"I was in shock and awe" - Bronson Reed's immediate reaction to his WWE release
Former WWE Superstar Bronson Reed has opened up on how he reacted to the news of his release, stating that he was in 'shock and awe.'
During his recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Bronson Reed revealed that he was informed of his release while he was watching SmackDown:
"It was definitely shock," said Bronson Reed. "I got the call while I was watching SmackDown. I was under the impression the last few months with WWE that I would be moving to a SmackDown or a RAW. When I got the call, I assumed it was about going to RAW or going to SmackDown. I was quite happy on the phone and ready to hear that news. When the call was that I was getting released, that mood completely changed."
He assumed that he was getting called up to the main roster, but his mood changed when he found out his time in the company was up. He went on to elaborate on how he felt and what he did in the immediate aftermath of receiving the news:
"I was in shock and awe," he added. "I made sure to question why and they didn't really give me a reason at all, which is even more frustrating, because then you question yourself, like what happened? I think shock was the initial reaction, but then I was more angry than upset. There was a lot more that I could have done, but that got taken away. But now I see that it is an avenue for me to do that somewhere else."
The former NXT North American Champion was released from the company over a month ago alongside several other wrestlers including Jake Atlas, Kona Reeves and Bobby Fish. This was during WWE's trimming of its roster due budget cuts.
Bronson Reed on what he can and can't use following his WWE release
Just got released from @WWE
This monster is back on the loose ... you don't know WHAT you've just done.
#WWE
.@AEW .@IMPACTWRESTLING .@njpw1972 .@ringofhonor https://t.co/9h5I2G4L1J
Since WWE owns the intellectual property of most talent names, nicknames, catchphrases, etc., there are certain things that wrestlers can and can't use in other wrestling promotions after their departure.
Bronson Reed asked for and received clarification on the matter following his release:
"Yeah I made sure when I was getting released to ask as many questions as possible, so going forward it makes it easier," he continued. "Not just with wrestling but with the immigration side of things. I asked the things to do with intellectual property and Bronson and those sort of things. I'm glad that I did. At the time I was going to go back to Jonah or call myself Bron. Now I am glad that I didn't, because now Bron Breakker is on NXT 2.0. I made sure to get a discussion with those things on what I can and can't do."
Bronson Reed had a decent run on NXT, and he's a talented wrestler. It wouldn't be surprising if he landed in AEW or IMPACT Wrestling in the near future.