Former WWE star Kacy Catanzaro has candidly shared her ongoing battle with feelings of inadequacy despite her eight-year tenure with the company. In a revealing interview with Chris Van Vriette, Catanzaro, who performed under the ring name Katana Chance, discussed how her untraditional path into wrestling left her feeling like an outsider even nearly ten years in.
Catanzaro’s journey was distinct from most wrestlers who typically have years or even decades of experience before joining WWE. Coming directly from her success in American Ninja Warrior with no prior wrestling background, she struggled to fit in upon entering WWE’s Performance Center in January 2018. She recalled feeling like a newcomer constantly, noting that she was surrounded by peers with far more wrestling experience.
Despite her accomplishments, including winning the NXT and main roster tag team championships alongside Kayden Carter and delivering memorable moments such as a Royal Rumble save involving a handstand walk, Catanzaro never fully shook the sensation of being out of place. When asked about her mindset, she admitted feeling somewhat disconnected from the craft.
The deeply ingrained culture and traditions of wrestling made her integration more challenging. She acknowledged how sacred the wrestling lifestyle is to those who grow up in it and how her different path made her stand out, especially in earlier years compared to now.
Her experience reflects how WWE has shifted its recruitment strategy over time, as recruiting athletes from diverse backgrounds without conventional wrestling experience has become more frequent since Catanzaro’s arrival.
This sense of being an outsider also affected her mentally, contributing to a career crisis in 2019 after a back injury at the Royal Rumble. Though the injury wasn’t severe, it led her to deeply question her future in wrestling while coping with the pressures of the Performance Center environment.
Nevertheless, Catanzaro persevered, finding success, particularly in her partnership with Kayden Carter. However, her recent release from WWE on May 2, 2025, has sparked uncertainty about what lies ahead. Reflecting on her journey, she expressed uncertainty about whether her wrestling career is finished and admitted she still has more to offer, despite never wrestling before turning adult.
Catanzaro’s story provides insight into the difficulties faced by those entering the wrestling world from outside traditional paths, highlighting the lasting emotional impact of feeling like an outsider even at the highest levels of the industry.
Fan Take: Kacy Catanzaro’s experience underscores the evolving nature of WWE’s talent pool and the unique challenges athletes face when stepping into wrestling without a traditional background. For WWE fans, her story is a reminder of the hidden struggles behind the spectacle and suggests future success could come from embracing a wider variety of talent pathways in the sport.
