CM Punk returned to WWE after nearly a decade away from the company. That Survivor Series return brought Chicago fans to a frenzy, but he wasn’t the only return that night.
Looking Back At CM Punk’s WWE Survivor Series Return
Randy Orton needed back fusion surgery in 2022, a fact that cost him 18 months of in-ring competition. The Apex Predator also returned at Survivor Series, where he helped his team win the WarGames match. Then CM Punk returned to steal the spotlight.
While speaking to Rewind, Recap, Relive, Heath Slater discussed CM Punk’s return to WWE. He saw it as a very cool moment, but he also feels as though it overshadowed Randy Orton’s return to the ring.
“I mean it’s a thing in the wrestling world with the fans and the popularity of it. I mean, it’s a cool moment. Come on, man, it’s been a decade pretty much. It’s a cool moment.”
“Do I wish that they would have done it at WarGames? No, because I feel that Randy should have had a great moment, too.”
“Because Randy is amazing. He’s one of those Hall of Famers, icons, legends. If you sculpt out what a Superstar should be, it’s Randy. I feel like it overshadowed Randy’s moment. But, it was a cool moment, of course.”
“The whole backstage drama BS drama, it’s there. We all know it’s there. How will it be handled now? Who knows? I guess we’ll see. He can burn bridges, but he can re-build them. Who knows? Who the hell knows? For the fans and the people who watch WWE, cool moment.”
Heath Slater went on to say that CM Punk “always stuck with himself a lot,” even as leader of the new Nexus faction. Still, Slater had good things to say about CM Punk’s return to WWE being a cool moment. He might have decided against running that return right after Randy Orton’s first match in 18 months.
CM Punk’s WWE Return So Far
CM Punk’s return to WWE has been a financially successful decision. He is selling a truckload of merchandise, his name is trending, and Warner Bros Discovery may have re-entered the discussion for RAW’s next television deal just because of his return.
The jury is still out on whether CM Punk can avoid those backstage issues that he’s known for. As it stands right now, CM Punk’s homecoming is going just fine.
Heath Slater is enjoying his run in Impact wrestling. Though his start with the company wasn’t ideal and he got hurt only hours after signing a contract with the promotion. Thankfully they took good care of him during his time off.
The Impact Wrestling star recently had an interview with Paltrocast. He was asked if he intended to stay with the promotion for 2 years when he signed. Replying to it, Slater claimed that it was definitely the plan since he signed a two-year contract:
“Well, I definitely wanted to stay for two years because I signed the contract for two years. What was crazy is that the day that I signed the contract, not even four hours later I got hurt.” recalled Heath Slater, “So it was one of those, ‘Oh no, what the hell just happened?’ Type deal.
But thank God they stuck with me. They extended my contract that 11 months. It was one of those like sign of respect things where they stuck with me. They paid me throughout to where I’m just like, I tip my hat to ’em.”
‘Have My Cake And Eat It Too’: Heath Slater
After following the gruesome WWE schedule for over a decade, Heath Slater finds the Impact schedule to be very easy. He explained that it allows him to be the father he wants to be while also being a wrestler:
“With Impact scheduled, usually you’re off for two weeks. Then the third week, you go out and do the TV tapings or the Pay Per View tapings. If there is a PPV tapings, you’re still home for a full week before you have to go out.
I do get time to be the dad, the father that I am and love to be. I don’t miss out on too much anymore. It’s like I kind of have my cake and eat it too because I get to do that life, and I get to wrestle.”
You can check out Heath Slater’s full interview below:
Former WWE star Heath Slater recently appeared as a guest on Such Good Shoot podcast where he opened up about his WWE career.
One of the career highlights of the One Man Band was being part of the 3MB faction. While the group did not achieve a lot of success in WWE, it did win the heart of fans and is remembered as one of the most beloved factions.
