Steve Carrier on March 17, 2026
Chris Masters is opening up about one of the most difficult moments of his wrestling career, revealing how his WWE release hit him—and why he never believed it was truly the end.
Speaking during his interview with Chris Van Vliet, Masters reflected on the moment he was let go by WWE. At the time, he was dealing with personal struggles, including issues that had already begun affecting his career behind the scenes. Even so, the release still came as a major emotional blow.
“I was shocked and heartbroken, but I also kind of felt like I would come back eventually. So it wasn’t, you know, again, it was a tough time. That was a tough time for me because I was right in the middle of all that stuff we were talking about still.”
Masters went on to explain that his mindset during that period wasn’t clear, admitting that he was not operating at his best due to everything happening in his life at the time.
“So, you know, you’re very kind of… you feel like you wake up every day and you go about your business and you feel like you’re sharp, but really you’re kind of living in a cloud a little bit. You know what I mean? So you’re not your best self.”
Despite the setback, Masters maintained confidence that he would eventually find his way back. He pointed to his age and the nature of his mistakes as key reasons he believed redemption was still possible.
“Because of the circumstances. Like, I was young and I… the mistakes I had made, you know, I was redeemable. You know what I mean? Like, I still hadn’t had any real issues where I couldn’t be redeemed or come back.”
He also made it clear that his departure wasn’t something WWE necessarily wanted, suggesting that the situation forced the company’s hand at the time.
“And I knew Vince liked me. And, you know, they didn’t want to release me, honestly. But it just, you know, I kind of probably at that point put them in a situation where they had to based on everything that had been happening at the time.”
Masters’ reflection gives a deeper look at how quickly things can change in WWE, especially when personal struggles intersect with career momentum. While the release was painful, his belief in a second chance shows how he viewed his long-term future even during one of his lowest points.
Do you think Chris Masters could have had a bigger run in WWE if things played out differently, or did everything happen the way it was supposed to? Let us know your thoughts and drop your feedback below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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