Former WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly recently expressed her disappointment on social media about not being included in the WWE 2K26 roster. The former Divas Champion, who signed a WWE Legends deal in 2025, joked about her continued absence from the WWE 2K video game series.
Kelly Kelly\’s Reaction
Kelly Kelly posted the following on X on February 24, 2026:
“Welp… another year not in the @WWEgames ?…Should we start a petition or what? ?”.
Welp… another year not in the @WWEgames ?…Should we start a petition or what? ?
The full WWE 2K26 roster, revealed on February 23rd, 2026, features over 400 superstars but does not include Kelly Kelly. Her last playable appearance was in WWE \’13 (2012).
Kelly Kelly is remembered by many fans as one of the most recognizable stars of the Divas era. Many fans expected Kelly to be part of the WWE 2K26 roster, especially after reports suggested she signed a WWE Legends contract in 2025.
Legends contracts typically allow for merchandise, promotional appearances, documentaries, and video games, but Kelly Kelly was still excluded from WWE 2K26.
Kelly Kelly debuted in the mid-2000s and won the Divas Championship by defeating Brie Bella in 2011. She was also featured in several WWE video games during that time, including the SmackDown vs. Raw series.
Kelly Kelly has taken a turn on her Evolution II absence.
The former Divas Champion was one of the names surprisingly missing from the All-Women PPV earlier this year. Reports had suggested that she had declined the offer for an appearance because she wanted to wrestle at the PPV but the management wanted her to just sit in the crowd.
Kelly herself had written \’to sit in the crowd it just didn’t feel like the right way to come back\’ while responding to a post about the PLE on social media at the time.
Thank you love ?,I was So honored to be invited to Evolution II, to sit in the crowd it just didn’t feel like the right way to come back. I’ll always be proud to have been part of the first, my heart is with every woman in that ring tomorrow. I’ll be back when the time’s right?? https://t.co/g5rbrNuasQ
During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, however, Kelly Kelly gave a different reason behind her refusal. The wrestling veteran was first asked about being a mom, and she discussed how her kids are her priority now and all her life decisions are based on what\’s right for her children.
Discussing Evolution, the former champion claimed that she said no to the show because her kids would not have been able to attend:
“I wanted to talk about this, because it was a thing. So when I got the call, it was in Atlanta, obviously.
Again, it was one of the weekends, the only weekend I had off, and my kids, I think they had something going on. And I feel like when I come back, I want my kids to see me there and they wouldn’t been able to make it.\”
Could Not Have Been Farther From The Truth: Kelly Kelly
Kelly Kelly later confirmed that she was only asked to attend the show last minute, and her husband was also working that weekend. When asked if she could have made things work if given more time, the female star who lives in LA replied positively, saying that she couldn\’t fly to Atlanta on such a short notice:
\”Somebody on the dirt sheets was like, ‘Oh, somebody in the higher ups said that she only wants to come back if she has a match’, which could not have been farther from the truth.
I didn’t need a match to come back. If it was in LA, I would have been there no questions asked. But to fly across the country to do that, like I said in the beginning, with my kids, I’m very picky about what I say yes and no to right now.\”
The wrestling star later claimed that the WWE officials are well aware of the reason behind her decision and they were totally fine with it. Kelly Kelly explained that there was never a conversation about her having a match at the event.
Kelly Kelly\’s time as a WWE Superstar came to an end in September 2012, a surprise given that she was the top woman in WWE as Divas Champion just one year prior. In a new interview with Chris Van Vliet of Insight, Kelly admitted why she wasn\’t surprised to be shown the door.
\”I got a call on my off day, yeah. I was like, I get it, I feel like I kind of have been slacking off.\”
Whether Kelly had been \’slacking off\’ or not, there were no hard feelings from WWE. On the contrary, those she spoke to were supportive of Kelly to pursue opportunities outside of the ring.
