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Former WWE Superstar Shawn Stasiak has revealed that the company almost fired him before making his on-screen return in 2001.
Stasiak was one of many WCW stars who appeared in an executive box at WrestleMania 17 following Vince McMahon's purchase of the promotion. Shortly before the event, he participated in an out-of-character media interview without permission from WWE's higher-ups.
Speaking on The Hannibal TV, Stasiak said WWE executive John Laurinaitis nearly fired him due to the interview.
“I almost didn’t make it back for the second tenure. I was almost fired before I could come back from my first tenure when I was fired. I was like, ‘I can’t get nothing right with this company,’ and I hadn’t even stepped foot on WWE’s soil yet. I was still in my hotel room. But somehow they said, ‘Come on down, we’ll work something out,’” Stasiak said.
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Stasiak added that he could not understand why nobody told him he was forbidden from speaking to the media after Vince McMahon bought WCW. If someone from WWE had warned him, he would have agreed not to give any interviews.
Shawn Stasiak's short-lived WWE return
Also known as Meat in WWE, Shawn Stasiak initially worked for Vince McMahon's company in 1998 and 1999 before joining WCW.
His only WrestleMania appearance took place in 2001 when cameras quickly panned to some of WWE's new recruits from WCW.
“[WWE] stuck us in a box. That was my WrestleMania moment, by the way. That’s the only WrestleMania moment that I’ve ever had, by the way. About five seconds on a camera with a bunch of guys in a box,” Stasiak said.
Stasiak held the WWE Hardcore Championship 15 times, while he also won the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times with Chuck Palumbo. The 51-year-old's second WWE run ended in September 2002 after he requested his release.
Please credit The Hannibal TV and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
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