WWE released a dozen Superstars from NXT recently, and that included Asher Hale. He had to let that information sit for a while, but he was finally able to register everything. Hale followed that thinking time up with a lengthy post on Twitter.

Hale spoke about the change in NXT and how he doesn’t fit what they want anymore. It took him him 20 years of grinding to make his way to WWE and he thanked Triple H for the opportunity. Now known as Anthony Henry once again, he also revealed that there was nothing he could have done differently to change how things turned out.

My wrestling career has taken me on quite the ride, with a lot of ups and downs. Another chapter, in this crazy story, ended on August 2021. I never thought I would make it as far as I did, but after 20 years, I did the unthinkable. I was employed by the largest wrestling company in the world. Then, 6 months later, I was released.

I know there is nothing I could have done to make things turn out any different. There is a shift happening, within the company, and I no longer fit what they are looking for. I mean, I get it. I wish I had known that before moving my family down here, but we all take risks in life. It was a choice that I made. It didn’t pay off this time. I was gutted by the news, but I also knew this was a possibility. Luckily my wife is the most amazing, supportive person on the planet, and has helped me her through these past few days.

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I am not here to bash WWE or my time there. While this whole situation is disappointing and there are plenty of negatives I could talk about, I learned a lot, and, overall, the experience was a great one. I came out the other side a better PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER and person. The coaching staff at the PC is coaching staff at the PC is amazing and they all helped me a lot.

The one thing that is truly hurtful for me though, is that I do not feel like I ever truly got the opportunity to put the real me out there on that platform. A month into my stay at the PC, I was injured during a training match. I herniated 2 disks in my cervical spine, which caused strength and muscle loss on the left side of body. All of my televised matches were performed with me banged up and modifying what I did out in the ring. Near the end I was probably 75%, but in my first handful of matches, I was maybe 30% at best. I was nowhere near being able to display what I could do, but did my best to work through it. The injury was nobody’s fault. Stuff happens. The WWE medical staff is awesome and took great care of me. They helped me improve my condition as fast and safely as possible. It is just unfortunate that I didn’t get the opportunity I wanted. I don’t think it would have saved my job, it is not about that. It is a pride thing. I would have been happy with my performances, and that is what truly matters to me.

So now I have 30 days to think about what I want to do. I can finish up my career and say it was my fault. Stuff happens. The WWE medical staff is awesome and took great care of me. They helped me improve my condition as fast and safely as possible. It is just unfortunate that I didn’t get the opportunity I wanted. I don’t think it would have saved my job, it is not about that. It is a pride thing. I would have been happy with my performances, and that is what truly matters to me.

So now I have 30 days to think about what I want to do. I can finish up my career and say it was fun while it lasted’, or I can come back reinvigorated and ready to show the world who and what I am about. I’ll definitely be back, I just don’t know if it will be a long-term deal or noti Let’s hope that I can find that passion again, and come out of this better than ever! See you all on the other side.


We will have to see what happens next for Asher Hale. His journey took a detour that he wasn’t expecting, but the last year of his career has also been through a tremendous ride as well.

The NXT releases could continue and it’s likely that will become a trend as Vince McMahon continues to shape the black and gold brand in whatever vision he has in store for them.

What’s your take on this story? Sound off in the comments!

Felix Upton

Felix Upton is a seasoned writer with over 30 years of experience. He began his career writing advertisements for local newspapers in New York before transitioning to publishing news for Ringside News. His expertise includes writing, editing, research, photo editing, and video editing. In his free time, he enjoys bungee jumping and learning extinct languages.

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