\”[They said] we know you want to do other things, go do them. We want to see you happy. We can tell you\’re not very happy here right now. I was happy not being on the road because I was seeing somebody.\”
Debuting six years earlier aged 19 in ECW, Kelly said that she \”grew up in front of WWE.\” While her late teens and early 20s were far from the norm, Kelly was pleased to have been a WWE Superstar.
\”This was how I was meant to grow up. I grew so much in such a young age and I saw the world. I got to do so many things… so lucky and blessed to be able to do that.\”
While Kelly continues to make occasional appearances for WWE, her focus is on her children and life outside of the ring. With no hard feelings stemming from her first WWE run and her release, fans can expect to see her back at some point, perhaps in an upcoming Women\’s Royal Rumble.
Kelly Kelly is a former WWE Divas and WWE 24/7 Champion, but she also has a unique title accolade to her name. To date, Kelly is the only woman to have successfully defended a Men\’s World Championship in the promotion. The defense came on the February 4, 2011, edition of SmackDown as she and champion Edge defeated Dolph Ziggler and Lay-Cool in a unique World Heavyweight Title tag-team handicap match.
14 years later, the match remains one of Kelly\’s most notable bouts. Speaking on the Insight podcast, the WWE alum reflected on the impact the match made.
\”I don\’t think I realized at the time how people [talked about it]. They were like, No, you were the only woman to defend the World Heavyweight Title in a match like that. It was a big deal.\”
Kelly recalled being pitched the match the night before, and shared that she\’d be (kayfabe) fired during the same SmackDown by Vickie Guerrero. This led to WWE\’s team questioning if Kelly had the sufficient acting chops.
\”[Michael Hayes asked] Can you cry on command Kelly?\’ I\’m like, \’I guess?\’ He was like, \’If you don\’t cry, it\’s all gonna go to sh*t. The fans need to feel this. They really need to feel like you\’re fired.\’\”
Kelly was dealing with \”so much pressure\” but had a plan to drum-up tears. The easiest way for her to feel sad and hurt and produce tears, was if she was hurting for real.
\”I told Michelle and Layla, I said, \’Okay, I need you to beat the sh*t out of me. I really need you to lay it in.\’ Because I can internalize it, and I can hold it all in until it\’s time for me to cry.\”
Kelly\’s plan worked to perfection, as she held back the tears until the perfect moment. With \”the ugliest cry\” being produced by the young Superstar, Kelly\’s performance both during and after her sole World Heavyweight Title defense made this a key moment in her career.
Kelly Kelly has traded in her days in the ring to days changing diapers as the former WWE Divas Champion is today a proud mom of twins. While the glitz and glam of being an internationally-recognized Superstar may be appealing, Kelly made clear to Chris Van Vliet of Insight that her family is her number one priority.
\”My whole life revolves around my kids now. I turn down so many things because I just know that I\’m only gonna have this time with them for so long.\”
Kelly isn\’t afraid to turn down signings if they clash with an event her children are participating in. As a mother, Kelly can\’t help but be impressed by those wrestlers who balance life at home and in the ring.
\”It\’s wild. I commend them. I see Becky, who has her daughter on the road, Alexa… I think what they\’re doing is really cool.\”
Both Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss are moms to one child and each spent over a year out of action due to pregnancy and motherhand. With double the work as a mom to wins, one boy, one girl, Kelly is confident a return and schedule like Bliss or Lynch is off the table.
\”Not with two. I don\’t know. I think with two you\’re pushing it. I just think it\’s already so much whenever I try to go out of town with them and we do vacations.\”
Though Kelly Kelly is happy with her choice, she admitted to missing the reaction from the WWE Universe. However, Kelly gets her fill with surprise appearances, including as part of three Women\’s Royal Rumble matches.
When fans will see Kelly Kelly again, only time will tell. Until then, the former WWE Divas Champion is happy to be with her children for every step and scrape they\’ll face in these crucial years.
Former WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly revealed she turned down an invitation to attend WWE\’s all-women\’s Premium Live Event, Evolution II, scheduled for July 13th.
