WWE’s Candice LeRae Honors Indi Hartwell During SmackDown

WWE’s Candice LeRae Honors Indi Hartwell During SmackDown

As a long-time WWE fan with a soft spot for underdog stories, I must say I was genuinely moved by Candice LeRae‘s tribute to her former tag team partner, Indi Hartwell. It’s not every day you see such raw emotion and camaraderie in the ring. The image of Candice holding up her hand, as if Indi was still there, was a poignant reminder of their bond and the magic they created together.


Last week, fans were disheartened as WWE let go of three notable figures from their roster: Indi Hartwell, Tegan Nox, and Baron Corbin. This sudden move took everyone by surprise. Tonight, during SmackDown, Candice LeRae, a friend and previous Tag Team partner of Hartwell, paid tribute to her as she stepped into the ring for her match against Bayley. Fans observed that when LeRae made her entrance, she mimicked their shared gesture of raising her hand in the air to high-five, much like they used to do together upon entering the ring. This action seemed significant and was later affirmed when LeRae liked a post about it.

Candice still holding up her hand as if Indi was still there. #SmackDown

— kelsey (@itsmekelsey_x) November 9, 2024

Kelsey placed two pictures side by side to highlight a special moment, and it’s a touching homage to her Tag Team partner that might have been overlooked during the event. You can take a look at this pairing in the post directly below, which carries the message, “Candice still keeping her hand up as if Indi was still present. #SmackDown.

The announcements took everyone by surprise, particularly concerning Hartwell, who had been a regular on TV and had stepped up her appearances on SmackDown in the last week. Notably, Hartwell responded to her WWE release via an Instagram post following the news break, concluding with the words “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” You can read the entire post below.

In the post, Hartwell shared that she lived out a dream she’d had since childhood for the past five years, and she is incredibly thankful! She’s an Australian woman who refused to accept limitations and turned her dreams into reality. It all began with a match in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, and fittingly, it concludes there as well. Instead of crying because it’s over, she encourages others to smile because it happened.

[RELATED: Emma Addresses Her WWE Release]

After my 90-day non-compete expires, Hartwell and I will both hit the free agent market, much like Nox. It’s unclear when Corbin’s contract terminates, but once it does, he too will be available to collaborate with other wrestling companies. These three wrestling stars are highly valuable additions for any company, and I, as a fan, can hardly wait to see what exciting moves they make next!

Johnny Gargano also recently shared support for Hartwell, and can’t wait to see what she does next. “Obviously, everybody knows what Indi means to me and Candice, we absolutely love and we absolutely believe in her,” Gargano told Metro.co.uk. “We still do believe that she’s so incredibly young, I think she’s got a lot to offer the wrestling world, and I am very excited to see what she shows the wrestling world. I think she’s got untapped personality, untapped potential. I think when she’s able to finally show that to the world, people are gonna latch on.”

LeRae is persistently advancing her narrative with Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton, as the Women’s Champion of WWE Speed seeks to widen the gap between Jax and Stratton and establish a strong alliance with Jax. Tonight, she demonstrated this intention by assisting Jax and Stratton in their match against Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Remarkably, she succeeded in doing so during the game itself.

Sadly, Stratton refused assistance from LeRae and began shouting from the ring that their efforts were unnecessary. This action caused a rift, leading to the Tag Team Champions regaining victory. Unfortunately, this outcome won’t mend the already strained partnership.

It’s likely that we’ll witness Hartwell returning to the wrestling arena shortly, and regardless if it’s TNA, AEW, New Japan, or numerous independent promotions, her inclusion in the Women’s Division would significantly enhance their roster.

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2024-11-09 07:39