Cain Velasquez becomes the latest victim of the WWE releases after his contract was ended
According to The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, Cain Velasquez’s WWE contract has been terminated.
Velasquez becomes the latest superstar to join the long list of in-ring talent WWE has released due to the budget cuts during the coronavirus shutdown.
Earlier this month, WWE released around 20 employees at one go, with the likes of Rusev, Zack Ryder, EC3 and Drake Maverick being cut from the roster. And now, Velasquez has become the latest big-name addition to that list.
Velasquez’s tenure with the company ends after just two matches. The former UFC champion made his debut in October 2019 on SmackDown’s debut on Fox Sports, starting a mini-feud with Brock Lesnar.
Velasquez had beaten Lesnar in the UFC in 2010 to win his first title. After beating up Lesnar in his shock debut on SmackDown, the two were paired up for Velasquez’s first WWE match at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia later that month.
The match in itself was an underwhelming affair though, as Lesnar pick up a submission win in just over two minutes.
That was Velasquez’s only televised match with the WWE. His only other bout for the company came in a house show in Mexico City, where he teamed up with Humberto Carrillo to defeat the O.C.
What next for Cain Velasquez?
The former UFC champion had withdrawn from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency testing pool, effectively signalling his MMA retirement back in 2019. However, now that he has been axed by WWE, a return to MMA is an option for Velasquez.
Aside from a return to MMA, a switch to WWE’s rival promotion AEW is also very much on the cards. Cody Rhodes has previously spoken about his admiration for the former UFC star prior to AEW’s TNT debut last year. And that is one avenue that the 37-year-old could explore.
“He’s definitely somebody I am keeping an eye on. I was blown away by Cain Velasquez.” Rhodes had said.
Velasquez had also been part of Mexico-based promotion AAA last year. The former UFC champion worked two six-man tag team matches for the promotion and a return there too is a possibility, even if it will be low-key in comparison to WWE or AEW.
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