Wrestler Steph De Lander Wins Title After 2-Year Injury
Pro wrestler Steph De Lander returned to the ring last month after two years recovering from serious neck surgeries and immediately won the ACW Women's Championship. A timely text from fellow wrestler Matt Cardona helped her seize the perfect comeback opportunity.
After two years away from the ring recovering from multiple neck surgeries, pro wrestler Steph De Lander did more than just return to competition last month. She became a champion.
De Lander won the Awesome Championship Wrestling (ACW) Women's Championship in a triple-threat match against Indi Hartwell and J-Rod. The victory marked an emotional comeback after an injury that nearly ended her career.
"As soon as I got back in the ring, as soon as I took my first bump, as soon as I took some hits, my body was just lit up in the best way," De Lander told Fox News Digital. She admitted feeling nervous about whether her body could handle the physical demands again.
The comeback almost didn't happen. De Lander was initially booked to manage her husband, fellow wrestler Mance Warner, at a different event instead of wrestling herself.
Why This Inspires
That's when WWE star Matt Cardona stepped in with advice that changed everything. He messaged De Lander asking if she was cleared to wrestle, then delivered a simple truth: "If you just left because you said you wanted to wrestle, you need to wrestle this weekend."
Cardona suggested she reach out to ACW. De Lander remembered they had contacted her days earlier about availability, and this time she said yes.
The match itself felt perfect. De Lander faced her best friend of 10 years, Indi Hartwell, who held the championship. When it ended, De Lander walked away with the title.
"Our careers have paralleled each other the entire time," De Lander said about Hartwell. The two have worked together across WWE, TNA, and independent circuits in both Australia and America.
De Lander returns to action on May 16 at ACW's Reckoning event in Poughkeepsie, New York. This time she'll team up with Hartwell in a tag match against Lady Frost and Vicious Vicki.
The comeback continues for the whole family. Warner recently won the REVOLVER World Championship, making them a power couple in independent wrestling.
"Between the two of us, we're gonna have to get some new display cases because we seem to be collecting gold left and right," De Lander said, adding with confidence: "I don't think we're gonna stop anytime soon."
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Based on reporting by Fox News Latest Headlines (all sections)
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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