During the interview, Slater recalled how he was the one who pitched the idea for the group to WWE officials. The former Nexus member then revealed which stars he originally wanted in his band:
“I pitch [Dean] Ambrose, Fandango, and EC3. And this is before any of them are on TV. Fandango and EC3 were on NXT season three or something. So I pitch for those three. And then they were like, ‘Okay, let me get back with you.’” recalled Heath Slater, “and this is Michael Hayes the whole time I’m talking with.”
The former WWE star finally got a response from Hayes after a few weeks. While his idea got approval, he was told that his group would not involve Ambrose, Fandango or EC3 because the creatives had other plans for them.
Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal interfered in a match of Heath Slater in September 2012. They attacked his opponent Brodus Clay and formed the 3MB. The group was disbanded in 2014 when both McIntyre and Mahal were released from their contracts.
Former WWE Superstar and current IMPACT performer Heath/Heath Slater recently spoke to The Angle Podcast. The One Man Band discussed a number of topics during the interview, including how he was offered a new WWE contract following his firing in April 2020.
Heath was one of the talents released back in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; that was at least the reasoning given publicly by talents who were let go, ‘desperately needed’ budget cuts.
Slater would however return for an episode of Monday Night RAW in July 2020 as part of the Drew McIntyre/Dolph Ziggler angle.
Heath Slater on WWE Return
The former Heath Slater noted how Drew McIntyre convinced him to return for the one-off angle in July 2020. “He’s (Drew McIntyre) like ‘man I need you there, I want you there, for me and my storyline and it will help you out too. Imagine if they offer you a contract. Imagine even if you leave after this you’ll be talked about. The eyes will be on you.”
“I talked to my wife about it and she said ‘what do you have to lose? You’re already fired’” Heath continued. “I went down there and they tried to give me a script and I gave it back to them and said I got what I want to say. They asked me to mention the last time I spoke to Drew was on The Bump.”
The former WWE Superstar revealed that following the July 2020 appearance he was in fact offered a deal to return to the company. “They offered me a contract back and it was like half of what I was making,” Heath noted. “I was like no; I need to go and find myself and do other things.”
“I never burned any bridges there, they all know me” Heath added. “I still talk to more than half of the people up there. There’s no hard feelings at all. I told them I said I just want to go and do my thing for a little bit and they didn’t blame me. They got it.”
Former WWE Superstar and IMPACT wrestler Heath Slater recently appeared on The Ryback Show podcast. The former Nexus member discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, including what it is like to work for IMPACT.
Heath was let go from WWE earlier this year due to budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Slater was one of the more shocking releases, seeing as he was a much beloved member of the roster and has a ton of experience in the WWE style.
Heath on the IMPACT Locker Room
“It’s really a chilled locker, people are very cool, they’re laid back” Heath began on the show. “But the best thing? There’s communication, you know? Like, if I text or call or email? I can expect a response.”
A number of former WWE talent have talked about the lack of communication from WWE management. Ryback himself has been very vocal about the higher ups in WWE not making instructions clear and creating a land of confusion.
“So, there’s communication. And they actually listen to your ideas to where like, I’m not really used to this!” The former Heath Slater would continue. “Like, what sucks? Is this damn pandemic man.”
Heath would then finish by saying how he misses the feel of a live crowd when he is performing. “Feeding off the people? All of that? I miss the people so much. It’s not just me, it’s everyone. Me, actors, Broadway performers, like we miss the damn people so much. It kind of feels like a practice match when you walk out there sometimes you know?”
“Except you’re in full gimmick now and people are going to see it, so you got to get moving. But my goodness, the energy from the people? I missed the sh*t out of it.”
Have you enjoyed seeing Heath’s run in IMPACT? Do you think that he’ll be part of the proposed tie-in with AEW? Who would you like to see him in the ring with if that is the case? Let us know in the comments
Heath revealed how he was actually meant to win his matchup. He shared how “I got in there and I hit three moves that I hit for the last 15 years of my career. I slide and Myers throws the clothesline. I duck it and that neck breaker felt like somebody stabbed me with a knife. I thought, oh God, what was that?”
He explained how he continued on thinking he was okay until he dropped down. Heath recalled not knowing what was happening. It wasn’t until he climbed up to the top rope that he realized the extent of the damage.
