Mike Kanellis on WWE Release: ‘We Didn’t See It Coming”

Mike (Kanellis) Bennett was among a long list of roster cuts from WWE today as a result of the ripple effect of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. Currently, both live events and weekly events are not generating revenue from ticket sales, due to the national stay-at-home restrictions preventing large crowds. Although WWE has been considered an essential business as of the recent amendment by Florida Governor Rob DeSantis, there is still no revenue being generated from ticket sales, as well as the substantial loss WWE was hit by due to canceling WrestleMania 36 in Tampa and taping at the Performance Center instead.

Bennett went to Twitter to express his thoughts on being released from WWE. He started by saying, “it sucks. We didn’t see it coming.” He also spent time to thank the fans who have supported him and Maria Kanellis-Bennett during their time in WWE and the indies. Bennett passionately expressed his feelings on other members of his WWE family being released, stating, “my heart breaks for them. I know them, because I traveled the road with them. They’re super talented. But, beyond that, they’re good humans. They’re good people. They’re family people. They’re hard workers, and I’m so proud to call them friends and co-workers.

https://twitter.com/RealMikeBennett/status/1250535454941892610?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

He ended the video thanking the McMahon family and Triple H, and “everyone who let this little kid in a grown man’s body live out his dream.”

Frustrated at his current status with the company, Bennett asked for his release from the WWE last October, stating that working one day a week is just not cutting it for him, and he has “never been okay with just collecting a paycheck.” WWE, however, did not grant him his request, and instead started working at NXT live events and on the 205 live brand alongside former cruiserweight champion Tony Nese.

Follow Chris Featherstone on Twitter @chrisprolific, and the Pancakes and Powerslams Show @cravewrestling. Subscribe to the Pancakes and Powerslams Show via the Crave Wrestling Facebook page.