'%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)
What's the story?
Earlier this month former Wyatt Family member and former Bludgeon Brother Luke Harper publicly announced his intentions to leave WWE and stated he had made an official release request to the company. Now Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has more details on what WWE's response was.
In case you didn't know...
Fresh off of one of his best matches in the company in some time during the 'Worlds Collide' show against Dominik Dijakovic, Harper announced via social media that he was calling time on his WWE career.
With other Superstars like TJP, Hideo Itami and Tye Dillinger also receiving their release from the company, it seemed like a given that Harper's request would be accepted as well.
The heart of the matter
However, Dave Meltzer reports that WWE seem to be putting their foot down against talent publicly requesting their release from the company in order to increase the likelihood that it's granted,
Right now the WWE side of things regarding Luke Harper is that he is not going to be released and they’ve added six months to his contract because they’ve said that his contract term that was to end in November, has been added to because it was frozen due to his time off for wrist surgery. So their viewpoint is that he can’t leave until just before next year’s WrestleMania.
This would put Harper in a similar situation to former WWE Superstar Neville who walked out after an episode of Monday Night RAW and was made to see out the rest of his contract on the sidelines.
What's next?
Meltzer speculates that WWE is trying to discourage people from leveraging the public to increase the chances of their requests to leave being accepted, referencing the fact that Dustin Runnels (Goldust) denied he was leaving and is now in AEW.
If Harper's request to leave has indeed been denied, it's unclear if he will do what Neville did and completely sit out from wrestling, or if he'll continue being an on-screen personality.
Do you think WWE should just let Luke Harper leave? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
