All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Dax Harwood has opened up about FTR asking for their WWE release in 2020.
The Revival, Harwood and Cash Wheeler, joined WWE as a duo back in 2014, spending several years in NXT before getting the call up to the main roster. Ultimately, the team’s run with WWE came to an end in 2020 after being granted their requested release.
Recently, Harwood took to The FTR podcast to open up about the team’s decision to leave WWE, and how the process went down. Harwood explained how the conversation with Vince McMahon went and gave the team’s reasons for wanting to leave.
“So we had asked for our release. Initially, we were told ‘are you sure you want to do this because there’s a big quote-unquote wind of change coming, and we would love for you to be a part of it.’ We said, respectfully, we would love to have our release.
“We need to go out, make a name for ourselves, and hopefully come back and make more money but also increase our marketability for you. Vince said okay, I’ll have Mark Carrano contact you tomorrow and start the process. This was again, earlier in the year, not SummerSlam.”
Triple H apparently attempted to try and keep The Revival onboard, and although they stuck around a few months more, ultimately the team stuck to their decision and ultimately went through with the release.
“Mark Carrano called and some things led to other things and we talked to Hunter. He said, ‘we can’t let you go right now. But in six months, if you’re not happy with the position you’re in in our company than we can revisit the conversation.’
“We said okay, thank you. Obviously, we respected Hunter and had a lot of faith and trust in him anyway; we had no reason to doubt him. Come around SummerSlam time, we were pretty sure we weren’t going to be figured in, but we had done all we could to get our release.”
During their time with WWE The Revival captured the NXT Tag Team Titles twice, before going on to the main roster where they were two-time RAW Tag Team Champions, and one-time holders of the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
Currently, FTR work for both AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where they are former Tag Team Champions for both organizations.
Quotes via 411Mania
