics of anything else that was happening to have my moment. I’m thankful for that.”

Rayne currently works as a coach for AEW and ROH.

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1 & 2