9-time champion wrestles first singles match since WWE release

A former WWE Superstar recently wrestled in his first singles match since his release from the Stamford-based company nearly two months ago. The name in question is 8-time 24/7 Champion Drew Gulak.

Earlier this year, former Women's Champion Ronda Rousey accused Gulak of improper conduct with her backstage. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion shared his side of the story, claiming that the incident was unintentional, and he apologized immediately after. However, the statement did not help his cause as he was taken off television and eventually released from his contract.

Nearly two months after his exit from WWE, Gulak returned to in-ring action at Full Impact Pro's Establish Dominance Pay-Per-View last week. He featured in a Southern Stampede Match to become the #1 contender for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, Drew could not secure the win on his in-ring return.

Later the same night, the former WWE Superstar teamed up with Sideshow to defeat Brian Brock and Jonathan Hudson in a tag team match. Following the win, Gulak made his return to Beyond Wrestling at their Americanrana '24: Where Eagles Dare event on July 4. He defeated Tom Lawlor in his first singles match, which lasted over twelve and a half minutes.

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Former WWE Champion makes an interesting comment on Drew Gulak

Drew Gulak was drafted to SmackDown in 2019. His most noticeable in-ring work on the main roster was alongside Daniel Bryan (aka Bryan Danielson). The two shared the ring as opponents as well as tag team partners. Unfortunately, it did not lead to something substantial for Gulak.

He returned to NXT in 2022. Bryan, on the other hand, left the Stamford-based company and joined AEW. In a recent interview with RJ City on Hey EW!, the former WWE Champion mentioned Drew Gulak's name when asked who he would consider the 'pancreas of pro-wrestling.'

"This is one of the things that I do really well is I slow down so that I can think about a proper answer. One of the things about focus that's very important is the ability to tune out all the distractions and focus on who really could be the pancreas of professional wrestling, and if I had to choose perhaps one person, I would say Drew Gulak," said Bryan Danielson. [H/T: Fightful]

You can watch the entire interview below:

Drew Gulak could not make a huge impact on the Stamford-based company's main roster despite huge expectations from several fans. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for the professional wrestler following his return to the squared circle.