WWE releasing a former world champion shocked everyone backstage in AEW, confirms Lance Archer

AEW star Lance Archer recently revealed that everyone at the Jacksonville-based promotion was shocked after the Sports Entertainment juggernaut released a former WWE Champion in 2021. The star in question is none other than Bray Wyatt.

The Eater of Worlds was one of the most creative minds in professional wrestling. The Wyatt Family leader presented the WWE Universe with a variety of twisted characters during his career. However, Bray's career took a shocking turn in 2021 when he was released by the Stamford-based promotion.

After suffering a defeat against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37, Bray Wyatt was taken off television and was shockingly released by the company in July 2021. However, the legendary performer made a memorable return at the Extreme Rules Premium Live Event in October 2022. Bray tragically passed away on August 24, 2023, at the age of 36.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with One True Sport, Lance Archer revealed the Tony Khan-led promotion's reaction to Wyatt's release in 2021. Archer revealed that nobody could believe that Bray had been released by WWE.

"When he got released, I think it was one of those, like nobody could believe it. I think everybody across the board in every capacity ever saw that happen and could not understand why. Like that was just the most insane—there’s guys and girls that get released all the time; sadly, some of them you can see with the writing on the wall; some of them you kind of question, you go, ‘I don’t really get that!’ or whatever. But he was one that you just went, ‘What are you thinking?’" he said. [H/T: PWMania]

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Lance Archer recalls his last meeting with former WWE Champion Bray Wyatt

In the same interview, Lance Archer recalled his last meeting with Bray Wyatt. The AEW star revealed that he met the former WWE Champion at WrestleCon in Dallas during the WrestleMania 38 weekend in 2022.

“I saw him, and I posted a picture from it when he did pass, at WrestleCon that was in Dallas [in 2022] because he still wasn’t back with the company at the time,” he said. [H/T: PWMania]

Meanwhile, Bray Wyatt's brother, Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy), recently introduced the Wyatt Sicks faction on RAW. The faction is a tribute to the former Universal Champion.