Heath Slater had been with WWE since 2006 before being released on Wednesday amid a handful of talent and staff cutbacks. Despite never being considered one of the top guys, Slater always carved out a role for himself on television and was one half of the first-ever SmackDown Tag Team Champions alongside Rhino.
Taking to Instagram, Slater commented on his WWE release, revealing that he'll be free to work on July 17.
"Man, what a ride. I've literally been everywhere, and I mean everywhere. I guess you guys want to hear the bullshit, right? I'm kidding. WWE has provided me and my family with income, so we'll be okay, and experiences, opportunities, and relationships that never would have happened if I didn't work there. We all have our ups and downs, but ultimately, WWE built a dream for me, that some saw not even a reality. I am met with gratitude for that. I know that my WWE family, my wife, my kids, the WWE universe, could see that my fire was fading. That's all on me. Putting everyone else over, all the damn time, can take a toll on me. The outpouring of love from the locker room, staff, and WWE universe has been extremely overwhelming. I'm seeing now, something your accomplishments aren't what you do in the ring, but what you do behind the scenes. I had no idea how much love I had until yesterday. And that's the hardest part of letting go of this chapter of my life. I was to say thank you to the WWE family. It wouldn't work without the people behind the scenes. You gave me 14 years. And now, come July 17, I can spread my wings and fly a little bit. I feel that fire again that I didn't have. I'm ready to get in shape, legit. I feel hungry again. Very hungry. I haven't felt that in a long time. No bullshit, get ready for the encore. I'm going to comeback better than ever. That's a fact," he said.
Slater last appeared on television in February, working a couple of matches against Daniel Bryan on WWE SmackDown.
You can find a full list of released talents by clicking here.
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