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Baron Corbin, who now goes by the name Tom Pestock, finally competed in his first match outside WWE. However, much to the fans' dismay, things didn't fall in the favor of the former United States Champion as he lost to Josh Barnett.
Corbin was among the handful of names who were released from the Stamford-based promotion in November 2024 after a 12-year tenure. As expected, rumors started floating around that he could possibly take his talents to AEW or TNA. Months after he was released, Tom Pestock finally wrestled his first-ever match outside WWE at The People vs. GCW 2025 event, where he took on Josh Barnett in a Bloodsport match.
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Despite putting up a herculean effort, the 40-year-old star lost to Barnett. The fans in attendance were visibly unhappy over the result and rained down boos on Josh Barnett. Considering it was Pestock's first match on the indie circuit, many expected him to score the win at the event and begin his post-WWE career with a bang.
Vince Russo on Tom Pestock's WWE release
Last month, on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws, Vince Russo speculated about Pestock's shocking departure from the Stamford-based promotion. Russo explained that despite having the potential to make it big, Tom Pestock was let go because he was far more intelligent than those within the company.
"EC3 has [also] fallen into this trap. When you get to the WWE, if they know you are smarter than them, that's not good. That's going to work against you. Corbin always came across to me as a little older, a little smarter, a little more mature. I know he was in the NFL. He'd been around the block and in my discussions, he was a very intelligent guy. They don't like that. Intelligent people will question and seek answers and they don't like that. I thought the guy going all the way back to the first time I saw him, he had money written all over him."
It remains to be seen what lies ahead for Tom Pestock. Due to his star power and popularity, he's sure to be courted by several promotions.