“I’ve never felt pain like that. It felt like every time I moved, somebody took a knife and twisted it. It wasn’t a hernia. The person at the hospital said I had a hernia. Then I went to a hernia specialist in Charlotte and he said it wasn’t a hernia,” Heath said. “He said I ripped my abductor muscle off the bone and I slightly tore my groin. He said I didn’t need surgery. He said once I ripped my abductor muscle, they can only suture it back to the bone.”
Heath’s Road To Recovery
Heath was told to ice the injury and “do nothing for two months.” Heath then detailed how the damage was discolored from black to blue to purple and yellow. He knew it was bad as he could barely walk at the time.
Thankfully, the worst seems to have now passed. Heath revealed he can get around easier and, although still bruised and uncomfortable, it’s nowhere near as bad. He then revealed that he is due back in January 2021.
To help with his journey back to in-ring action, Heath has been seeing a physical therapist and “hoping for the best.” Although he put on weight as he nursed his injury, he shared he has since cut back down to 235.
Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater has claimed other WWE Superstars want to join him in Impact Wrestling during an interview with TV Insider.
The former Heath Slater, now just Heath, admitted how “guys that did get released and guys from other companies have been texting and calling and asking about Impact.”
According to Heath, they’ve been telling him how they would be interested in jumping to Impact Wrestling but couldn’t because of their contracts.
“The WWE crew, some of them have been like, ‘Man, that would be awesome to do this, But I still got a year-and-a-half or another year.’ I’m like, ‘Remember what you’re saying because years go by pretty fast. So if you really want to, I might know a guy.’ The interest is there for sure.”
When asked who he’d like to join him in Impact Wrestling, Heath pointed to Curtis Axel. He admitted he and Axel have had conversations, but that Axel is “doing his thing right now and enjoying life.”
Heath is only one of a few former WWE Superstars to recently join Impact Wrestling. They were released from WWE earlier in the year as a cost-cutting measure. WWE cited COVID-19’s impact upon business as a reason for the cuts.
The former Heath Slater (Heath Miller) will make his in-ring debut for Impact Wrestling next Tuesday night on AXS TV.
Impact has announced that the four-time WWE Tag Team Champion, who is now going by just the “Heath” name, will challenge TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose on next week’s Impact Wrestling episode.
Heath first debuted for Impact on July 18th at the Slammiversary pay-per-view. He then declared himself to be a free agent, but was interrupted by Rohit Raju. Heath fought Raju off, and then had a brief backstage segment with his former WWE partner, Rhino. Heath was told to leave the arena by Impact executive Scott D’Amore, because he wasn’t an employee. This week’s Impact episode saw Heath interrupt a Moose interview. Moose invited Slater to come back next week for a match, and D’Amore agreed.
Heath was released from his WWE contract back on April 15th due to the cuts brought on by the negative impact of COVID-19. He had been with WWE since first signing a developmental deal in 2004.
Below is the current line-up for next Tuesday’s Impact episode:
* Rich Swann will make an announcement
* Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns will give an interview
* X Division Champion Chris Bey and Rohit Raju vs. Fallah Bahh and TJP
* World Heavyweight Champion Eddie Edwards will put the title on the line in an Open Challenge
* TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose defends against Heath
Heath Slater spent 14 years signed to WWE. He was released this past April in the middle of a global pandemic. Slater released a video on Instagram recently where he teases entering the next stage in his pro-wrestling career.
The video features Slater waking up from a nightmare that featured images of his WWE career.
“Leaving WWE may have not been on my terms, but moving forward the choices I make regarding my career and my life will be ONLY on my terms. Over the last 14 years, I lost the man I thought I was… but Thank God I’m finding him again,” Slater said in the posts’ comments.
“I’m ready to reignite my fire. I’m ready to be the wrestler I was meant to be, while being the father and the husband that my family deserves. Now it’s my turn and I’m going to rise. So y’all better watch the hell out.”
