Popular former WWE star says he rejected offer to return
Several WWE Superstars have permanently re-signed with the company after being let go in recent years. Heath Slater, one of many released wrestlers at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, has explained why he decided not to return.
Slater worked for WWE between 2006 and 2020. Shortly after leaving the company, the 40-year-old made a one-off appearance on the July 6, 2020, episode of RAW as part of a storyline with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre.
On Rewind Recap Relive, Slater said WWE higher-ups wanted him to return on a full-time basis after the RAW episode:
"What was crazy is after I left I got a phone call from TR [talent relations] and they were offering me a deal again. I told them no, of course, but it was just one of those things. They were like, 'Yeah, man, it was a great performance. Everyone was impressed. We were wondering if you could come back.'" [35:31 – 35:52]
Slater added that he only agreed to return for the RAW cameo appearance after being persuaded to do so by McIntyre. The two have been close friends for many years and used to team together alongside Jinder Mahal as part of 3MB.
Heath Slater's plan after leaving WWE
Although he enjoyed his 14-year WWE run, Heath Slater was ready to move on and pursue opportunities elsewhere after his release.
Slater went on to wrestle for IMPACT/TNA, where he suffered serious hernia and leg injuries:
"At the time, I just was like, 'No, I wanna do this, I wanna do that. I've been there this long. Blah, blah, blah, blah. This and that.' I went on and just kept doing what the hell I wanted to do. And then like you saw, I went to IMPACT and I blew my guts out and I got injured and I was on the shelf for 10, 11 months, man! So, yeah, that worked out great, huh!" [35:53 – 36:17]
The former Nexus member also gave his thoughts on whether he could return in 2024 as a Royal Rumble participant.
Do you have any favorite Heath Slater moments? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Rewind Recap Relive and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.