Kelly was invited to sit in the crowd but felt it wasn\’t the right way to return to WWE, preferring a more active role.
She expressed her sentiments through a post on X, emphasizing her pride in her participation in the first Evolution in 2018 and her readiness to return when the time is right.
“Thank you love ?,I was So honored to be invited to Evolution II, to sit in the crowd it just didn’t feel like the right way to come back. I’ll always be proud to have been part of the first, my heart is with every woman in that ring tomorrow. I’ll be back when the time’s right??”
Kelly last competed in the 2022 women\’s Royal Rumble.
Thank you love ?,I was So honored to be invited to Evolution II, to sit in the crowd it just didn’t feel like the right way to come back. I’ll always be proud to have been part of the first, my heart is with every woman in that ring tomorrow. I’ll be back when the time’s right?? https://t.co/g5rbrNuasQ
Barbie Blank—better known to WWE fans as Kelly Kelly, wishes that she could forget all about her early days on WWE programming. In a new interview on The Wrestling Classic YouTube channel, Blank recalled debuting as an \’exhibitionist\’ in 2006 and her weekly segments where she teased going topless.
\”The Exposé by myself is cringe… having to go out there on national television and do a strip piece by myself every week… I wish we could leave that in the past.”
Kelly\’s Exposé would later become the Extreme Exposé as Brooke Adams and Layla would align with Blank. In the interview, Blank said that the segments became far more bearable when she wasn\’t alone, even if she was still a \”terrible dancer\” at the time.
With WWE making strides in women\’s representation, odds are fans will never see a character introduced by wanting to take her clothes off. For Barbie Blank, her arrival in WWE shows that anything and everything can happen in the Sports Entertainment juggernaut.
Chelsea Green has never been quiet about her love for Kelly Kelly, often citing her as an inspiration for her own in-ring career. Speaking to Tyler Breeze on Topps\’ Ripping Packs, Green gushed about Kelly Kelly when handed a card of the former Divas Champion.
\”She\’s my favorite woman in the history of all wrestling because she\’s the most amazing beautiful talented girl ever. Let me tell you something, when she did her back hamstring elbow and she was wearing a purple outfit, I\’ll never forget that day. She\’s perfect and look at it [shows off card,] she looked perfect right there too.\”
Kelly Kelly hasn’t regularly competed in WWE since 2012 but has appeared in three Royal Rumble matches, the most recent of which was in 2022. Green would make her return to WWE the following year and has since gone on to become the first-ever Women\’s United States Champion.
For Chelsea Green, Kelly Kelly was more than a popular name of her era, but a true inspiration to the Canadian. It remains to be seen if Chelsea ever gets the chance to share the ring with her idol in WWE, either as allies or as opponents.
Kelly Kelly hasn\’t competed in years but that could soon be about to change. On Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, the former WWE Divas Champion shared her goals in the wrestling business.
\”My dream is for my kids to see me wrestle. Hopefully, I get in the Hall of Fame one day.\”
Kelly still attends WWE events, where she hopes \”maybe they\’ll call me for another Rumble.\” While she\’s not sure what\’s to come, adding \”who knows,\” the former Superstar made clear that \”I would definitely come back for that.\”
Kelly shared in March 2023 that she and her husband Joe were expecting their first child, and revealed that it\’d be twins the following month. On September 10, the couple welcomed their son Jaxon Matthew and their daughter Brooklyn Marie into the world.
Kelly\’s time with WWE came to an end in 2012 with her final match coming at an August live event with a win over Natalya. Since then, however, Kelly has made several returns to the ring including in three Women\’s Royal Rumble matches. Her most recent match came in the 2022 Women\’s Rumble, won by Ronda Rousey.
A return to the ring would see Kelly join an elite cast of wrestling moms, a list that includes Rousey, Mickie James, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, and others. Whether Kelly competes in the ring again or not remains to be seen but don\’t count out the first-ever female 24/7 Champion.