At the end of the video, Heath receives a “wake-up call” in his hotel room.
Impact Wrestling has been teasing that the next stage of Heath’s career could begin at Slammiversary tonight. The promotion has already confirmed that Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows will be on the show.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed Heath Slater’s appearance on WWE RAW this week. This was Slater’s first appearance on the show since being released by WWE due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and having to ‘cut costs.’
Bully Ray would mention on Busted Open how performers like Heath Slater do not get enough credit; Ray believes that Slater still has a lot of potential and that Superstars like him get ‘typecast’ by the company.
Bully Ray on Heath Slater
“Sometimes in a company like WWE? Once they have you typecast or pigeonholed or have a certain idea of what you are or what they’re going to need you to be? You can never get out of that” Bully Ray began on the SiriusXM show.
“Heath Slater was there for a long time and was always used in a certain role. He gets let go and then all of a sudden somebody on the writing team says ‘hey let’s bring him back to do this’ and within five minutes? You see the guy has range” Bully would continue. “You see what he can do. And you’re like, ‘well if he was that good last night why didn’t they do that with him for the past 10 years!?'”
Bully Ray would elaborate further, saying “I know that they put you in a certain role, and they compartmentalise you. You have your five minutes to get over and in those five minutes they decide what they’re going to do with you, sometimes for an entire career. SOME key guys and gals are able to get out of it. You know, they always talk about grabbing the brass ring. I thought last night, he [Heath Slater] did.”
Do you think that Heath Slater deserves another chance in WWE? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared his thoughts on Heath Slater’s recent return to Monday Night RAW. Speaking on his podcast The Hall of Fame, Booker T stressed how Slater’s “not a guy you want to lose.”
He explained how Slater is a talent “you want on your team” as he’s going to make sure to “pull his weight.” Booker T added how Slater is committed to playing the role he is given, whatever that may be.
“That’s what I talk in this game all the time as far as ‘hey man, just play your role tonight. Don’t try to play someone else’s role. If you do that, we’ll have a great show tonight, but if you go out there and you want to take one job then take on another job, then you got three jobs that you’re trying to take on, and then, you complain about it. You’re the one who took those jobs.'” Booker T said. “Heath Slater is a guy that’s gonna play his role, and that’s why he got the phone call. ‘Hey Heath, you want to come on back?’ That’s what it’s about.”
Booker T went on to compare Heath Sleater to WCW wrestler Brad Armstrong. He explained how Armstrong never had to worry about his job. That’s because he was a “utility guy.”
Extrapolating his point, Booker T added how Armstong could do just about anything at a moment’s notice. He noted that Slater has the same ability. He argued that this makes him a valuable talent that you can trust to get the job done.
Heath Slater made one more appearance on WWE television.
The released WWE star was featured on Monday’s episode of RAW in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on the USA Network. He did so by being part of the opening segment as Dolph Ziggler brought Slater out to do a promo with WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
Slater said McIntyre left him behind and that when McIntyre was released by WWE, he was for him, but when things flipped, McIntyre was not there for him. Slater wanted a match with McIntyre then proceeded to push and slap him in order for McIntyre to agree to the match. The match was booked with McIntyre beating Slater in quick fashion. They made up after the match once McIntyre saved Slater, who was being attacked by Ziggler.
Slater was just one of many wrestlers and staff who were released by WWE back in April. The reason at the time of this mass firings was due to budget cuts related to the financial impact of the coronavirus.
For those who are wondering as to why Slater was able to appear on the show despite the fact that he was released by the company, WWE’s mentality is that talent who were released but are still being paid until their non-compete deals expire, can still be used on television.
Slater falls into this category as he along with other talent are awaiting their non-compete deals to expire on July 15.
Impact Wrestling has teased that Slater and Rhino could be reuniting their team under their umbrella. This comes at a time where Slammiversary takes place a few days after those released by WWE in April are legally able to sign with other promotions.
One of the many Superstars WWE released in April is reportedly going to be on tonight’s episode of RAW. According to a report from PW Insider, Heath Slater will be on tonight’s show. Slater is still technically under contract with WWE.
