"A lot of people kind of looked at me as if I was the bad guy" - AEW star recalls alarming reason for rejecting another WWE run under Vince McMahon

Until his retirement earlier this year, Vince McMahon oversaw WWE's administration since its inception decades ago. While NXT was predominantly Triple H's area of expertise, when his health was put in jeopardy, Vince took over and the developmental territory underwent a drastic makeover.

Stokely Hathaway, who was associated with NXT from 2019 to 2022, has disclosed why he did not renew his contract with the Connecticut-based company. The 32-year old signed with AEW earlier this year and made his debut at the Double or Nothing event. He took on the role of manager for Jade Cargill and Anna Jay.

At All Out in September, Hathaway assisted MJF to win the Casino Battle Royale for a shot at the AEW World Championship. That same night, he introduced the world to his new faction, The Firm, featuring prominent names of the roster.

On the latest edition of Renee Paquette's The Sessions podcast, Hathaway talked about the impact and struggles the training in WWE NXT and life took on his mental well-being:

"It was really interesting because I think I would say that a lot of people kind of looked at me as if I was the bad guy. I kind of get it, or I do get it, because you know, I'm sure they're were plenty of people who would kill to be in the position that I was in. At the time, like, I just couldn't do it, you know? I never really said why. I did a comedy show and like, I alluded to it, but the wrong message came across from that show." [H/T Wrestling News]

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Stokely Hathaway claimed that the pressure of being judged in WWE affected his well-being

On the same edition of The Sessions, Stokely Hathaway talked about how he tends to over-analyze situations and would criticize himself harshly:

"I think for me, there was a lot of pressure. I think there's always a lot of pressure because I feel like as a black talent, I get judged more harshly than other people. Like, I feel like everything I do is analyzed, over analyzed, right? Obviously, everyone gets a critique, but I feel like mine is at a different level, and I'm also incredibly hard on myself. So like, it was one of those things where I'm hard on myself. I had to realize that like, it's wrestling. It's just wrestling. This isn't a live or die situation." [H/T Wrestling News]

While many transformations have taken place in NXT since his last run, it might be interesting to see The Firm's manager working with notable WWE names.

Would you like to see Stokely Hathaway manage superstars in WWE? Sound off in the comments.