WWE potentially setting new precedent with recent departure - Reports

WWE has parted ways with more than 20 wrestlers this year. The company has had to adjust to numerous changes in the last year, but handling one recent departure has led to some concern among wrestlers and staff, as well as some optimism.

Dijak was released by World Wrestling Entertainment today. He announced his departure on Thursday in a creative fashion and is already a free agent as there is no 90-day non-compete clause because his contract ran out. The former T-BAR signed in September 2017 and was called to RAW in August 2020 with RETRIBUTION. He returned to NXT with a push from October 2022 until the 2024 Draft this past April. Like the first, Dijak's latest main roster run never took off. He suffered a Main Event loss to Pete Dunne in May, then a loss to Xavier Woods on Speed earlier this month.

The Tall Don has had supporters within the Triple H-led promotion. However, a new report from Fightful Select notes that not many people in the company are happy about the release.

WWE sources report people are hopeful that the handling of Dijak's departure was an anomaly. Many people within the company hope this is not the new standard moving forward.

Drew Gulak expected to re-sign before the Ronda Rousey debacle, but he was still notified of his release well ahead of time, and the same went for Reggie, aka Scrypts. Not only was Dijak informed of the release in very short order, but he and his management team also tried to engage officials for potential contract talks, which was reiterated in his statement.

ROH's 2015 Top Prospect has revealed that he wasn't told they were allowing his contract to run out until June 10, when RAW was hosted in Toledo, Ohio. The 37-year-old came up short against Woods in a match taped for WWE Speed that night.

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Dijak publicly defended his previous WWE gimmick

As of today, the only member of RETRIBUTION still employed by WWE is Mia Yim, aka Michin, formerly known as Reckoning in the mysterious group.

RETRIBUTION is widely regarded as a failed faction. They arrived in August 2020 with a strong buzz, but by March 2021, they had disbanded after months of negative feedback.

Dijak recently reacted to a video of RETRIBUTION's in-ring RAW segment from September 21, 2020. He acknowledged his look wasn't the best but was confident in how good his "judge, jury, executioner" promo was.

"Ok so maybe I look like a complete a**hole but you have to admit this promo ate," he wrote.

Dijak's last match as T-Bar came on September 5, 2022. He defeated Cedric Alexander at the pre-RAW tapings for WWE Main Event that night, one week after Cedric beat him for the same show.