Two-time Intercontinental Champion confirms he can't appear on WWE TV in 2023 due to conditional AEW release

WWE Raw (left); WWE Smackdown (right)
WWE Raw (left); WWE Smackdown (right)

Former AEW star William Regal has returned to WWE and taken on the position of Vice President of Global Talent Development. He was released last January during the revamping of the NXT brand. The former NXT General Manager then joined All Elite Wrestling and became a key character as the manager of the Blackpool Combat Club.

William Regal left WWE after 20+ years and joined AEW but recently requested and received his release to go back to WWE. He also wanted to work behind the scenes with his son, Charlie Dempsey, an NXT Superstar. Regal requested and was granted his release from AEW by President Tony Khan under certain conditions. He stated that he did not want to be a TV character and wanted to return to the Stamford-based promotion to work behind the scenes.

In an interview on the Distraction Pieces podcast with Scroobius Pip, William Regal stated that he will not be able to appear on-screen for WWE in 2023. But he added that it does not seem to bother him much:

“I’m doing nothing else about anything or wrestling or anything for at least a year and I’m happy with that. I’m quite happy being in the background. I’m quite happy not being in the limelight, and I have been for many years. I had my time.” (H/T - WrestlingINC)

Regal's weekly presence behind the scenes at Raw and SmackDown is required due to his new role as Vice President of Global Talent Development.


WWE veteran William Regal offers advice to young people

In light of his recent appointment as Vice President of Global Talent Development for the Stamford-based promotion, William Regal has some valuable advice to share with the next generation of wrestlers.

On the latest episode of the Distraction Pieces podcast with Scroobius Pip, Regal advised some next-generation wrestlers to cherish their time and not waste it:

"It's weird. Anybody listening that's young –- I know you don't like listening to older people –- but make the most of every second you have on this Earth, because ... you get to a certain age and you hear it from all old people, time goes so quickly and we waste a lot of it." (H/T - WrestlingINC)

The two-time Intercontinental Champion left AEW after his betrayal of Jon Moxley, helping MJF win the AEW World Championship. He was written off the TV when MJF attacked him with brass knuckles. He returned to WWE in 2023.

What are your thoughts on William Regal's AEW run? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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