Brie Bella says whether she is officially retired, acknowledges bumping up exit, talks Total Divas future & WWE retiring “Divas” branding

WWE star Brie Bella says she is not officially retiring from active competition, but she is leaving WWE indefinitely to try to have children with Daniel Bryan.

Brie told WWE’s website in a new interview that the 10-Divas tag match at WrestleMania 32 was her last match. “I wouldn’t say my last match forever,” she qualified. “Just my last match that you’ll see in a while.

“I am here at home because Daniel Bryan and I want to start a family soon. Or I shouldn’t say soon – we want to start it now! We’re going to start having babies, so I have to put my career on hold.  It doesn’t mean that I’m going to be gone. I’m going to be an ambassador for WWE. But I’m going to try motherhood.”

“I just don’t know the timing of it. I don’t know if it will be a year-and-a-half, two years, or three years. So, it feels like a retirement. At the same time, I’m just not going to close that door.”

Brie confirmed that she wanted to exit around Summerslam in August, but decided that WrestleMania was the right time to have her last match. She did not address whether Bryan’s health concerns were also a factor.

Brie also compared leaving WWE the first time before returning for “Total Divas” and this current exit.

“Last time, I wasn’t ready to leave. I just felt like I had to leave because I wasn’t happy with where my career was going,” Brie said. “This time, I felt ready. I think, too, because my husband, Daniel Bryan, has not only been my number one cheerleader, he’s been my coach. He’s the one who’s made me excel in wrestling. And he’s been everything. I think not having him on the road or him not being a part of it, to him being forced to move on, it makes me feel like it’s time for me to move on.

“It couldn’t feel more right that this timing has worked out for both of us. This time, the fact that I came home to him and to Josie, and that we’re going to start this exciting new life together, it kind of made me not shed any tears.”

Brie said she will continue to be an “ambassador” for WWE and appear on Total Divas. However, she’s glad to see the term “divas” retired from WWE verbiage.

“I always felt like it had this negative feeling to it because a Diva is so much more high maintenance, and that’s the last thing we women wrestlers are. I’m really happy to see it go, just as I was really sad when I saw the original Women’s Championship go away. It’s amazing to just finally have it. So, yeah, I definitely won’t miss it,” Brie said.