Former NXT star Eddy Thorpe says he felt completely shut out by Shawn Michaels before his WWE departure. Thorpe joined WWE in January 2023 after wrestling in NJPW as Karl Fredericks. He built momentum in NXT, especially in his feud over the NXT Championship with Trick Williams, but things hit a wall. On May 2, Thorpe was released during a wave of roster cuts that hit several rising talents.
Thorpe revealed that days before his last scheduled match, he had a serious mental breakdown. He reached out to Shawn, who at the time was NXT’s head booker and VP of Talent Development Creative.
Thorpe sent a message letting Michaels know he couldn’t perform and that he urgently needed a conversation. Hes appeared to respond, but the talk kept getting postponed. Meanwhile, WWE medical staff conducted multiple wellness checks.
Delay and disappointment
What Thorpe described was a painful waiting game. His messages to Michaels included: “I really need to talk to Shawn. I wanted to make sure I had my s--- together before I did it.”
When asked for a status update,he allegedly replied, “It will have to wait till Monday as I have you in the Battle Royal on Tuesday. Will that work?” To Thorpe, that was a deal-breaker. He couldn’t endure another week of uncertainty. Frustrated by the delay and feeling ignored, Thorpe requested his release, saying, “I want to leave.” Michaels, according to Thorpe, simply accepted and initiated the process.
Thorpe admitted that momentum from his high-profile championship chase had stalled, and the mental toll had grown too heavy. He said the breakdown began around WrestleMania 41 weekend his hopes were high but faded fast. He wanted clarity, face-to-face, and never got it