37-year-old criticizes WWE's "horrific" release system
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H has helped vastly improve the company's products since taking over the creative duties in 2022. However, recently released WWE Superstar Donovan Dijak feels there are still some things that need to be changed.
Dijak has taken it upon himself to address it consistently until the Stamford-based promotion makes some significant changes. During an interview with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, the former NXT star called the company's approach to releases ''one of the most horrific business practices'' he'd ever witnessed.
Despite having a reasonably successful run in NXT and getting a call-up to Monday Night RAW during the 2024 WWE Draft, Dijak parted ways with WWE last month after the promotion seemingly didn't approach him with a new deal.
During the interview with Fightful Select, the 37-year-old urged the Triple H-led promotion to ''figure out a way'' to contact everybody and apprise them of the company's decision.
"It’s one of the most horrific business practices I’ve ever witnessed. I haven’t been in a lot of businesses. I will be outspoken about this until it gets fixed. That’s not how it should be done. They [WWE] need to figure out a way to contact everybody, all at once, and let everybody know all at once that this is happening. We should not be put through this thing where you see one name come out, ‘Oh, Mustafa Ali has been released,’ and we all go, ‘Okay, I know he asked.’ I texted him, ‘Hey man, I’m sorry!’ He texted me back, ‘Yup, I think there is more coming!’ Even though I’m at a decent spot at that time in NXT, they can fire anyone," Dijak said.
The 37-year-old pointed out that WWE does not need to release talents abruptly.
"It’s not out of the realm of possibility that a guy from the main roster gets sent to NXT and then released. It’s happened many times and was a concern of mine. You’re watching people drop like flies. ‘He was just on TV last week.’ Why do they [WWE] have to do it like that? The answer is, they don’t. It wouldn’t take that much thought to come up with a better way to do it. There has to be a better way. I don’t know what the answer is to a better way, but there has to be a better way," he added.
Stevie Richards urges Triple H to bring back former WWE Champion who was fired three months ago
Unlike Dijak, Jinder Mahal was featured in some major segments on the main roster before his release in April 2024. The Modern Day Maharaja worked a much-raved in-ring promo with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and even contested for the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins in January 2024.
Wrestling veteran Stevie Richards brought up the Indian-origin wrestler's name recently on Cafe de Rene. Richards believes Triple H should bring back Jinder because the company owes him something other than the tired "anti-American Indian" gimmick.
"Think about that, though. Bring Jinder [Mahal] back during this and see what Jinder can do. He was so hamstrung with that old school, you know, anti-American Indian gimmick, which is just like, whatever! You know what I mean. You owe it to a guy like that. Bring him back and give him the run he needs," he said.
During his run in the Stamford-based promotion, Jinder Mahal had a 170-day reign as WWE Champion between May and November 2017. It will be interesting to see if The Modern Day Maharaja returns for another stint with the Sports Entertainment juggernaut in the coming days.