The Undertaker's wife Michelle McCool reveals why she suddenly left WWE in 2011
MICHELLE McCOOL revealed that her relationship with WWE legend The Undertaker played a big part in making her leave Vince McMahon’s promotion.
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McCool retired from professional wrestling in 2011 after losing a No Disqualification, No Countout Loser Leaves WWE Match to her long-time partner Layla at Extreme Rules.
The inaugural Divas Champion married Undertaker a year before and admitted that things quickly changed as many people started treating her differently.
According to Give Me Sport, the four-time women’s champion started to feel too much pressure backstage as it seemed like some thought she was using it to help her get to the top.
The ex-Women’s Champion remembers a writer lashing out claiming they wanted to make it “the Michelle McCool and Undertaker show”.
Leaving was tough because it got to a point where - I was dealing with so much, mostly being Undertaker’s girlfriend while I was on TV
Ultimately the 39-year-old didn’t feel like she could go on because she didn’t want to end up hating something she grew up loving.
McCool told Lilian Garcia in Chasing Glory: "I can literally count, on one, maybe one and a half hands, how many people treated me the same from WWE pre-Mark [Calaway, Undertaker’s real name] and post-Mark.
"And news flash, Michelle McCool didn’t change. I’m still me.
“So, there were a ton of people that now found out I was dating Mark, ‘Oh, I better change my tune and be super nice.’
“And you know, I’m not that type, I’m gonna call you for it, because I haven’t changed.
“I’m not acting any different. Like don’t treat me any different.
“I think it says more about the people that see it that way, just because I personally wouldn’t treat somebody like that.
“But on the bright side, it also shows you who your true friends are.
“Leaving was tough because it got to a point where - I was dealing with so much, mostly being Undertaker’s girlfriend while I was on TV.
“There was even a writer who threw the papers up one day and said, ‘Why don’t we just call it the Michelle McCool and Undertaker show.’
“I went to Vince on numerous occasions and said, ‘I don’t want to hate something that I grew up loving so much. The longer I stay, the more I get this sour taste in my mouth.’”