Dean Ambrose left many people in shock after it was announced that he won't be part of the WWE as of April.
The talented star is said to have rejected a five-year deal and a reported major pay hike from the company. He is now likely to join new promotion AEW after his current deal expires, prompting reactions from all over the WWE.
Former WWE performer Sean "X-Pac" Waltman has since weighed in on Ambrose's decision. Speaking on his podcast, X-Pac 12360, the former D-Generation X star pointed out that the WWE will need to be careful with their handling of the 33-year-old on his way out.
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“You don’t abuse someone like that on their way out. You don’t shame them, or humiliate them because you want them to come back," he explained.
"It’s like the statement WWE made. A lot of people say, ‘Oh, this must be a work because they never come out and say this type of thing,’ this is a different time and Dean Ambrose is not a talent that you go ‘we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors’ to because you want him back at some point.
"You use him to do honors for other people on the way out but within reason. Dean Ambrose came back from his time off in shape, looking good. His whole game was on point, every aspect was on point. He’s either going to show up in AEW or he’s just gonna go out and find himself.”
The WWE also reported having granted Hideo Itami a release this week. The Japanese wrestler spent five years with the company but was quite unlucky, given the serious injuries he suffered whilst at NXT.
"I think around the time that he signed with WWE, no one had more of a buzz in wrestling than KETNA," Waltman said. "This guy is pound for pound the best in the world. That’s the kind of talk you heard about. I am just thinking [about] how he’s so great of a performer, everyone likes him too, you don’t hear anything bad about him, behind the scenes or any other matter. Just what a string of bad luck for him.”
What This Means
There's still a bit of skepticism surrounding Ambrose and his decision to leave the company. The WWE isn't known for making such announcements regarding their talent, especially not this long in advance. But X-Pac is correct, they need to handle his exit with extra care as it's possible he comes back someday.
Itami, on the other hand, never managed to hit the heights with the company, through no fault of his own. It's also possible that he catches his star elsewhere and returns in future as well.