WWE intentionally pushed 2-time champion “down the card” before firing him (Reports)
In the last 24 hours, several WWE Superstars have been released by the Stamford-based promotion. CCO Triple H previously noted that releasing talent is a necessary part of the business. One of those released was Giovanni Vinci.
The 34-year-old star is best known for being a part of the Imperium faction alongside Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser. During their time in NXT, Giovanni won the NXT Tag Team Championship twice with Kaiser. He made his debut in the Stamford-based promotion in 2017.
Last year, in April, Giovanni was removed from Imperium after Ludwig Kaiser launched a vicious attack on his former tag team partner. WWE attempted to repackage the 34-year-old star by advertising significant video packages that hinted at a major singles push for him. However, this all came crashing down when Vinci lost his final match against Luke Gallows on December 13, 2024, after SmackDown went off the air.
Following Giovanni’s release, a new report surfaced about his standing within the company, which ultimately resulted in his departure. According to a report by Fightful Select, with the promotion producing vignettes for the superstar, some people backstage had high hopes for Vinci. However, they failed to translate this excitement onto television, and sources indicated that they believed the Italian star was pushed down, knowing he would be released from the promotion in the future.
Wrestling legend speculated that Giovanni Vinci may have had legitimate heat backstage in WWE
Before his release, he was rarely used on television despite receiving a significant push last year. While speaking on Keepin’ It 100, Konnan suggested that the potential reason for the lack of television appearances could be related to this heat.
"It's usually that [Giovanni Vinci has heat or he did something WWE told him not to do]. You've got heat, and they're not going to use you. They're not going to push you anymore. So, who knows what he did?" Konnan said.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the former member of the Imperium stable as he begins a new journey outside of WWE.