'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUI/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM1yBf/EAB8QAAIBAgcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQFAQMRAhASExRBUv/aAAgBAQABPwBYasoJWQ5q+a59bTxSIxW2fV47y//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQIBAT8Af//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABMf/aAAgBAwEBPwBw/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE released several superstars in 2020, including NXT UK wrestler El Ligero. In a recent interview, the 38-year-old acknowledged that personal problems led to his departure from the company.
Ligero, real name Simon Musk, was accused of inappropriate conduct as part of the Speaking Out movement online. The allegations resulted in the luchador receiving his release from WWE and English promotion Progress Wrestling.
On Developmentally Speaking, Ligero opened up about the real-life issues that caused him to lose his job:
"I got released in 2020 because of personal problems that I brought upon myself. It was no one else's fault or anything like that. It's something that to this day, three years later, I'm still completely accountable for and completely responsible for. It was personal problems that were long embedded in me psychologically that I failed to get a grip of and failed to be responsible for." [47:37 – 48:06]
Following his release, Ligero said he began therapy in an attempt to become a better person and take his life in a more positive direction.
What has El Ligero been doing since leaving WWE?
The Leeds-born wrestler faced several well-known names in NXT UK, including JD McDonagh (fka Jordan Devlin), Kassius Ohno, Matt Riddle, and Noam Dar.
Since his WWE career ended in 2020, Ligero has worked as a personal trainer:
"I started studying to be a personal trainer during the lockdowns, not because it's something I wanted to do as a job, but because I needed something to focus my mind on. I just lost my dream job, again, through my own actions. I'd just started therapy and I lost a lot of friendships that I had to work really hard to both get over and try and work through." [50:33 – 51:02]
Ligero's final WWE match aired on the April 2, 2020, episode of NXT UK. He competed in a 28-minute Battle Royal, which Ilja Dragunov ultimately won.
Do you have any memories of watching El Ligero? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Developmentally Speaking and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
