"Your character has run its course" - Reason why Vince McMahon released former WWE SmackDown star
Simon Gotch recently recalled how he found out that Vince McMahon no longer wanted him in WWE.
Gotch spent three years in NXT between 2013 and 2016 before a one-year run on the main roster. The 39-year-old, whose character was based on a 20th-century strongman, received his release on April 5, 2017, three days after WrestleMania 33.
Speaking on Rene Dupree’s Cafe de Rene podcast, Gotch revealed that former WWE executive Mark Carrano contacted him to explain McMahon’s decision.
“You get calls from Carrano for one of two reasons, and I knew I wasn’t getting called up to the main roster because I was already on it,” Gotch said. “So I picked up the phone, talked to him for a few seconds. The phrase he used was, ‘Vince feels your character has run its course and we would like to exercise the release clause in your contract.’” [29:05-29:24]
Interestingly, Bray Wyatt did not think Vince McMahon would like Gotch’s personality, so he advised his former co-worker never to speak to the WWE Chairman. The former SmackDown star went against Wyatt’s advice, however, and was let go by WWE two weeks after pitching an idea to McMahon.
How Simon Gotch reacted to Vince McMahon’s decision
"AND WE ARE...MANLYYYYYYYYY!" #SmackDown #Vaudevillains @WWEDramaKing @GotchStyleWWE https://t.co/J5vsOD30UA
Having competed in just four televised matches in his last four months in WWE, Gotch was not surprised to receive a phone call from Carrano.
The former NXT Tag Team Champion almost immediately set up a merchandise store and began taking wrestling bookings.
“I went, ‘Okay,’ because at that point I was not exactly gonna try and fight it,” Gotch added. “Hung up, took my one deep breath, and went, ‘Okay, I’m still breathing. All right, let’s do this,’ and started talking to people I knew, get bookings, opened up a Pro Wrestling Tees store within like 48 hours, and went from there.” [29:24-29:46]
Gotch wrestled for MLW between 2018 and 2021. In recent weeks, he has made appearances for Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan.
Please credit Cafe de Rene and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.