James Ellsworth believes his WWE story might not be completely over, even though it’s been years since he was a regular part of the company. The former WWE star thinks he’s the kind of character the company could bring back every few years and immediately get a reaction, comparing himself to The Boogeyman.
Speaking with Developmentally Speaking, Ellsworth was asked whether he knew his WWE contract was coming to an end and if there had been any discussions about keeping him around. He explained that his departure was actually a little strange because WWE first released him in November 2017 before bringing him back several months later in 2018.
“Well, it was weird how it happened. Like, in November 2017, they let me go, but then they brought me back a couple of months later. So they never stopped paying me. I was getting paid that whole time. So when the contract was actually up, it was right around when they had Paige fire me, and I was like, ‘Oh, I guess that’s it.’”
Ellsworth has his own theory about why WWE never kept him around permanently. Unlike wrestlers coming through NXT, WWE hadn’t spent years developing him before suddenly putting him on the main roster.
“But again, it goes back to they have time and money invested in people from NXT. It’s a system. They have to keep bringing people up. So when they bring people up, it’s television. You only have so much time. People have to go. There’s people that have to go.”
That’s why Ellsworth believes WWE probably never looked at him as somebody who absolutely needed to remain on television every week. Instead, he thinks the company sees him as a recognizable character who can disappear for years and still get a reaction whenever he randomly shows up again.
“So I’m a guy like, ‘This ain’t really our guy. This is a character we could bring back every five or ten years, and people will remember it.’ You know, I’m like The Boogeyman or something. They could bring it back whenever, and people react to it. So I feel like that’s how they look at me, you know, and probably always have.”
That doesn’t mean Ellsworth thinks his only option is showing up for the occasional nostalgia appearance. He still believes there was a role WWE could have kept him in permanently, especially after his run alongside Carmella showed what he could do without needing to be the wrestler everyone was supposed to take seriously.
“Do I think I could have stayed on there and been like a manager like I was with Carmella? They call it a heater in the business, and done that forever? Yes.”
Ellsworth believes that role could still work today. He’s confident he could return as somebody’s manager, handle the talking and help get another wrestler over without needing the spotlight himself.
“I think I could still go there and do that and be somebody’s manager or a heater, whatever they want to call it, talk for somebody and put them over. I think I could do that for the rest of my life. But it’s not up to me. It’s up to them.”
Whether WWE ever actually makes that call remains to be seen, but Ellsworth certainly isn’t closing the door himself. He already knows exactly where he believes he’d fit if the company ever decides it’s time to bring his character back again.
What do you think about this former WWE star believing the company could still bring him back every few years for a surprise appearance? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
