After contributing to the broadcasting team of WWE's NXT program over the last few years, Beth Phoenix has announced that her final day in the role will take place this Sunday.
Phoenix's announcement comes shortly before the WWE event, WarGames, which is set to broadcast live on December 5. Phoenix has been a member of the NXT commentary team since her full-time debut in the role in May of 2019.
Phoenix's announcement was shared on her Twitter account. In her statement, she mentioned that the upcoming WarGames event will be her final night in NXT. Phoenix clarified that she will continue to be a member of WWE but has chosen to move away from the weekly broadcasting schedule in order to spend more time with her family. She went on to thank a number of WWE personnel, including her fellow NXT commentators Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett.
Phoenix was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the 2017 class. She joined previously inducted women wrestlers The Fabulous Moolah, Sensational Sherri, Mae Young, Wendi Richter, Sunny, Trish Stratus, Lita, Alundra Blayze, and Jacqueline. In addition to her Hall of Fame status, Phoenix's list of WWE accolades includes her impressive stat as a 3-time WWE Women's Champion and her 204-day reign as Diva's Champion. Her husband, Edge, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012, and together, they share two children, Lyric and Ruby.
Phoenix will have a stacked show to commentate for her final appearance on NXT television. The match card includes a hair vs. hair match between Cameron Grimes and Duke Hudson, two championship matches, and two WarGames matches. The current NXT Tag Team Champions, Imperium, will take on the team of Kyle O'Reilly and Von Wagner, while the NXT Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong takes on Joe Gacy. The women's WarGames match will be between the team of Dakota Kai, Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jane and the team of Cora Jade, Io Shirai, Raquel González, and Kay Lee Ray. The men's WarGames match will be a fight between Team 2.0 (Tony D'Angelo, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Bron Breakker) and Team Black & Gold (Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, and LA Knight).
Despite her weekly appearances on commentary, Phoenix does still wrestle on occasion. In 2020, she wrestled in the Women's Royal Rumble where she was one of the final 3 women. Phoenix's husband Edge returned to WWE programming this past Monday after a short absence and is already preparing for his next match.
Phoenix's announcement of her departure from weekly broadcasting does not mean that she may not make an appearance at the annual Royal Rumble event in late January. Given the recent string of releases in WWE, Phoenix could still be one of the women to wrestle in the Royal Rumble match.
WarGames will stream live on Peacock on December 5, 2021.
Source: Beth "Phoenix" Copeland