Bronson Reed Claims He'd Signed 3-Year WWE Contract Extension In 2021
Was expecting a call-up to Raw or SmackDown
Former NXT North American champion Bronson Reed was released from WWE on August 6, along with about a dozen other talents. Of all those releases, Reed's seemed to be the most surprising.
Reed himself was especially taken aback. Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, the heavyweight wrestler revealed he'd signed a three-year extension with WWE earlier in 2021.
“I started at the start of 2019 on a 3-year deal. Only at the start of this year, I signed a new 3-year deal,” Reed says. “I was blindsided that halfway through the year that I was released. Also with where I was placed in the card and how I was utilized, I didn’t think it was coming.”
The news of Reed's release broke during that night's broadcast of SmackDown, which Reed claims he was watching that night when he got the call.
“I was under the impression the last few months with WWE, I would be moving to a SmackDown or a RAW. When I got the call, I assumed it was about going to RAW or going to SmackDown," Reed remembers. "I was quite happy on the phone and ready to hear that news. When the call was that I was getting released, that mood completely changed. I was in shock and awe. I made sure to question why, and they didn’t really give me a reason at all, which is even more frustrating because then you question yourself. Like, ‘what happened?’ I think shock was the initial reaction, but then I was more angry than upset.
"There was a lot more that I could have done, but that got taken away. But now I see that it is an avenue for me to do that somewhere else.”
(Credit to Wrestling Inc for transcription)
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
