Donovan Dijak criticizes WWE's release practices.
For years, both fans and people within the industry have critcized WWE and the way that they handle releases. There have been several occasions where Fightful and other outlets have found out about a release in WWE before the performer is even informed.
While speaking to Fightful for a new interview, Dijak came out heavy against the practices, noting that he will be outspoken about it until it gets fixed.
"It’s one of the most horrific business practices I’ve ever witnessed. I haven’t been in a lot of businesses. I will be outspoken about this until it gets fixed. That’s not how it should be done. They need to figure out a way to contact everybody, all at once, and let everybody know all at once that this is happening. We should not be put through this thing where you see one name come out, ‘Oh, Mustafa Ali has been released,’ and we all go, ‘Okay, I know he asked.’ I texted him, ‘Hey man, I’m sorry.’ He texted me back, ‘Yup, I think there is more coming.’ Even though I’m at a decent spot at that time in NXT, they can fire anyone. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that a guy from the main roster gets sent to NXT and then released. It’s happened many times and was a concern of mine. You’re watching people drop like flies. ‘He was just on TV last week.’ Why do they have to do it like that? The answer is, they don’t. It wouldn’t take that much thought to come up with a better way to do it. There has to be a better way. I went through 15 (release days). Ali was announced for a PLE, and was then released. I feel secure, but I bet he felt secure. The (release round) where Shane (Thorne) got released, that was the one where (I didn’t feel secure). I’m looking at my phone, Shane is texting me that he got released. My name is T-BAR, I can’t get off main event. ‘Sure, I’m at the top of this list.’ I have no credibility. I’m just staring at my phone. My wife can see it on my face. I’m starting to cry because I think I’m about to get fired and I don’t have a backup plan. Back then, I would have been fucked. Shane is still recovering from what they did to him. It was a mugging. He was ripped out of his tag team, made SLAPJACK, which is a bigger joke than T-BAR, and then cast aside for a year and released. You’re watching the names come out. We’re all on (Sean’s) Twitter page. We don’t have another source. We see one name. ‘Today is the day.’ We’re all just waiting for our name to pop up because you might find out before us. While we’re doing that, we’re looking at our phone waiting for the 203 number to pop up because that means you’re fucked. The game we’re playing in our minds is, ‘Why him?’ We’re talking to each other. ‘Braun, Bray, can you believe it.’ You hear through the grapevine, ‘I heard this guy got into an argument with Vince. I heard this guy asked for more money.’ We’re justifying it, ‘What did I do? Did I make a mistake?’ It becomes a nightmare. I don’t know what the answer is to a better way, but there has to be a better way."
Elsewhere in the interview, Dijak reflecting on working Main Event shows in 2021 and 2022. Learn more about those comments by clicking here.
Also, check out Dijak's full interview with Fightful in the video linked at the top of this article.
