Baron Corbin is happy after his WWE release

by Simone Brugnoli
SHARE
Baron Corbin is happy after his WWE release
© WWE

On November 1st, WWE announced Baron Corbin's release. That news shocked fans around the world, because the company had believed in Corbin's talent and had tried in every way to turn him into a great champion in recent years.

The Stamford federation had given Baron a huge push at the beginning of his career, considering that he had been the last opponent of a legend like Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 35. The former Olympic gold medalist had not liked WWE's choice to make him lose to Corbin, having wanted to face John Cena, but in the end he accepted the will of the management.

Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin© WWE/YouTube
 

It is no coincidence that – after hearing the news of Baron's release – Kurt Angle harshly criticized WWE for a shocking and surprising decision. Corbin seemed to have finally found his dimension alongside Bron Breakker in NXT, but something didn't go right in recent weeks.

ADVERTISEMENT

Baron Corbin has fun

After leaving WWE, Corbin wasted no time and has been trying several experiences in the last period. The former WWE star has used his free time to devote himself to cooking and especially Jiu-Jitsu, which has always been one of his greatest passions.

On Saturday, November 23rd, Baron participated in a tournament called the 'IBJJF Tampa International Open', where he won the silver medal in the 'Master 2 Ultra Heavy' division and the gold medal in the 'Master 2 Open' division by defeating Diogo Rodriguez Ponciano Freitas.

Corbin has many passions besides wrestling and loves trying new things. During a recent interview with ‘SI.com’, the former WWE superstar recalled his transition from football to WWE: “I’d met a manager, he’s a band manager for a lot of bigger bands, and we were on a cruise, and he asked me, ‘What’s the next thing for you if football’s not it?’ I was like, ‘Man, I’m kind of over football so I’m ready to move on past it.’ I had an injury in my shoulder and the way it was handled to me left a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth.'”

ADVERTISEMENT

He also recalled his famous stint with WWE legend JBL: "The tides changed when everything was changing in WWE, and we went the JBL route, and I think that, you know, it struggled. I can't put my finger on why it struggled. I think that people, and John and myself, wanted more out of like ... I wanted John to be able to, like, decapitate a few people, and it was, you know, it's a process of getting him back in the ring and getting him doing that. He kind of just became like a mouthpiece for me, an introduction, you know, kind of thing, where he would get the crowd all riled up for me.

But I think we all, kind of, just wanted a little bit more from that and it just didn't click. I mean ... I'll take the fall for it. I'm happy to do that because JBL's one of the greatest of all time, especially one of the greatest heels of all time, and sometimes things just don't click."

ADVERTISEMENT

An unpopular decision

During his WWE journey, Corbin has won the United States Championship, the NXT Tag Team Championship and the 2019 King of the Ring tournament, changing his name to ‘King Corbin’ until 2021. The future of the former United States champion is uncertain right now and it is not excluded that he wants to take a break in the coming months.

Baron could devote himself to other projects and recover the right motivation before starting the second part of his career. Many wonder if he can become a new star of All Elite Wrestling, following in the footsteps of Bobby Lashley who made his AEW debut a short time ago. AEW president Tony Khan is always available to listen to such talented athletes and could revitalize Corbin after the difficulties of recent months.

ADVERTISEMENT
Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin© WWE/YouTube
 

The changes in WWE in recent times have not benefited the career of a talent like Corbin, who has struggled to find the right way and his character has not found outlets. WWE's decision to release him was perhaps the best choice for both parties, although fans and insiders did not fully understand the reasons behind this decision.

Baron Corbin has not been the last big name released by WWE in the last period. Athletes such as Indi Hartwell and Tegan Nox also left WWE, who could no longer find the right space within the federation. WWE is always forced to make painful choices for the good of the company and the product in general, even when fans can't understand them.

Baron Corbin
SHARE