The names WWE released in April are all to be paid for 90-days following their release. Slater is believed to be under WWE contract then until July 15th, 2020. Slater is rumored to be one of the many names headed to Impact Wrestling for their Slammiversary show on July 18th, 2020.
On a recent episode of Impact Wrestling, the promotion teased that Slater and Rhino could be reuniting their team under their umbrella. Rohit Raju told Rhino backstage during a segment that he should be treating him like a tag-team partner and Rhino responded that he has a partner already and his partner “has kids.”
“I know that by July 18, I’m gonna have to start making some moves and get my name out there again. I can do whatever I want then. I’m hanging in there until then and just working on myself – mentally and physically and all that good stuff,” said on the WINCLY podcast.
IMPACT Wrestling have reportedly looked to the free agency market to bolster their roster over the coming weeks.
Fightful recently reported that the AXS TV hosted brand are specifically looking at recently released WWE talents. With former NXT Superstar Deonna Purrazzo having already debuted there’s a chance that other released Superstars aren’t far behind.
Gallows and Anderson to IMPACT
Arguably the two biggest names, already somewhat confirmed, are Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. The former Bullet Club and OC stablemates have teased heading to AXS TV over the last few weeks, with a return to New Japan Pro Wrestling also on the horizon for the two. There have been teases for the two on IMPACT recently, with Scott D’more stating that he was on a call to some “Good Brothers.”
As we reported recently, EC3 has sent a stark warning to the AEW roster; seemingly showing his intent to debut for the TNT hosted company in the near future. IMPACT themselves have teased the arrival of EC3 over the past month, and there’s a good chance that Ethan Carter III makes his way back to the brand that elevated him to main event status.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MieE1M_b5o
Eric Young
Another name that is being considered is Eric Young. EY was once viewed as a stalwart an ‘lifer’ at TNA/IMPACT, having been a lower to mid card level comedy act with Team Canada before rising the ranks and winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in 2014; defeating now NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis.
There has not been any confirmation on whether Heath Slater will be heading to IMPACT in the near future. Slater’s former tag team partner Rhyno teased that he had a tag team partner who’s “got kids.” So there’s a more than good chance he’ll be coming into the fold.
There’s not much opportunity of these talents ‘moving the needle’ for IMPACT if they’re brought to AXS TV. However, all five are competent performers who have the benefit of being ‘underutilized’ by WWE over the past few years. This gives IMPACT the opportunity to really highlight the abilities of Gallows, Anderson, EC3, Young and Slater and it not feel like they’re purely taking scraps from WWE’s table.
Who would you like to see IMPACT bring into the company in the coming weeks? Let us know in the comments
Heath Slater was one of many names WWE released from its roster in April. All of the names released will be contractually free of any 90-day no-compete clauses in time for Impact’s Slammiversary PPV on July 18th. One name the company has teased as coming in is Heath Slater.
Slater recently posted a brief tease that he could be headed to the promotion. He took to Twitter and posted a short video of him working out with the words “July 18th” scrawled on the screen.
Impact has also teased that Slater is likely coming to the promotion. On a recent episode, Rhyno talked about having a tag-team partner who “has kids.” This was a reference to Rhyno and Slater’s team in WWE. They are former Smackdown tag-team champions together.
Who Else Is Coming To Impact Wrestling?
Impact has heavily-teased that EC3 is likely returning to the promotion.
Additionally, it is now being reported that the chances of Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson ending up in Impact is strong. Anderson and Gallows are believed to have been offered a deal that would allow them to work for NJPW as well.
D’Lo Brown teased a return of the Aces and Eights faction last week. That could mean the return of some names that had been associated with the group. Gallows was formerly a member of Aces and Eights as well.
Taynara Conti’s name has come up as someone who could be Impact bound as well. Conti and Scott D’Amore recently began following each other on Twitter. She has also been interacting with some of Impact’s roster through Twitter as well.
