Though she was never a polished in-ring performer or great talker in the context of professional wrestling, Stacy Keibler nonetheless won over fans around the world in the late 1990s and into the 2000s. She arrived during a hot period for the business, debuting for WCW at the height of the Monday Night War, before making the transition to WWE.
Related: 10 Released WCW Wrestlers That Became Stars In WWE, Ranked By SuccessKeibler was quite arguably one of the most popular figures in the company, and particularly so from the women’s ranks. Nonetheless, she walked away for good in 2006 after less than seven years in pro wrestling. That left behind questions for some fans why she’d leave the business behind, particularly when she was still in her twenties and quite arguably had more she could’ve accomplished.
Stacy Keibler’s Rise To Fame In WCW
WCW fans first became familiar with Stacy Keibler when she was known Skye, one of the more popular members of the Nitro Girls dance troupe. She stood out for her good looks and it when WCW began transitioning a number of the women from this group into roles as valets or wrestlers, it was only natural Keibler would get the nod. Skye became Miss Hancock, a heel manager clad in business suits, who had a tendency to let her hair down and dance in alluring fashion on a regular basis. This stretch saw her feud with Daffney, Major Gunns, and others, besides engaging in a romance with David Flair. She’d have a brief follow-up run under her legal name to round out her time in WCW.
From there, Keibler was one of the featured women in the Invasion angle when WCW stars crossed over into the WWE roster. After an initial run teaming with Torrie Wilson against Trish Stratus and Lita, Keibler would wrestle some, became one in a series of young women who had romance angles with Mr. McMahon, then arrived at a majority of her WWE storylines revolved around managing acts including The Dudley Boyz, Hurricane and Rosey, and Test.
Stacy Keibler Had Real Career Prospects Outside WWE
Stacy Keibler had a big break into the mainstream consciousness when she appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. Her looks, athleticism, and dancing ability charmed the television audience and judges alike, taking her deep into the show’s competition. At the time, a lot of wrestling fans followed her journey, supporting “one of their own” as she made her way into the spotlight.
Related: Stacy Keibler's Career Told In Photos, Through The YearsIn hindsight, though, her work on Dancing with the Stars feels more like her first big step away from wrestling. A much bigger celebrity coming off her run with the show, Keibler started taking acting roles. She had a high profile relationship with actor George Clooney, en route to her marriage with businessman Jared Pobre.
Stacy Keibler Had Issues With The WWE Lifestyle
As reported by The List, Stacy Keibler shared in a 2013 interview with Sam Roberts that working for WWE was “Such a grueling lifestyle and being on the road four ,five days a week, it's hard to be with your friends and family … It was just time to move on from that.” So, while WWE set up Keibler to broach a national audience, it was ultimately not a fit for her in the long term, and it doesn’t appear she had any regrets about moving on to the next stage of her life.
Stacy Keibler Has Appeared For WWE Since Retirement
While Stacy Keibler is not among those wrestling legends who’ve worked a high volume of comeback matches, nor has she even come back for a proper angle, she did make some additional appearances for WWE post-retirement. That includes appearing on a 2011 episode of Tough Enough, and introducing Torrie Wilson’s for the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Additionally, a photo of her with Randy Orton at MetLIfe Stadium before WrestleMania 35 started got some traction on social media.
Stacy Keibler is a representative of her time. She was a strikingly attractive woman whose sex appeal played nicely to the aesthetic of the Monday Night War era, despite never becoming much of an in-ring performer. Fans tend to have a soft spot for her and, in the end, she may have left at the right time for them to still remember her in a positive light, rather than her overstaying her welcome in the wrestling business.
