Lana ‘shocked’ to be considered WWE Legend, always ready for TV return
Lana was “shocked” when she got the call from WWE offering her a Legends contract.
The deal was signed by Lana (CJ Perry) around the time her husband Rusev returned to WWE in April 2025. After recently announcing the news publicly on her Identity Crisis podcast, Lana received some backlash on social media over being considered a WWE Legend. She addressed that on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, saying she understands there’s a big gap on the legends scale between her and someone like Randy Savage. Still, Lana is thankful to be considered part of WWE history.
“Oh my gosh. I’m like, I’m still processing it,” she said about the Legends contract. “It’s funny because I would say it’s been kind of controversial. One of the biggest things that I had on my podcast last week was announcing that I’m a WWE Legend. And you thought I stole their Christmas presents or something, you know? People were so mad. People were like, ‘It’s a stretch’ and they’re fighting, and then other fans are coming in and defending me. So I just want to acknowledge, I understand. I was that shocked too. I absolutely understand that there’s a huge difference between the character Lana and Randy Savage on the legend scale. I get it. But this is what WWE calls their contracts, post being a full WWE Superstar.
“They called my agent. My agent called me. I was crying. I was shocked. They gave Miro a contract and they gave me the WWE Legend contract at the same time. I’m so thankful. I’m so, so, so thankful.”
Along with the merchandising opportunities the Legends contract offers, Lana said the deal could potentially allow her to be reintroduced back into WWE storylines in the future. She would love for that to happen whenever the time is right.
“Of course, you know, I would love to. And I just think it’s all about timing and story,” Lana told Van Vliet about a possible return. “But I’m always ready. I’m always ready.”
Lana was released by WWE in 2021 and later had a stint in AEW with Rusev. She has not wrestled any matches since her first WWE run.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.