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Erick Rowan Discusses Being Blindsided By WWE Release, How Things Ended With The Company, What Paul Heyman Told Him Before His Release

August 31, 2020 | Posted by Blake Lovell
Daniel Bryan Rowan Smackdown 5-7-19

On a recent edition of The Chris Van Vliet Show, former WWE superstar Erick Rowan discussed being blindsided by his WWE release, his character changing after the draft, what Paul Heyman told him before his release, and much more. You can read his comments below.

On being blindsided by his WWE release: “I mean, going from being used every week, having no inkling that I was gonna be let go, and then being told the last day I was used I was in good standing with the company to just a complete blindside and a ‘Bye-bye, see ya later.’ No thanks for your service, just goodbye. That was the initial blindside bitterness of it all. Yeah, you feel banished and cast aside.”

On how his character change impacted his status: “I thought I was doing well. I thought I was getting a character that was most me and I was feeling disrespected with the whole Daniel Bryan/Roman Reigns storyline, things were looking bright for me I thought. Then the draft happened. I was informed I’d have a cage, and I wouldn’t talk anymore, which was a giant step back. But you do your job. As many ideas as I pitched during the whole cage storyline – they fell on deaf ears.”

On what Paul Heyman told him before being released: “I went to Heyman and I said ‘Am I OK? I couldn’t make this work, and I feel bad I couldn’t make it work.’ Because I’m proud of what I do in the ring and at work. It is an art. You’re given whatever on a piece of paper and you have to make it work to the best of your ability as a performer. It’s no different than in acting. You act out a scene – it could be the crappiest script you’ve ever read in your life but you try to make it work to the best of your ability because it’s your job. Directly to me face he says ‘Don’t worry we’re killing the cage, better things are coming, you are in good standing with the company.’ Now that I look back I was like was he chastising me, did he know something I didn’t know? But why tell me something like that?”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit The Chris Van Vliet Show with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.

article topics :

Erick Rowan, Blake Lovell