Last night, the WWE Universe was shocked to see that WWE had come to terms with Austin Aries to release him from his contract with the company. Each year, WWE officials wish several performers the best in their future endeavors after WrestleMania , but not a lot of people believed the powers that be would start with a veteran like Austin Aries. As it turns out, “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” actually asked for his release.
Austin Aries hadn’t been featured on WWE programming since the WWE Extreme Rules PPV last month. A lot of people believed he’d be brought to Raw or SmackDown Live once the feud with Neville ended. There was a lot of speculation about Aries taking some time off, but the WWE Universe assumed he would be back before Summerslam . However, “Double-A” decided it was a better idea to ask for his release from WWE.
It is being reported that Austin Aries was unhappy about his position in the company and didn’t feel that he should have been pigeonholed into the cruiserweight division. Aries felt that he had much more to offer the company, but it became clear to him over the past few weeks that WWE officials felt differently. He could’ve returned to NXT, but departing WWE on decent terms was the better idea than becoming bitter and jaded.
It’s also being said that Aries had a bad attitude backstage, which lead to him having a bad reputation with a lot of the wrong people. On paper, that made it easier for WWE officials to grant him his release after Aries asked for it. His run with WWE was also derailed by injuries and his body is said to be in rough shape. As a result, it seems Austin Aries and WWE parting ways is the best possible thing for both parties right now.
Despite some issues in the ring and outside of it, Austin Aries had a great deal of success during his run with WWE. He was able to perform and help both the NXT and 205 Live brands. Aries was also able to wrestle a match on the grandest stage of them all. The WWE Universe isn’t pleased to see his run with WWE end like this, but “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” had a lot of success during his time with the company.
It’s likely that Austin Aries won’t be able to wrestle for ninety days as a result of his non-compete clause with WWE, but that will give him ample time to heal and figure out his next move outside of WWE. Someone of his talent and experience won’t have any trouble finding a promotion to wrestle for whenever he is ready.
[Featured Image by WWE]