Getting released from WWE usually means a wrestler’s time with the company is coming to an end, but James Ellsworth says his situation was a little different. Even after WWE let him go in November 2017, the company continued paying him, and he eventually found himself back on television just a few months later.
While speaking on Developmentally Speaking, Ellsworth opened up about how his WWE departure actually played out. After becoming a regular on SmackDown and working alongside Carmella, he was released in November 2017. However, according to Ellsworth, his payments never stopped, even while he was away from WWE television.
“Well, it was weird how it happened. Like in November 2017, they like let me go, but then they brought me back a couple of months later. So they never like, they never stopped paying me. I was getting paid that whole time.”
Ellsworth didn’t explain why WWE continued paying him or provide details about how his contract was structured during that period. What he did make clear was that the money kept coming even after he was initially let go.
He eventually returned to WWE television in 2018, once again becoming involved in Carmella’s storylines. But when his contract finally reached its end, Ellsworth said he started getting the message that his time with the company was finished. That realization came around the time Paige, who was serving as SmackDown General Manager, fired him as part of an on-screen storyline.
“So when the contract was actually up was right around when they had Paige fire me and I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m, that’s it.'”
Ellsworth said he understood why WWE eventually moved on from him. Unlike wrestlers who spent years training in NXT, he had been brought directly to the main roster after Vince McMahon personally offered him a job. Ellsworth believed that made it easier for WWE to move on from his character when the company needed television time for new talent.
“They have time and money invested in people from NXT. They have to, 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.”
He also believes WWE views him as the type of character who can disappear for years and still get a reaction whenever the company decides to bring him back.
“I’m a guy like, this ain’t really our guy. This is a character we could bring back every five or 10 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, and probably always have.”
Ellsworth hasn’t given up on the idea of working for WWE again. He believes he could still contribute as a manager, similar to the role he played alongside Carmella, although he knows that decision isn’t his to make.
“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. 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.”
For Ellsworth, his WWE exit wasn’t as straightforward as the initial release announcement made it seem. He continued receiving payments, returned to television, and eventually left when his contract came to an end. Although WWE hasn’t brought him back for another regular run, Ellsworth clearly believes there’s still a place for his character if the company ever wants him.
What do you think about WWE continuing to pay James Ellsworth after his initial release in 2017? Would you like to see him return as a manager, or do you think his WWE run ended at the right time? Let us know what you think 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.