The Crown Jewel travel woes made a lot of headlines last year and recently released WWE star Heath Slater was one of the stars who was stuck in the country after the show while rumors about their situation ran rampant.
The former champion recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about a number of things and also discussed their controversial trip to Saudi Arabia.
Slater said that it’s one of those things where you know something’s up but you don’t know what it is. He then added that he still doesn’t know the truth about the situation:
“It’s one of those things where you are there and you know something’s up but you don’t know what’s up, but we all got out okay. I still don’t know the truth. I heard there were mechanical reasons and it was this and it was that.
When I was on the plane, I fell asleep for five hours and when I woke up,” recalled Heath Slater “I looked over at Hawkins. I’m like, ‘Where are we at’ and he says we haven’t even left yet. ‘That’s when I was like, ‘What the heck?’
The former Nexus member recalled how they got off the plane after this and went over to the hotel. They got back on the plane after some wait and it finally left the country.
WWE held the Crown Jewel PPV in Saudi Arabia on October 2019. After the show, it was reported that a charter flight carrying most of the WWE roster including Slater and many other stars had been delayed.
This delay caused many rumors including one claiming that there was animosity between WWE and Saudi Arabia because the Kingdom had failed to pay the promotion for their previous shows but this was never proven.
Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater has responded to All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes recent comments. Having been released from WWE, Cody was asked during a Q&A Session if the promotion had any interest in hiring Slater. His response was to the point: “No to Heath.” It’s a response that Slater believes is a “bad business decision.”
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Heath Slater recalled how he discovered Cody’s comments two days after the Q&A. One of his friends sent it to him bringing it to his attention.
“Me and Cody have never had harsh words or nothing you know? We never disliked each other, but I know how Cody is. When he said it I was like ‘he’s either serious,’ which he very well could be who even knows? Or ‘he wants me to react.’”
Heath Slater shared how Cody knows he isn’t one to keep quiet. Instead, he’ll be open about how he feels about any given situation. He referred to Cody’s words as a head scratcher: “[…] it’s one of those things where I’m like ‘you didn’t even scratch your head and think about it?’”
Heath Slater stressed how the reality of his experience is that he is a 14 year veteran in pro wrestling. He added how he has “wrestled everyone underneath the sun.” His argument indicated that his wealth of experience would be something AEW could benefit from.
Now that Heath Slater is no longer associated with WWE, he is excited to be able to show “what I want, and do what I want. Bad business decision [by Cody]? Hell yes.”
Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater believes the promotion never let him ascend higher than the “second shelf” during his time with the company. Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Slater explained how WWE works on a tiered system, which he referred to as shelves.
Heath Slater broke down his analogy, explaining how “You start at the bottom shelf, then there’s always that top shelf. Then? You got the middle shelves, you know, it’s just like at a grocery store. But I felt like, for some reason? I’m always on that second shelf, and could never get to the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth shelf.”
Heath Slater On The Shelf
Heath Slater continued, adding how whenever WWE wanted to use him, they would take him off the second shelf. After they were done, however, they would put him right back there. Frustrated with never being able to get higher than his perceived placement, Slater wanted to know why WWE never allowed him to climb to the third or fourth shelf.
He stressed how he can have great matches with any Superstar and “make them look amazing” and couldn’t understand why he was never given the opportunity to prove himself.
Heath Slater is clearly eager to embrace future opportunities now he is no longer with WWE. He confirmed his no-compete clause expires in July. Until then, he’s working on himself to ensure he’s the best version of himself when he’s finally able to start taking bookings.
Heath Slater has the opportunity to take advantage of the current competitive environment for the first time in his career after getting his release from WWE last month and he has a plethora of options to choose from.
The former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about things like his release from the company, the coronavirus pandemic and more.
During the interview, Slater discussed his WWE contract and the One Man Band revealed that he will be a free agent on July 18 as this is when his non-compete clause expires:
“I know that by July 18, I’m gonna have to start making some moves and get my name out there again. I can do whatever I want then. I’m hanging in there until then and just working on myself – mentally and physically and all that good stuff.”
