34-year-old ex-WWE star looks completely unrecognizable three years after release; Otis sends wholesome message
Otis sends a heartwarming message to a former WWE superstar, who almost looks unrecognizable since his release.
Otis sends wholesome message to former WWE superstar (via WWE)
Heavy Machinery was a WWE tag team originally formed in 2016 in NXT, which would go on to have a run on the main roster as well. The team consisted of Otis and Tucker and disbanded when the latter turned on his teammate to cost him his Money in the Bank briefcase at Hell in a Cell 2020.
Otis recently posted a photo on X alongside his old tag team partner. Fans were surprised to see that Tucker looked very different from the last time he was seen on WWE programming. He had cut his long hair and grown out a thick beard. This made him almost recognizable compared to his former self.
Nearly a year after he turned on his former tag team partner, Tucker, alongside several other WWE superstars, was released from the company in 2021. Following his release, the 34-year-old has been absent from the wrestling world. Meanwhile, Otis would go on to join the Alpha Academy. He got highly over with the fans during his feud with Chad Gable. He has been a mainstay on Raw and gets a lot of screentime on the red brand.
In a later interview on WWE’s The Bump, Otis revealed that he was not thrilled after WWE decided to disband Heavy Machinery. He even saw his tag team partner walking with tears in his eyes after hearing the news. He claimed that Tucker was like his elder brother, and the two had gotten very close while on the road.
Otis believes WWE had no plan for him following his Money in the Bank victory
Otis shocked the world by winning the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2020. This incident was during the height of the pandemic, and the match even took place inside the WWE headquarters. The promotion was likely looking for a surprising finish. Thus, he emerged as the briefcase winner over other major superstars who were part of the match, like AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, and Rey Mysterio.
However, the 32-year-old’s stock never shot up in the company as one would expect from a Money in the Bank winner. While speaking with Chris Van Vliet, the Alpha Academy member was unsure if WWE ever had any plans for him.
While he never expected to win the WWE Championship, he wanted to make the most of his time as Mr. Money in the Bank. Furthermore, he revealed that the winner was majorly decided based on who was healthy at the time.
Suddenly, you’re told you’re going to win it, and I’m like, ‘Oh, okay.’ But I think everything was like, again, about who’s healthy and who’s not. Testing for COVID was a factor, so there were a lot of changes.”Otis on Insights with Chris Van Vliet
Otis eventually faced The Miz at Hell in a Cell 2020 with the briefcase on the line. During the match, Tucker betrayed his teammate, and he lost his briefcase. The A-lister would then go on to cash in his briefcase on Drew McIntyre and win the WWE Championship. However, this reign would only last eight days.
Mokshit Batra
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