Kelly Kelly\’s run with WWE is iconic in many ways. Not only did the high-flying star break the stereotypes of female competitors with the moves in the ring but she also set new fashion standards for stars to come with many iconic looks in her career.
However while the former Divas champion put a lot of thought into many of her ring gears, there were some that came together accidentally but she kept them going for many reasons.
The wrestling veteran recently sat down with McKenzie Mitchell to talk about some of her most memorable looks. During the interview, Kelly was asked if she ever had to borrow a part of her ring gear from someone else and she recalled the late Ashley Massaro lending her wrestling boots one time:
\”I know I talked about Ashley a lot and I just I love her and I miss her. I had a match and I didn\’t have wrestling boots. She gave me her black Puma wrestling boots. She let me keep them and I wrestled in those every week, forever. I still have those to this day. But it was just so cool. She was like, \’Hey, yeah girl here I got these.\’\”
According to Kelly Kelly, the Puma boots were so comfortable that she continued wrestling in them for a long time and she has kept them even now:
\”They weren\’t like regular wrestling boots. I love that because they were like they\’re just lace up boots but so great to wrestle in because I didn\’t want those big chunky wrestling boots. I never thought they were cute. I needed to be able to move, you know? So those boots and I still have them to this day.\”
Kelly Kelly joined WWE back in 2006 and continued competing till her departure in 2012. During her run, Kelly won the Diva\’s title once and feuded with names such as Maryse, Nikki Bella and Beth Phoenix.
The former champion has made occasional appearances for the company in recent years including her participation in the inaugural Women\’s Royal Rumble and the Evolution PPV in 2018.
Ashley Massaro joined WWE in 2005 and was featured regularly until she asked for her release in 2008 to care for her sick daughter. She unfortunately passed away in May 2019.
Pro wrestling gets into your blood, and it\’s really hard to get out of the business totally. This is especially true for someone who is as beloved as Kelly Kelly. Fans just may see her wrestle again eventually, because she keeps showing interest.
Kelly Kelly previously stated that she would like to get back in the ring, because she wants her twins to see her wrestle a match.
She doubled-down on that desire as she spoke to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, where she expanded on what she hopes to gain out of her possible return to the ring.
“I really want my twins to see me wrestle. I think it would be so amazing when they’re like four or five. And I don’t even know if they would still [understand], they probably would get it then. But like seeing that’s my mom and they’re sitting in the front row. And I just remember watching Michelle McCool when she came and did into the Rumble and her daughter was sitting there and her daughter’s face was priceless. I want and I’m like, Oh my gosh, because that’s what I want. If you could just see her daughter’s eyes we’re just so big. And she was just like, that’s my mom, so proud. And I just want that moment for me and my twins one day for them to just be like, That’s my mom and just go out there and kick some butt for a few minutes.”
Kelly Kelly also discussed her decision to retire early from wrestling, noting the toll of constant travel and injuries. She recalled incidents like a knee injury that swelled significantly hours after the initial impact, requiring medical attention. Despite injuries, she continued working, even participating in events like \”The Price Is Right\” with Bob Barker while dealing with knee issues.
Feeling burnt out and experiencing neck pain, Kelly Kelly expressed her desire for a break, which WWE supported. During this time off, she contemplated pursuing opportunities outside of wrestling, such as modeling and acting. Conversations with Triple H left the door open for a potential return. Eventually, Kelly Kelly received a call informing her of her release from WWE, but it came with a reassurance that she could return in the future.
\”I was happy to be at home. I didn\’t know what I wanted to do. I just was like, kind of burnt out, and I think they could feel that. And here\’s the thing with wrestling, your heart has to be in every match. If it\’s not you, it\’s gonna be sh*t. And I just wasn\’t 100% in it at that time. Like, I just was like, I was burnt out. I was tired. I just wanted to be at home. Yeah, and I just think that was just like that moment in time, because I had worked so hard. And I was like, I just need some time.\”
She acknowledged that her heart wasn\’t fully invested in wrestling at the time of her departure, recognizing the importance of passion in the sport. Ultimately, she viewed her retirement as a necessary break after years of hard work and dedication to wrestling.
