Becky Lynch, Renee Paquette and others react to William Regal's WWE release
NXT General Manager William Regal has been let go by WWE after an iconic 22-year stint with the company.
Regal will go down as one of the most revered personalities in pro-wrestling history. He started wrestling way back in the 80s and spent the final two decades in WWE.
Several superstars, as well as fans, posted tweets in reaction to Regal's WWE release. Check out some of the most notable tweets below:
Eternally grateful that Regal gave me a chance when I was nothing. I owe so much to him. https://t.co/ML4c4KgICa
At my WWE try out, I was terrified thinking "I can't do what I usually do, WWE wouldn't want that"and Regal made me feel so comfortable, telling me to curse, spit,be as drunk as possible and just be myself, and that he loved what I do. My biggest regret is not grinding on him♥️
Regal taught me so damn much. Especially one thing that I take into every match that has made me 10x better. Forever grateful for that @RealKingRegal twitter.com/fivestarzora/s…
.@RealKingRegal is a man I hold the utmost respect for. A dear friend who always, without fail, makes me smile, and what better gift? He also made me a better, tougher performer and pulled me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to new heights. He’s a real man(s) man. https://t.co/WNDdJjJsvE
King status https://t.co/R7DaBhIHvi
If it wasn't for William Regal a lot of your favorite guys wouldn't be on television. He got so many of us "indie guys" an opportunity. He will never take credit for that, but he deserves his flowers for helping and molding this generation of wrestlers. #ThankYouRegal https://t.co/ib8GFIHHzE
William regal was always straight up and respectful when he didn’t have to be every time I seen him. #WilliamRegal
William Regal forever
William Regal needs to treat this sacking as an opportunity and start doing a podcast with Conrad Thompson where he talks about 70s and 80s British comedians
I was wrong when I said the last of the black and gold NXT died last night. It died this afternoon. Imagine thinking it wasn’t worth it to have WILLIAM REGAL around anymore with all of that young talent. 🤡
Imagine firing William Regal
LMAO.
William Regal fired.
Imagine letting William Regal, who gave his life to all that talent, go...
DO YOU NEED ANY MORE PROOF!??!??!
"its just business they didn't need regal anymore he's not even a wrestler he was a sunk cost if ur not using some1 u may as well cut costs I h8 2 say it but its just the biz amazon lays off trillions of Worker per year n ur worried about wwe wow touch grass its just business" https://t.co/sOuGUKw5fu
William Regal excelled in every role during his WWE career
In WCW, he was a four-time World TV Champion. Regal kicked off his 22-year WWE run in 2000 and did quite well as a bad guy for the better part of his run. Be it Regal's heel alliance with Lance Storm, Christian, and Test (famously called The Un-Americans), or being King Booker's stooge, or his various runs as an on-screen authority figure - Regal excelled in everything.
WWE icon and current AEW star Bryan Danielson is just one of several wrestlers who learned a lot from Regal. Bryan had major praise for the veteran in a WWE interview:
“One of the things that’s cool to me about William Regal is that he’s a gentleman. He is professional in every aspect of the word. He shows up to the building, and he’s wearing a suit and looks presentable. Also, he’s got that quiet toughness. Some guys are very brash and want to wear their Affliction shirts, but he’s not that guy. You know he’s tough, but he never has to say anything about it. He’s somebody who came up in a different era," said Bryan.
Despite never winning a world title in a top promotion, William Regal will go down as one of the best wrestlers in history. His impact on the wrestling business is unmatched, and it won't be an easy task to find a replacement for him in NXT.
What was your favorite William Regal moment during his run with the company? Sound off in the comments below!