'%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,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE let go of numerous Superstars earlier this year due to the financial issues brought up by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the Superstars to be released by the Vince McMahon-led company was Mike Bennett, who was released along with his wife, Maria Kanellis.
Mike Bennett, in an interview with WrestlingInc, revealed that he was unhappy with WWE even before his release. He said that he had asked to be released from his contract on three occasions, but he did not get a reply from the head of talent relations. He was adamant about leaving the company, and was unhappy with how the head of talent relations treated him, as they did not reply to his message for eight hours.
He called them "unprofessional", following which he publicly asked for his release from WWE.
Reaction of Vince McMahon to Mike Bennett's public release request
He said that he had to take a stand for himself and that's why he went on social media to ask for his release. He said that Vince McMahon was "pis*sed that he went public rather than talking to them.
"I did everything they asked me to do, and they still ignored me and they treated me like that. And eventually, you get to the point where you're like, 'well, you can keep kicking dirt on me, or I'm going to stand up and fight for myself, and as a man and as a dad and as a husband, I was like, I'm not going to sit there and let you just berate me and not treat me with respect.' And so that was kind of the final straw because I know. I know when you say stuff like that, it doesn't hold the company in a good light, and talent relations called me, and they said Vince is pis*ed. My reaction was, 'good'. That was my thought. I went good."
Bennett also said that his wife Maria, did not want to ask for her release from WWE, and that she was happy doing what WWE asked her to do.
Bennett asked for his release from Vince McMahon's company in October 2019 just a few months after signing a new deal.
He and his wife were eventually released in April 2020.
