As we previously reported here on eWn, WWE recently released several NXT talents, including Drew Gulak and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson.
According to a report from Fightful, further details surrounding Gulak’s departure from WWE have emerged.
During the WWE Backlash: France post-show press conference, WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque confirmed that Gulak was not released from the company; rather, his contract was not renewed.
However, the report suggests that Gulak is still with the company, although he was informed that his contract would not be renewed despite his wish to remain. Multiple sources within WWE and NXT have confirmed this information.
The investigation into Gulak’s conduct, sparked by Ronda Rousey’s claim that he pulled the drawstring of her pants backstage, has been a subject of controversy. While Gulak’s public response to the matter complicated the situation, according to NXT sources, it was not the primary reason for his contract not being renewed.
Several serious allegations have been made against Gulak by talents in NXT. He has been accused of bullying and targeting minor injuries in other talents. Some have claimed that he intentionally re-dislocated a wrestler’s finger during a match, while others alleged that he would intimidate talents into not reporting such incidents.
Last year, Gulak was reprimanded by Shawn Michaels and several NXT coaches for intentionally spiking an opponent during a match.
One talent who worked with Gulak described his behavior as “odd,” as he would “test” other talents and observe their reactions to such incidents.
Regarding Triple H’s comments, both WWE and “The Game” have privately clarified that they did not mean to direct their comments at media outlets and apologized for any confusion caused.
