Keith Lee seemed set for big things in WWE after a series of impress star-making performances, but an extended hiatus due to illness and then a change of gimmick on his return that wasn't met favorably seemed to dampen things, until his inevitable release ended his changes altogether.
The shift from Limitless Keith Lee to 'Bearcat' was met with confusion from the WWE Universe with people not understanding why WWE felt it necessary to mess with a formula that seemed to be working, and Lee himself addressed the new character in an interview with the New York Post.
In response to being asked if the 'Bearcat' character didn't fit into what he was going for, Lee said: "I wouldn’t go that far along. I just think that the difference was so stark that it confused people.”
Lee elaborated that the transition to 'Bearcat' could've been handled better and in a way that made sense to the audience, ultimately he feels they were just left 'confused' by it.
“In my personal opinion, and we all have different opinions, there are different theologies in this thing," he added.
"When it comes to such a drastic thing, I think you either… with my time being out, I could have come out with that and just been different altogether, or if you were going to present me as I was and then have this sudden shift, I think it’s better done if there is a story, a reason for said shift. I think it’s a fairly simple story to tell. It’s a very subjective situation."
Why Did Keith Lee Leave WWE And Where Did He End Up?
Keith Lee and his partner Mia Yim were both released from WWE in November 2021 year along with a number of other Superstars.
He debuted for AEW on February 9 and qualified for the 'Face of the Revolution' ladder match at AEW's Revolution PPV.