WWE News: Former World Heavyweight Champion Requests Release From The WWE

Many careers in the WWE are like roller coasters. One moment, a superstar can be at the top of the roster, getting a massive push and experiencing a great deal of success. The next moment, the same person can see himself losing more matches than they are winning. For the wrestler, oftentimes this affects the psychological status, which reduces their passion to perform in a WWE ring.

This rings true for former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger. Based on his collegiate wrestling background, Swagger was acquired to compete for Florida Championship Wrestling, going on an undefeated streak at one time, and also winning the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship. He would get drafted to the ECW brand, and become ECW Champion only a few months after his debut.

Swagger continued to experience success upon debuting on the WWE main roster, winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI. He would cash in the case the same week on SmackDown, defeating Chris Jericho after he was speared by Edge. His World Heavyweight Championship run would be incredibly lackluster, and he never managed to reach this pinnacle again. Since then, his career has been a roller coaster, with most of it being on the losing end.

Fed up with the direction of his career, Swagger called in to former MMA star Chael Sonnen’s podcast, You’re Welcome, to reveal some shocking news.

“I asked for my release from WWE. It’s still kind of an ongoing process right now. Basically, it came down to contract negotiations and we were way off. They didn’t value me at what I thought I was valued at. So, you know, you can’t be angry about it, because wrestling is something that you get so passionate about. But, this was a business decision. They weren’t giving me an opportunity to make the full income I could for my family. So, when you put it like that, it’s time to go.”

Sonnen added that his career started and stopped a lot, from gaining the world championship faster than The Rock, Austin, and Hulk Hogan, as well as his “We the People” gimmick. Swagger responded that it is very frustrating when a wrestler gives his all to make something work, especially making the fans appreciate and react to it, but nothing happens with it. He stated that the start and stop happens all the time, and the way professional wrestling works are much different than competing in real fighting.

As far as where he goes next, he stated that he is interested in competing for MMA very soon. Also, he would like to compete in Mexico and accept bookings from other promotions if the money is right. He stated that there are plenty of opportunities outside of WWE to make good money, and he has a chip on his shoulder to prove that he is worth the money that he asked from his soon-to-been former company.

Just a week prior on the same show, Swagger was hinting an appearance at WrestleMania 33, most likely in the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal. However, based on his request, that most likely is not going to happen. Swagger showed a bit of promise when he becomes the first, and currently only, person who switched brands after the split, moving from Raw to SmackDown Live. He had an opportunity to revive his career, as he commenced a feud with Baron Corbin. Unfortunately, for Swagger, it was short-lived, and he has rarely appeared on television since then.

Competing outside of WWE is a very good move for Swagger. Not only does he have adequate name recognition, but he can always say that he was a former World Heavyweight Champion, which is something no one can take away from him. While Impact Wrestling would be an obvious route, he could have even bigger success as a main event star for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

[Featured Image By WWE]