Former WWE Superstar Stu Bennett/Wade Barrett recently appeared on Colt Cabana‘s Art of Wrestling podcast. The former ‘Bad News’ giver would discuss a plethora of topics from his career. Including when he ‘knew’ he had to leave WWE.
“2016 is when I left. I think it was April or May 2016, and I told them ‘okay my contract coming up. I’m not re-signing” Stu Bennett began. “They [WWE] made me a couple of offers, ‘doesn’t matter what you offer me I need to leave, I f*cking hate it here.’ I needed that change.”
Stu Bennett on Leaving WWE
Stu Bennett would elaborate further, discussing how he fell out of love with WWE. “I loved my job probably until the end of 2014 beginning of 2015” Bennett revealed.
“Because I had done some exciting things and then some not so exciting things. But I felt I at least I had this carrot in front of me and I was excited about, you know, if I keep improving. Improve my physique? I’ll try and get ripped that’ll convince [them]. Oh no, maybe I need a catchphrase? And I got a catchphrase. Or maybe I need a T shirt that’s a big seller? Maybe I need to work on my in-ring skills? There was all these things; there was always something in my head on how I can improve them and improve this, improve that.”
“I became King of the Ring, which sounds like it should be impressive, but what it was followed up With? Zero writing”
– Stu Bennett
King of The Ring
Barrett would also discuss how the ‘accolades’ he was gifted ended up having diminishing returns. “I was sliding down the card and getting opportunities that I thought were kind of wasted. Like I became King of the Ring, which sounds like it should be impressive, but what it was followed up with? Zero writing.”
He continued in frustration, “You know, 30 seconds of writing. ‘Just have them wrestle for three minutes’ and ‘Have this guy go over Stu whatever.’ Yeah, there was that level of writing, week after week after week. And suddenly after putting in the effort I had to climb up the card and get to where I want it to be? I’m rewarded with what I thought was pretty disappointing to say the least.”
“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing here. I’m completely out of control with this”
– Stu Bennett
He finished by saying, “For me it was a realization that it doesn’t matter what I’m doing here. I’m completely out of control with this, I’m waiting for one man to give us a thumbs up or a thumbs down and I’m spending my whole career waiting and hoping that I get a thumbs up next week, next week, next week.”
Stu Bennett currently serves as a broadcaster for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
