Bray Wyatt's backstage relationship with Vince McMahon has expectedly been a central talking point on social media following the former WWE champion's release.
PWInsider revealed several details regarding Bray Wyatt's WWE exit and confirmed his release was due to budget cuts.
Sources within WWE told PWInsider that Bray Wyatt's relationship with Vince McMahon was topsy-turvy and 'ran hot and cold at times.'
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Based on all the rumors coming out of WWE, Bray Wyatt's WWE departure was placed in the same category as other high-profile releases such as Braun Strowman.
The report specifically noted that Bray Wyatt did not ask for his release, nor did he do anything backstage that influenced the company's decision.
Here's what PWInsider reported, which explains Bray Wyatt's inconsistent stints on WWE TV:
"Others noted that Wyatt and Vince McMahon's relationship behind the scenes ran very hot and cold at times."
"We are told that Wyatt was called by John Laurinaitis (who wasn't even at TV this week as he's in the middle of moving back to Connecticut) and informed it was simply a budgetary decision and not something Wyatt had done."
Bray Wyatt's highs and lows in the WWE
WWE has focused on balancing its finances during the COVID-19 era, and there seems to be no end in sight to the spree of releases.
Fans didn't foresee WWE releasing a 3-time world champion who was also one of the top merchandise sellers in the entire company. Bray Wyatt joined WWE in 2009 and underwent multiple gimmick transformations during an impactful 12-year run.
While the 34-year-old star attained world title success in WWE, numerous ill-timed booking decisions stunted Bray Wyatt's growth as a complete performer.
The Fiend went from being an invincible character in WWE to a gimmick that needed severe on-screen rehabilitation, and it seems like Vince McMahon's constantly changing relationship with Bray Wyatt could have played a role in his character's mismanagement.