Kelly Kelly\’s WWE Career
Her career started in the company\’s version of ECW, eventually leading to her becoming WWE Divas Champion.
During her six-year tenure as a full-time wrestler from 2006 to 2012, Kelly Kelly achieved significant milestones. She was also working hard to gain exposure for women in WWE during a time when their role on the programming was not what it is today.
She held the WWE Divas Championship once and the WWE 24/7 Championship later on during a cameo appearance after her initial retirement. Additionally, she won a Slammy Award for Divalicious Moment of the Year in 2011, and she was ranked No. 15 in the PWI Female 50 in 2011 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. She retired from in-ring competition the next year.
She has not competed in an official contest since her last singles match on December 8, 2012, during a WWE SmackDown House Show at Linco Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan. In that match, Kelly Kelly emerged victorious over Natalya.
Since her retirement, now known as Barbie Blank, she has made sporadic appearances for WWE, including participating in three women\’s Royal Rumble matches, the latest being in 2022. She was also in a Battle Royal at the Evolution pay-per-view in 2018.
Kelly Kelly\’s Personal Life
On May 29, 2020, Barbie Blank got engaged to bodybuilder Joe Coba. Their wedding took place on April 9, 2021, in Oak Glen, California.
Then, on March 28, 2023, Blank shared the news of her pregnancy with her first child. By April, she revealed she was expecting twins. Finally, on September 10, she welcomed her son Jaxon Matthew and daughter Brooklyn Marie.
Barbie Blank also appeared on a number of television shows, and was a main cast member of the reality television program WAGS. Her personal life after WWE was also highlighted on that show
WWE gets in your blood, and it\’s hard to shake it from your system. This is especially true for a WWE Hall of Famer like Kelly Kelly. She wants to wrestle in front of her children, so a WWE comeback is not off the table.
When asked about a possible WWE return during a recent virtual autograph signing, Kelly Kelly seemed very open to the idea. She wants her twins to see her wrestle.
Kelly Kelly Talks WWE Comeback
Kelly Kelly has left WWE behind and is focusing on other things. Now going as Barbie Blank, she is still known to book appearances in the pro wrestling world. She is also apparently still open to the idea of a WWE return.
The former WWE Divas took part in a virtual signing for RDP Promotions. She was asked about a possible WWE comeback down the road. She actually didn\’t shut the door on the idea, as she seemed open to the prospect.
She responded, ”I would be open to a comeback… We’ll see. I want my twins to come and watch me one day so…”
On May 29, 2020, Blank was engaged to bodybuilder Joe Coba. They exchanged vows on April 9, 2021, in Oak Glen, California. On March 28, 2023, Blank announced her pregnancy with her first child. In April, she shared the news of expecting twins, and on September 10, she welcomed her son Jaxon Matthew and daughter Brooklyn Marie.
Kelly Kelly in WWE
Kelly Kelly was once part of WWE\’s women\’s division, and she is now a WWE Hall of Famer thanks to those contributions. She started her journey in the company\’s version of ECW and rose to become a Women\’s Champion. Though currently inactive in WWE, she recently expressed interest in returning.
During her six-year tenure as a full-time wrestler from 2006 to 2012, Kelly Kelly achieved significant milestones during her time in WWE. She held the WWE Divas Championship once and the WWE 24/7 Championship once. In addition, she won a Slammy Award for Divalicious Moment of the Year in 2011. Kelly Kelly was also recognized by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, being ranked No. 15 in the PWI Female 50 in 2011.
Since then, she has made occasional appearances for WWE, including three women\’s Royal Rumble matches, the latest being in 2022, and a Battle Royal at the Evolution pay-per-view in 2018.
SEScoops will be here for any further updates on Kelly Kelly, or anything else in the pro wrestling world. Keep checking back throughout the day for constant updates.