When asked what he wants to do in his future, Heath Slater said that he wants to hit all the platforms because he has never had the opportunity to do so:
“Honestly, I want to hit all the platforms. The reason why is because I’ve never had the opportunity to. I wanna do the indies. I wanna go to some of the big indie promotions and have a good time.
Heath continued by name dropping promotions such as TNA, NWA and AEW as potential places for him to work at and said that he just wants to go out there and have fun.
Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater recently appeared on the Chris Van Vliet podcast. The ‘One Man Band’ would discuss a number of topics from his time with the company and what he plans on doing now that he has hit the independent circuit.
Two names that Heath said he wants to face in the ring are NJPW and Japanese Wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi and AEW’s Kenny Omega.
Heath Slater on Meeting Tanahashi
Heath would tell a story of when Tanahashi visited the FCW developmental territory while he was there. “I remember Hiroshi Tanahashi came to FCW, and this was a decade or so ago? No longer than that. This was when FCW finally got into the warehouse” Heath Slater began.
“He [Tanahashi] came down I want to say he was with Yoshi [Tatsu]? He came down for a visit and just talking and shaking hands and stuff but then left. And then, he was huge in Japan! But I remember him just talking and stuff.”
Heath elaborated further, saying “I remember seeing these clips and everything and then people reminded me ‘that was him, that was him!’ I was like ‘oh crap!’ And then he became the mega star over there in Japan to where I would like to go and work him over there.”
Kenny Omega
Slater would then discuss his time in WWE’s Deep South developmental territory, where he worked alongside another extremely notable talent, Kenny Omega.
“Kenny Omega. You know, I worked him back in the developmental days of Deep South” Heath Slater would reveal. “That’s the only match we ever had, and we were babies, you know? I would like to work him again. I feel like we can kill it.”
Who would you like to see Heath Slater mix it up with on the independents or otherwise? Let us know in the comments.
Heath Slater was released from WWE along with many others last month. He had been with the promotion since 2006. From the Nexus angle to 3MB to having kids, Slater’s career in the company lasted almost 14 years. He recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet about his release from the company.
“I was there for 14 years and a pandemic had to take me out,” Slater said. “14 years is a good run. 10 years on the main roster. I have no ill words to say. It’s just one of those things, hell, they gave me everything I’ve got.”
Slater was 22 when he was signed to the company and reported to Deep South Wrestling shortly after.
“The only thing I have to say is ‘thank you,'” he continued. “But now I’m 36, I still feel like I’m active, young and I can still go out there and do some things. I just want to do things that I never was able to. I’ve never been to another federation! I’ve been in WWE the whole time.”
“It gives me a chance to spread my wings and fly like I never have,” Slater continued. “Like a new baby bird leaving the nest.”
Did Heath Slater See His Release Coming?
Slater also addressed if he saw his release coming.
“I saw the writing on the wall for a couple of years,” he said. “The only reason I say that is I was never really into anything after me and Terry/Rhyno.”
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has addressed the status of his former 3MB stablemates Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal. Speaking with Metro, McIntyre acknowledged Slater’s recent release from WWE. He revealed how the former-Superstar already has a “game plan he’s forming.”
Having been fired from WWE in the past, Drew McIntyre used that time away to reinvent himself. He eventually returned and ultimately claimed the WWE Championship. He shared that he is currently giving Slater advice on what to do now he is no longer with WWE.
The WWE Champion is confident that Slater will “really get to show the world what he’s capable of.”
According to McIntyre, there’s no reason Slater won’t take over the world, be brought back to WWE and get another opportunity, just as he was.
Drew McIntyre On a Jinder Mahal Feud
Turning his attention to Jinder Mahal’s recent return to Monday Night RAW, Drew McIntyre confessed he isn’t sure if fans would buy into a feud between them right away. He acknowledged that they have a “legitimate, real story” that can be built on.
McIntyre shared how Mahal needs a bit of a run first, allowing him to “build up some steam.”
