“Really just disheartening,” 36-year-old star discloses he was ‘close to retiring’ from wrestling after feeling frustrated in WWE before release 

Elias now goes by the name Elijah on the independent circuit.

“Really just disheartening,” 36-year-old star discloses he was ‘close to retiring’ from wrestling after feeling frustrated in WWE before release 

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Former WWE Superstar Elias was released by the company in September of last year. Before his departure, he wasn’t used much as a wrestler and only appeared for short segments. Recently, the 36-year-old star talked about his growing frustrations with WWE in an interview. 

While talking with Aliaster McGeorge from Metro, Elias expressed his frustration about being used only for minor backstage segments. The former 24/7 Champion admitted that he considered retiring from wrestling completely before being released by WWE. He stated that he was not someone who just liked to sit around and collect paychecks; instead, he preferred being actively involved.

YouTube video

He confessed that waiting on the sidelines for so long was causing his passion for wrestling, which he once had as a kid, to fade. Elias was not the only one to feel that way, as the current AEW Women’s Champion, Toni Storm, also admitted that she lost interest in WWE after not receiving enough opportunities there. Before his release, the 36-year-old star portrayed his younger brother, Ezekiel, and feuded with Kevin Owens.

FS Video
The fact that I just kinda was relegated to like short backstage – it was so frustrating that I was like, "You know what? Maybe I’m done with wrestling." Maybe I’m just you know, I’m just over it. And to not have that happen was really just disheartening, you know what I mean? So I didn’t really know what I do after.
Elias via Metro.co

Their feud came to a climax when the two wrestled each other at Hell in a Cell PLE, with Owens emerging victorious. After their feud ended, the ideas for him were eventually dropped, and he was released from the Stamford-based company. He is currently active in the independent wrestling scene and goes by the name Elijah.

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Elias reacted to Joe Hendry’s concert night on NXT Great American Bash

Joe Hendry has been on a meteoric rise as of late. Although he was popular among wrestling fans because of his viral theme song, he benefited the most from the TNA-WWE partnership. Recently, he held a concert and performed a song with his guitar, taking shots at Booker T and Gallus.

Elias and Joe Hendry
Elias and Joe Hendry (via WWE)

While fans and the audience loved the Scottish star’s concert, the same can’t be said about Elias, aka Elijah. He took to X and expressed his frustration with a GIF, stating that he couldn’t bear to watch Hendry’s concert. The 36-year-old star was known for singing with his guitar from time to time, much to the fans’ liking.

Hendry, on the other hand, last wrestled on the July 26 episode of NXT in a 6-man tag team match. Unfortunately, his team, which included Je’von Evans and Shiloh Hill, lost to Gallus. It will be intriguing to see when the Scottish star wrestles again in WWE.

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