WWE 2K24 will see one of the series\’ largest-ever rosters, but one former Superstar wishes that she was a playable character in the new game.
WWE 2K24 will be the latest game in the 2K series of games that began with the release of WWE 2K14 a decade ago. The Standard Edition of WWE 2K24 will be released on March 8, while the Deluxe and 40 Years of WrestleMania Editions will be released three days earlier on March 5. Earlier this week, fans caught their first glimpse of gameplay footage from WWE 2K24.
Kelly Kelly and WWE 2K24
With 4 decades of WWE being on display in WWE 2K24, not everybody can be featured in the upcoming video game. Recently, Kelly Kelly\’s name was trending on social media as fans rallied for her to be included. Responding, Kelly said that she wishes she could be a part of WWE 2K24.
When WWE 2K recently revealed its roster for the upcoming game, fans noticed how several notable names were missing. Two-time WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, who will compete for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40, was among those missing. In a statement, 2K said this was a simple error and has since included McIntyre and others in updated rosters.
Kelly Kelly in Video Games
Kelly appeared in six video games during her run with WWE and made her in-game debut in SmackDown Vs. Raw 2008. From there, she appeared in SVR 2009, 2010, and 2011. After the game series rebranded, she appeared in WWE \’12 and WWE \’13. In Mexico, a videogame store sold an exclusive cover of WWE \’12 featuring Kelly Kelly on the cover.
Former WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly recently opened up about the things that she misses (and doesn’t) from her professional wrestling career.
Speaking on GAW TV, Kelly gave her opinions on the wrestling industry as well as her time as a wrestler.
Kelly said that one thing she misses the most from her time as a wrestler is the camaraderie and the “family atmosphere.” As wrestlers travel with each other to different locations every week, they end up spending a lot of time together. This fosters a sense of close friendship among many of them.
\”I definitely miss all the girls, all the friendships, the traveling with your friends, renting the cars, and doing the travel. All that stuff I just loved. I loved the camaraderie. I loved the family aspect,\” Kelly said.
– Kelly Kelly
Kelly also said that she loved to perform in front of the world every night and even called it “just the best feeling in the world.”
What Kelly Kelly Does Not Miss About Wrestling
There are also some things that Kelly Kelly does not miss from her time in wrestling. One of them is taking bumps. \”I really was like, \’Just beat the s*** out of me.\’ Now, I\’m like, \’Please, God, don\’t touch me,\’\” she confessed.
Taking bumps is an essential part of wrestling, wrestlers have to do it regularly when they are competing. It is absolutely necessary, but it can take a toll on the body. It is completely understandable why Kelly would not miss taking bumps, as it can even lead to long-term injuries and chronic pain over time.
Kelly has since then been a model, reality TV star, and influencer. She also made a few appearances here and there in wrestling, particularly in the women’s Royal Rumble.
H/T to WrestlingInc. for the quotes used in this article.
Former WWE Superstar Kelly Kelly has said she\’d love to get back in the ring if given the chance to wrestle Sasha Banks or Charlotte Flair.
Kelly joined WWE programming in 2006 and left in 2012, but has made sporadic appearances for the company in recent years.
The former Divas and 24/7 Champion has competed in three of the five Women\’s Royal Rumble matches.
Sitting down with the Dropkick Podcast, Kelly was asked about this year\’s Rumble match and who she\’d like to face in her final bout.
\”I always wanted to work with Sasha so it was really cool to be able to do that… I would say either Sasha or Charlotte Flair for sure.”
Kelly Kelly on who she\’d like to face in her final wrestling match
Unfortunately for Kelly, neither match is possible at this time, as both women are away from WWE.
Flair is taking a hiatus from TV after losing the SmackDown Women\’s Championship to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash, and plans to marry her partner Andrade El Idolo soon.
Sasha Banks has been indefinitely suspended by WWE after she and Naomi walked out of last week\’s Raw, with the pair being stripped of the WWE Women\’s Tag Team Championships.