Joe Coffey is looking back on his final year in WWE, and he is not hiding how frustrated he felt before his release.
While speaking on Two Man Power Trip, the former Gallus member opened up about how his final stretch in NXT played out. Coffey said he appreciated the business side of helping younger talent grow, but he felt WWE used him more like a manager on the sidelines instead of giving him a real chance to show what he could still do in the ring.
“I was disappointed with my last year there because I felt as if I was acting like Jim Cornette on the sidelines as a manager rather than, you know, being in the ring. And I understand the business side of aspect of things and maybe they’re getting people ready to be the next big thing. But I was like, well, you know, put me in and I’ll show you what I can do. Especially on the microphone as well. You know, I was disappointed I didn’t get much mic time because I know I can cut a good promo and can back it up with performances in the ring.”
Joe Coffey made it clear that his frustration was not about demanding to be the top star. Instead, he felt he still had a lot left to offer and never got the chance to fully show it on WWE television.
“Just more frustrated than anything. You know, like I feel as if I had so much to give there. And it was more just frustration and anger cuz I, you know, I’m passionate about this and I think it’s okay to feel like that. Not in a selfish way like, ‘I should be the star,’ blah blah blah, but I was just like, no, I’ve got so much to give and you have only seen a small fraction of what I can do.”
The former WWE Superstar also pointed to the timing of his move to the United States, noting that his NXT run after relocating did not last nearly as long as he may have expected.
“Especially moving over here and that’s the thing, like we were over. I moved over and I was in NXT less than two years. I moved over in the March of 2023 and then got released in May 2025.”
Coffey, Mark Coffey, and Wolfgang were all released in May 2025 as part of a wider group of NXT departures. The move officially ended Gallus’ WWE run after years of being one of the most physical and reliable groups from the NXT UK era.
Gallus first became a major force in NXT UK after debuting in WWE in 2018. Mark Coffey and Wolfgang captured the NXT UK Tag Team Championships and held the titles for nearly 500 days, while Joe Coffey became known for hard-hitting singles matches against names such as Ilja Dragunov and Pete Dunne.
After NXT UK folded, Gallus moved to the main NXT brand and stayed together as a unit. They later won the NXT Tag Team Championships in 2023, but their television time slowed in the months before their eventual release.
Now, Coffey’s latest comments show that his WWE exit came with real disappointment. He believed he could still contribute in the ring, on the microphone, and as a full performer, but felt fans only saw a small part of what he was capable of before Gallus was let go.
Do you think WWE should have done more with Joe Coffey and Gallus before their release? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think.
