"He was as shocked as I was" – When Vince McMahon told Triple H to release five-time world champion from WWE

For four decades, Vince McMahon was responsible for deciding when to start and end WWE Superstars' main roster careers. At times, his decision to suddenly release wrestlers from their contracts came as a surprise, even to those closest to him.

In 2017, Austin Aries established himself as a key member of WWE's cruiserweight division. The Greatest Man That Ever Lived looked set to receive further opportunities after facing Neville in three pay-per-view matches. Then, out of nowhere, he was let go by the company.

Aries revealed in an interview with Chris Van Vliet in 2019 that he was due to take a month off to heal from some niggling injuries. However, on the second day of rehabilitation, he received a phone call from his former NXT boss, Triple H:

"That was Thursday [start of the rehab] and then Friday I get a call from Hunter [Triple H] just to tell me I'm being released," Aries stated. "He said he was really shocked. He was as shocked as I was. It was per Vince."

The most significant match of Aries' WWE career came at WrestleMania 33, where he unsuccessfully challenged Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship on the kickoff show.

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Vince McMahon apparently had no plans for Austin Aries

As the founder of WWE's NXT developmental system, Triple H was in charge of Austin Aries' creative direction on the brand in 2016. The three-time IMPACT/TNA World Champion and two-time Ring of Honor World Champion soon moved to the main roster, which meant Vince McMahon controlled his booking.

Elaborating on his firing, Aries said McMahon ran out of creative ideas for his character. As a result, he was ruthlessly let go by the company:

"They just didn't have anything for me and that was it," Aries continued. "I asked him [Triple H] some questions if it was because of some contract things that we were negotiating. I literally was surprised because there were no issues. I hadn't had any issues with anybody."

Aries' last WWE match took place on July 1, 2017, against Akira Tozawa and Neville at a live event in Tokyo, Japan.

Do you think Vince McMahon should have kept Austin Aries on the WWE roster? Let us know in the comments section below.