MVP walked away from WWE with a five-year contract sitting on the table—and he says he did it because he simply wasn’t enjoying wrestling anymore. The former United States Champion opened up about his original WWE exit and revealed that his decision wasn’t about chasing more money or proving he deserved a bigger spot. He was burned out, wanted a change and was willing to give up long-term security to get it.
Speaking on “Marking Out with MVP and Dwayne Sees,” MVP discussed wrestlers betting on themselves after leaving WWE. That led him to his own decision to ask for his release in 2010, explaining that his main goal at the time was to rediscover why he loved wrestling in the first place.
“When I left WWE, when I asked for my release from WWE, it was cuz I needed to recharge my battery. I needed to recharge my wrestling battery. I was burned out. And, you know, the way WWE was at that time, I don’t know how they are now, but just—I knew that I was capable of more, but I, at that point, man, I just wanted to wrestle again and I wanted to love wrestling again.”
MVP said his gamble didn’t turn him into a dramatically bigger star the way leaving WWE eventually did for Cody Rhodes, but it accomplished exactly what he needed.
“And in my case, I didn’t leave and come back and become a bigger star like Cody Rhodes, for example. Use him as a brilliant example of that. But I fell in love with wrestling again. Like, I got to the point I just didn’t—I wasn’t enjoying going to work. But in New Japan, I loved every tour.”
The conversation then turned to what might have happened if MVP had stayed with WWE. That’s when he revealed just how much security he actually walked away from: WWE was offering him another five years when he requested his release.
“You know, I’ve thought about that a few times about that. What if? Like, what if I re-signed that five-year deal that WWE was offering me at the time I asked for my release? It’s hard to say, man.”
MVP also revealed that his WWE situation wasn’t necessarily hopeless at the time. According to him, John Laurinaitis had given him indications that the company was preparing to put him back into a more meaningful position after he had spent time in WWE’s doghouse.
“You know, the what-ifs, because at that point, you know, I had spent my time in the doghouse and the indications that I was being given by John Laurinaitis was that they were ready to put me back in the mix. How far I would have been able to climb remains to be seen. We don’t know.”
Instead of sticking around to find out, MVP took his shot elsewhere. He headed to Japan, where he became the inaugural IWGP Intercontinental Champion, and years later returned to WWE for a completely different chapter of his career.
That second run eventually led to The Hurt Business alongside Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander. The breakup of that group remained a sore spot long after it happened, with Shelton Benjamin later saying he felt betrayed by WWE’s decision to split The Hurt Business.
MVP eventually left WWE again and reunited with Lashley and Benjamin outside the company as The Hurt Syndicate. Even after that WWE chapter ended, MVP continued putting his own stamp on the group, including explaining how The Hurt Syndicate’s entrance music came together following their WWE exits.
Looking back now, MVP knows there was no guarantee leaving WWE would work. He had a five-year contract available, indications that officials were ready to move him back up the card and a steady paycheck waiting for him. He still walked because staying somewhere he no longer enjoyed wasn’t worth it—and more than 15 years later, he’s still making money in the wrestling business.
MVP’s decision could have blown up in his face, but that’s exactly why his story stands out. He gave up five years of WWE security without knowing exactly where the road would lead, found his passion again in Japan, eventually made his way back to WWE and then reinvented himself all over again. That’s about as literal as “betting on yourself” gets.
Would you have walked away from a five-year WWE contract in MVP’s position, or would you have stayed to see what WWE had planned? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
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.
