Steph De Lander is shedding more light on the sudden exit of both herself and Mance Warner from TNA Wrestling, and the reason behind Warner’s departure came down to one simple factor — loyalty.
During a recent appearance on Inside The Ring, De Lander addressed reports that she and Warner both left TNA around the same time. According to her, the situation unfolded after the company informed her they were not comfortable allowing her to wrestle again despite being medically cleared following neck surgery.
De Lander said the possibility of leaving the company had already been discussed privately between the two of them before the conversation with TNA management even happened. She explained that she had already decided she would walk away immediately if the company refused to let her return to the ring.
“Mance and I had spoken about it beforehand, and I basically said like, ‘If they tell me I can’t wrestle, I’m quitting on the spot.’ And he was like, ‘Oh, I am too.’”
After the call came confirming that TNA would not allow her to wrestle, De Lander said she immediately asked for her release during that same conversation.
“They called me. I had the phone call. I asked for my release on the phone call. I said, ‘Send it to me today.’”
Following that conversation, De Lander revealed that TNA contacted Warner directly and attempted to convince him to stay with the company even though she had already decided to leave.
“Then they called Mance and were kind of like, ‘Hey, you know, you can stay.’ And he was like, ‘I’m not.’”
She also explained that their contracts were already nearing the end, which made the decision easier for both of them.
“Our contracts were up in three months. And I didn’t think we were going to be renewed anyways at that point. So it felt like there was nothing left for us here. We need to leave and we need to leave now.”
The revelation makes it clear that Warner’s exit was not part of an initial plan with TNA, but rather a personal choice to stand by De Lander after the company informed her she would not be allowed to wrestle. With both now free agents, speculation has already started about where they might land next as their careers move into the next chapter.
Do you think Mance Warner made the right move leaving TNA alongside Steph De Lander, or should he have stayed with the company? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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