Mike Kanellis reveals why he requested a release from his WWE contract

WWE Superstar Mike Kanellis appeared in the latest edition of The Smarks & Stripes podcast where he discussed the status of his contract with the promotion, why he had to ask for his release, his opinion on the current main roster talents, among other topics.

Mike Kanellis in WWE

Kanellis and his wife, Maria, signed a deal with WWE in 2017 when he was one of the biggest Superstars in the independent wrestling circuit. However, he didn't get to enjoy a significant run on the promotion which resulted in Kanellis requesting for a release in the past month. While WWE is yet to grant him the release, Mike hasn't been seen on RAW or SmackDown since he made the announcement public.

In the podcast, the former WWE 24/7 Champion mentioned why he had made up his mind on leaving the company although they have been very supportive of him in his battle with addiction.

For me, it was all personal. It had nothing to do with the company. Since the minute I got to WWE, they've treated me great; they've treated my wife great; they've treated my daughter great. They've treated me great. When I came out and said that I had an addiction, there was no negativity from anybody - it was just constant support. (H/t: Wrestlinginc)

After triumphing over his battle with addiction, Mike Kanellis is eager to be back in active competition but for certain reasons, he didn't land those opportunities in WWE. He added,

I just wanted to wrestle. I just want to work. Like, I feel like I could do and have my best matches right now and it's extremely difficult when there [are] so many people on the roster and you just don't get that opportunity.

WWE Main roster

The Miracle pointed out how the current WWE roster is filled with the best of talents from all over the world and for that reason, everyone doesn't get their desired screen time.

I'm not mad at anybody and if WWE called me tomorrow and said, 'we're going to put you on TV,' I'd do it. I'm not mad. I just want to work and I just want to work a lot. I want to be able to go home and tell my daughter that 'daddy put in the time, daddy put in the effort,' and it's incredibly difficult for me to go on social media and preach that you have to work hard,' 'you have to work your ass off,' and then not do it myself.

Currently, Mike Kanellis is practicing to be a motivational speaker while on a hiatus in WWE. The Superstar looks forward to sharing his stories of battle with drug addiction and inspire one to fight out of it.