For many athletes, earning a WWE contract represents the dream. For former HBCU track star Darci Khan, it became the moment the Howard University alum realized she needed to walk away from her wrestling persona, ‘Masyn Holiday.’
Known to wrestling fans as Masyn Holiday, Khan announced this week that she has left WWE after battling severe depression and anxiety during her time in the company’s developmental system. Rather than continuing to chase life inside the ring, the former HBCU champion says she’s returning to something that has always grounded her: art.
“I was very, very, very unhappy at that job,” Khan said in an emotional video posted to social media. “My depression and anxiety [were] at an all-time high. I lost myself. I would look at myself in the mirror and not even know who I was anymore.”
It was a vulnerable revelation from someone many viewed as one of WWE’s brightest developmental prospects.
From Howard Hurdles to the WWE Performance Center
Long before fans knew her as Masyn Holiday, Darci Khan built one of the most accomplished track careers in recent HBCU history.
After beginning her collegiate career at Kentucky, Khan transferred to Howard University, where she flourished both athletically and academically.
She became a three-time MEAC champion, earned multiple program records in the hurdles, captured the prestigious Penn Relays 100-meter hurdles title, competed on the NCAA national stage, and represented herself at the USA Championships.
Her accomplishments extended beyond the track.
Khan graduated from Howard University in 2024 as valedictorian with a degree in Art/Studio Painting, balancing elite HBCU athletics with a demanding fine arts curriculum.
That rare combination of athleticism, creativity, and personality eventually caught WWE’s attention.
The company signed Khan in late 2023 through its Next In Line (NIL) program, making her one of the few HBCU athletes to enter WWE through its collegiate recruiting pipeline.
A Rising WWE Prospect
Under the ring name Masyn Holiday, Khan steadily climbed WWE’s developmental ranks.
She competed on WWE EVOLVE, wrestled NXT dark matches, and became a featured performer on WWE: Legends & Future Greats (LFG).
Holiday also became part of the ROAR Records faction alongside Layla Diggs and Nikkita Lyons, where her athletic background translated naturally into an explosive in-ring style.
Coaches frequently praised her rapid development, while fans viewed Holiday as someone with legitimate long-term upside.
Her final televised WWE match came on the June 7 episode of LFG, where she defeated PJ Vasa.
At the time, few outside the company realized she was preparing to leave professional wrestling altogether.
“It Wasn’t My Purpose”
Khan explained that her departure wasn’t driven by anger toward WWE.
Instead, she realized that the career she had worked so hard to build simply wasn’t where she believed she was meant to be.
“I’m not saying WWE is bad,” she explained. “I’m not bashing nobody at WWE. I love the people there. But for me and my purpose on this Earth, it just wasn’t aligning.”
She admitted she had wanted to quit for months but stayed because she feared what came next.
Everything changed during a practice at the WWE Performance Center.
After praying before training and journaling beforehand, Khan said she broke down emotionally when one of her coaches asked what was wrong.
When she admitted she no longer wanted to wrestle, the coach responded with a statement that validated everything she had been feeling.
“Honestly, I can see it on your face every day.”
Khan later met with head coach Matt Bloom and officially resigned, thanking WWE coaches and staff for everything they had done to help her during her development.
Returning to Her First Passion
Rather than pursuing another athletic opportunity, Khan is returning to the discipline that existed alongside her record-breaking HBCU career.
The HBCU graduate has launched The Khan Artist, a YouTube channel dedicated to painting, creativity, and teaching non-traditional art techniques.
She says her long-term goal is to become an educator while building a creative community centered around visual arts.
In many ways, the transition represents a full-circle moment.
While hurdling her way to championships at Howard, painting served as a creative outlet that helped balance the pressures of elite competition.
Now, following her departure from WWE, that same passion is becoming her full-time focus.
An HBCU Story Bigger Than Sports
Khan’s announcement resonates beyond wrestling because it reflects a growing conversation across sports about mental health and personal fulfillment.
From becoming a Howard University valedictorian and one of the nation’s top hurdlers to earning a coveted WWE developmental contract, Khan accomplished goals many athletes spend a lifetime chasing.
Yet her message wasn’t about walking away from success.
It was about recognizing that success without purpose comes at a cost.
For HBCU fans who watched her dominate the track before stepping into a WWE ring, Darci Khan’s next chapter may ultimately become her most authentic one yet—not under arena lights, but behind a canvas, helping others discover their own creativity while protecting the mental health she says she nearly lost chasing someone else’s dream.