Once that’s done and the time is right, only then should they come together. “Aside from what people saw on television, besides the fact he won the title before me and everyone kind of crapped on it, then I won the title and everybody kinda praised it.”
Drew McIntyre is set to defend his WWE Championship against Seth Rollins this Sunday. The two clash at WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater has reflected on his time in The Nexus. Slater recently joined SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radiowhere he broached the subject. He shared the moment he felt was the “beginning of the end” for the stable. Slater added how he believes they should have “taken over” at SummerSlam.
“My goodness, I wish we could have had our hands and our grip on it a little more because it died way too soon,” Heath Slater stated. “And we all know this, like, everyone knows this: I mean, SummerSlam, we should have took over. Period. We should have won.”
Heath Slater On Shifting Gears
Reflecting on the loss, Heath Slater stressed how the Nexus shifted from “from fourth to second gear” in one night. He added how they worked hard to earn their spot in the company as a top heel group and felt their SummerSlam loss squandered a WrestleMania payoff.
“We couldn’t wait a few more months to ‘Mania, so you could have a mega-group that could surely just destroy us or whatever. But, like, it should not have ended at SummerSlam, man.”
With Heath Slater now gone from WWE, only one member of the Nexus remains with the company: David Otunga. The group burst onto the scene with a violent takeover on an episode of Monday Night RAW. Unfortunately, the group wasn’t able to maintain their momentum which shifted drastically at the hands of Team WWE at SummerSlam 2010.
Heath Slater had been a company man for WWE from a long time and the former Nexus member has spent most of his wrestling career working for WWE in various roles.
However, the former 24/7 Champion is not associated with the company anymore and for the first time in his career, he has the option to choose from the various opportunities that are available in the wrestling world right now.
Slater recently appeared on the Chasing Glory podcast and talking about his future, the former SmackDown champion said that there are many cool things in the wrestling world right now and he wants to dabble into some of that:
“I have never been outside of the WWE. You know, I
never got to go to Japan. I’ve never been to any other federation. AEW is amazing,
they’re doing good stuff, [they’re] good people. Impact is doing good things.
I’ve never ever got to go to ROH; they have so much good talent coming from
there. Even NWA is back up with their old school stuff.
There are so many cool things out there that you can do, that’s what excites me.” said Heath Slater. “I want to dabble into some of this because I have never in my life done it. This is like a new journey for me.”
The former NXT star also claimed that he was burned out in
his position at WWE mentioning how he had been on the road for more than 10
years.
Heath Slater started his wrestling career in 2004 and he was picked up by WWE in 2006. He had been featured on WWE programming regularly ever since his main roster debut in 2010 before being released earlier this month.
MVP has shared some praise for recently released WWE Superstar Heath Slater. Taking to Twitter, MVP replied to a fan who shared footage of a Slater promo from SmackDown back in 2016. In his tweet, MVP recalled how the two developed a friendship. He also spoke about the respect he had for Slater’s work ethic and commitment to pro wrestling.
Recalling a story during their time in WWE developmental together, MVP shared how Slater had come to work for Deep South TV for free. He highlighted how Slater “WORKED his way into a developmental contract.”
At the time, Slater believed he couldn’t cut promos that engaged or entertained. After talking about his promo insecurities, MVP was taken by how charismatic Slater was. He shared how he had a “HUGE personality” before stressing that Slater needed to bring that attitude and personality to the mic.
MVP implored Slater to keep practicing his promos skills, something MVP stressed he did, pointing to the shared promo as sufficient evidence.
I was in WWE developmental with Heath. He came in for Deep South TV for FREE. He literally WORKED his way into a developemental contract. He told me he couldn't cut promos. We talked about it. I told him he had a HUGE personality! Bring that to the mic. PRACTICE! He did! OH BABY! https://t.co/WRUfZxLlvJ
He spoke about feeling the fire inside him once again. Slater then confessed that he’s looking forward to getting into “legit” shape as he prepares for a comeback post-WWE. He added how his approach is “No bullshi*, get ready for the encore.”