Cathy Kelley spent a lot of time at WWE NXT and many are wondering why she is leaving the promotion after several years at the top

NXT TakeOver: Portland was an emotional moment for Cathy Kelley as confirmed she was leaving the WWE after four years.

The 31-year-old had already made a name for herself by hosting several shows before she was signed by WWE in 2016.

Kelley was one of the best performers in the backstage area and took some quality interviews during her time.

She even broke into the SmackDown show in December after most of the stars were stuck outside the US.

Kelley continued that role in January 2020 too but confirmed in February that Portland would be her final WWE show.

She even posted a long and emotional message and thanked the WWE for all they had done over the years:

pic.twitter.com/QxbdqhkZpB

— Catalina Kelley (@catherinekelley) February 14, 2020

Could Cathy Kelley be joining a WWE rival?

The 31-year-old didn’t mention where her future lies but the last paragraph of her message did explain she isn’t sure of what lies next for her.

Cathy Kelley also claimed that this wasn’t a goodbye and hinted that there could be a future where she returns to WWE.

Many stars posted emotional messages to Kelley on her Twitter profile and it will be interesting to see how things go with her in the coming months.

https://twitter.com/NikkiCrossWWE/status/1228376280250437632?s=20

Appreciate the patience and the tips you’ve given us over last 2 years. Where ever you go next we know you’ll kill it.

See ya round. pic.twitter.com/ZV2OI7MKB1

— Flash Morgan Webster (@Flash_Morgan) February 15, 2020

My heart is truly torn – I want you happy first and foremost.. but for selfish reasons I want you to stay ! I love to positive energy you always bring! I love you 💕 & support every choice you make ! pic.twitter.com/acazflg3xd

— Ashley Sebera DB 4eva (@AshleySebera_DB) February 15, 2020

Kelley seems to be one of the most popular characters in the backstage arena, and even Triple H had a lot of praise for her (h/t Wrestling INC):

“This is very bittersweet for her. It’s funny because I knew she was leaving a while ago and it took her forever to come and talk to me about it. She didn’t want to break down and become emotional about it. I just told her that it’s not ‘goodbye’ as it’s ‘see you down the road.’ Life’s crazy and you could end up back in the same path and doing the same thing.

“There’s so many ways we could work together. She’s phenomenal and we have other people in the pipeline – that’s what we do here.

“I’m thankful for the time she spent with us and I’m sure we’ll see her down the road as well.”

AEW and other promotions could be the answer for Kelley as several WWE stars have made the jump in recent months.

Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho are two of the top performers in AEW and they joined after their WWE contracts ran out.

Kelley hasn’t said much about her future yet, but she should remain in the media business.

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