Matt Striker Talks About His Future, His WWE Release, and More

The “Busted Open” radio show, with hosts Doug Mortman and Mike Riker, recently had former WWE announcer Matt Striker on their program. During the interview, Striker talks about his future, his WWE release, and more.

On being released from the WWE and if he had a feeling his time was coming to an end: “Yeah I mean it’s, it’s kind of like losing a family member. It’s kinda like breaking up with your girl. It’s…it sucks. From what I understand, the WWE is continually growing and wants to go in certain directions and invest in certain new directions and talents…and for whatever the reasons were, I was not a part of that growth process. I say this in all honesty, if the number one creative minds in the company that we all love says right now, you don’t fit in here. Even if I wanted to stomp my feet and cry and scream, I have to respect the fact that there’s a reason for everything. And if these minds are making this executive decision, who am I to oppose that? I’m sure there is a reason for it. Maybe it’s something I’m not supposed to know, but either way, it’s the decision they made and I have no choice but to respect it. 

Looking back on it, yes and no. I think in my naivety and my ignorance I didn’t want to see the writing. In the last month or six weeks, I wasn’t on any WWE programming at all. Whether it be the app or other than Superstars commentary. I was wondering if maybe there was something coming down the line, maybe they was a new idea to put me back as a manager or a competitor or whatever the case may be. But I just started to see that a lot of new faces were coming in and their marching orders were very different. And they towed that line and I always kind of seemed to, do my thing. You know I just couldn’t resist telling anyone about Nick Bockwinkel and Larry Zbyszko. And damn it no one cares.”

In regards to the current product: “Guys, you have to understand something…WWE is an entertainment company that uses wrestling as a vehicle, it’s not a wrestling company, and that’s something I had to learn. No one give’s a crap about Billy Robinson. No one cares about Mr. Saito and Mr. Fuji. All they care about is that John Cena has to take on Mark Henry and why, and I think that’s something that we all need to kind of…understand.”

On his future and if there is a place for him to ever be back in the WWE: “I appreciate when people come up to me but the people who make that decision? The three main people don’t feel that way. Which also leads me to believe there has to be a reason. I may have done something that I don’t know about that has gotten back to the WWE and they are just trying to protect themselves and me by saying, you know what? Let’s cut ties with you for a little while. I don’t know. That’s the big thing but again when you’re a kid and your mom says you can’t go out and you say why and she says because I’m your mom and I say so. And that’s it. 

I’m thankful that I have a lot of offers. I’m definitely going to explore the commercial, voice-over, hosting world. I also would like to somehow maybe get involved in sports. Maybe do some stunt work for some films. That is something that I always wanted to get involved in. I have some contacts for that. And if nothing else, I go back to my dad, who told me just do me a favor and go get your teaching degree that way if you blow your knee out tomorrow, you can always work. September’s coming around. There are six major universities within 20 miles of where I live. So I can get a job at a college, try and get a job at a high school. I’m thankful the WWE for what they taught me and now it’s my turn to go out onto the Indys when it is appropriate. And hopefully teach the new young guys that are coming up because somebody once did that for me. And if I can see one of these Indy guys on the WWE program one day, maybe I’ve done my service and contributed to the business.”

You can listen to “Busted Open” on Sirius 92, XM 208 and at www.siriusXM.com/sportszone.

 

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