"A lot of people thought I got fired" - AEW star MVP makes stunning revelation about his WWE exit

Current AEW star MVP recently opened up about the reason behind his WWE departure in 2010. He also recalled how many people thought that he was fired from the Stamford-based promotion.

MVP made his WWE debut in 2006 and became a United States as well as a Tag Team Champion during the run. After his departure in 2010, the veteran returned to the Stamford-based promotion in 2020 and had a memorable run as a manager before eventually announcing his exit last year. He is currently part of The Hurt Syndicate in AEW.

On his Marking Out podcast, MVP recently discussed his first WWE exit in 2010. The former United States Champion shockingly disclosed that people thought he was fired, but he actually asked for his release from the promotion because he wanted to join New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

"A lot of people thought I got fired, I asked for my release. I had a year left in my deal, they were offering me a five-year deal. And at that point, I wasn't happy anymore, I lost my passion for wrestling, and I wanted to wrestle again. I asked for my release so that I could go to New Japan, and it reinvigorated my love for wrestling," MVP revealed. [13:18 - 13:43]

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MVP convinced a current AEW champion to leave WWE with him

MVP convinced current AEW World Tag Team Champion Bobby Lashley not to renew his deal with WWE. Speaking with the Chicago Sun-Times, MVP revealed that he brought both Lashley and Shelton Benjamin to AEW to form The Hurt Syndicate after the success of The Hurt Business.

“I was sitting next to Bobby in catering and said, ‘We got to get out of here.’ [He told Lashley], ‘Don’t re-sign. Let’s get Shelton and go across the street [to AEW]. Our story is not finished,'” MVP said.

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MVP has recalled telling Bobby Lashley not to re-sign with WWE and instead go "across the street" to AEW, after WWE released Shelton Benjamin in September 2023: “I was sitting next to Bobby in catering and said, ‘We got to get out of here,’” "[He told Lashley], ‘Don’t re-sign.

The Hurt Syndicate is set to defend its AEW World Tag Team Championship against the winners of an ongoing eliminator tournament at Forbidden Door 2025.

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Please give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription and credit Marking Out if you use quotes from the article's first half.