Nia Jax Says She Felt Lost After WWE Release, Talks Finding Herself Again

On November 4, 2021, Nia Jax – real name Lina Fanene – was released from her WWE contract. The former "WWE Raw" Women's Champion recently spoke with "Busted Open Radio" and admitted that everything stood still following her departure from the company. 

"Thankfully, I have such an amazing family and I have great friends to where I literally just sat around for this last year trying to find myself again. Trying to find where Lina was in all of this because I got lost," Jax said. "I got totally lost and, you know, everybody who's in this business knows this, like, you get fully engrained in it."

Jax returned to WWE for a one-off appearance earlier this year, entering the 2023 women's Royal Rumble match. The two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion revealed that she got the wrestling bug again after featuring in that over-the-top-rope elimination bout. Jax has yet to lace up her wrestling boots and step back into the ring again since, but it appears life has been busy for her away from the squared circle. 

"So when I first got released, my brother had his first baby," Jax said. "And so I got the best experience of being his nanny. My nephew's nanny. And so I was nannying him up until he was around six or seven months ... I literally got back into church, I have somebody I speak to regularly that kind of help me clear my mind of a lot of things and get me back to who I am ... I do pilates every day now, I go do stuff at church, and I play pickleball. I have a farm too."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit SiriusXM's "Busted Open Radio" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.