Beth Phoenix Left WWE NXT Commentary Due To Her Daughter's Christmas Wish

Beth Phoenix joined the "WWE NXT" commentary team in May 2019 and lasted 2 ½ years in the booth before leaving the gig behind in 2021 after WarGames. While on "Stories With Brisco And Bradshaw," the WWE Hall of Famer explained why she made the decision to exit her role in "NXT."

"When I was traveling every week, it built up a lot of anxiety in the kids," Phoenix shared. "I ended up leaving the full-time job because Ruby asked Santa Claus if Mommy could stay home ... She didn't ask for a toy. She sat on Santa's lap and said, 'I want my mommy to stay home.'" 

But in the time it took for her shift into her position, it was not always smooth sailing for the three-time WWE Women's Champion. Phoenix opened up on the podcast about the struggles she faced, especially in the early days of her journey. "That was one of the toughest things I've ever done in my life," Phoenix said. "It was kind of something that terrified me and intimidated me ... I didn't have confidence in myself at all," adding that she had a lot of difficulties making adjustments at the start but was aided by her commentary partners Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett. 

Over time, she was able to feel more comfortable on the headset, even growing to eventually love it, with an idea as to how the audience perceived her voice on commentary. "Auntie, Auntie Beth, because I feel like the young generation looked to me like a comforting, comforting voice."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Stories With Brisco And Bradshaw" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.