New reports have emerged regarding the surprising decision by WWE to release Bray Wyatt last year.
The 35-year-old departed the company in abrupt circumstances in July 2021.
WWE released a short statement on their official website at the time, which read: “WWE has come to terms on the release of Bray Wyatt. We wish him the best in all his future endeavors.”
The year 2021 was a big year for releases in WWE. A total of 80 Superstars were released from their contracts. The biggest names included Jeff Hardy, Braun Strowman, John Morrison, Big Show, Mickie James and Nia Jax.
But there was one name that shocked fans more than any other – Bray Wyatt.
What has Bray Wyatt done since his WWE release?
In wrestling terms, the short answer is that fans have seen little of Bray Wyatt since his WWE release. He has not stepped in a competitive ring since his last WWE appearance, in April of last year.
Wyatt has since teased a return to wrestling shortly. Earlier in June, he changed his Twitter name to ‘Wyatt 6’ – the number six coincidentally being the month and date of the Raw after Hell in a Cell. However, rumours of his imminent return to WWE turned out to be false.
The 35-year-old, who utilised an alter ego titled ‘The Fiend’ during his later WWE days, is a three-time world champion within the company. He was also highly popular amongst fans. ‘Fiend’ masks can still be seen adorning the faces of various fans in attendance at WWE events.
His character was also profitable for WWE in terms of merchandise sales. That begs the question: Why did WWE release Bray Wyatt?
More details emerge on Bray Wyatt’s release
Since Wyatt departed from the company, there has been speculation about the exact reason behind his unexpected release.
Speaking on the Wrestling Observer Radio (quotes via WrestlingNews), Dave Meltzer has reported an update on why Wyatt was released from the company.
He explains: “You can make the argument for Bray Wyatt becoming a big star, and he was absolutely a huge merchandise seller. You can also make the argument that he was not a success. I know people there who have made the argument that, ‘Oh, he’s one of the most over guys. He sold a lot of merchandise’.
“He was fired for reasons having nothing to do with being over or not over, and he was not fired having to do with his gimmick. He was fired having to do with things that I probably shouldn’t talk about, so I’m not going to start a can of worms. It’s got nothing to do with that.
“He also had health issues, as far as being kept out of action and everything like that.
“The argument against him was that, you know, with the exception of Daniel Bryan, pretty much everybody he worked with got destroyed by him, and was left for [expletive]. They had to rebuild and had to turn heel.
“There was the argument that he was more harm than good, other than the fact that he sold a lot of merchandise. They obviously felt pretty highly of him, considering they signed him to a contract for almost $4 million a year… I think he was third-highest paid in the company.”
Despite these reports, however, both WWE and Wyatt have stayed silent when it comes to discussing his release from the company. Whether either ever breaks their silence may be a matter of waiting patiently.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
