MVP Details His Split From WWE and How NJPW Recharged His Wrestling Battery

MVP has been a part of the pro wrestling business for over 20 years. He debuted for WWE in 2006 and has since has worked all over the world for various promotions.

Currently, MVP is a member of the AEW roster. While not a regular active wrestler for the company, MVP runs The Hurt Syndicate Faction with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin.

At one point in MVP's career, it looked as if he would be a lifer in WWE. MVP was pushed strongly, won championships, and connected with the WWE Universe in a real way. But things changed quickly for him.

MVP and The Hurt Syndicate | All Elite Wrestling - Lee South

MVP on why he left WWE

On the newest episode of his Marking Out podcast with Dwayne Swayze, which is available now on BZZR and YouTube on Monday, MVP detailed his wild exit from WWE.

"I was at my limit," MVP said of his final days with WWE. "I was done. I was fed up ... My dignity is worth more than this. And the next day (after I felt that), it was the first time in my WWE career that I felt empowered. Free. There were no eggshells to walk on. I wasn't scared. I'm ready to go. I got money in the bank. I'll figure life out. I don't know what it's gonna be, but it ain't gonna be this."

On the podcast, MVP opened up about his issues with the WWE Head of Talent Relations at the time, John Laurinaitis. MVP missed a live event, which put him in hot water with Laurinaitis. Soon after, the two men had a confrontation at a hotel bar and that was where MVP reached his breaking point.

MVP had a landing place in mind prior to leaving WWE

MVP was smart about how he played the business game of leaving WWE, and had a plan in place to join New Japan Pro Wrestling.

"I needed to go to Japan to recharge my wrestling battery," MVP said. "I had reached out to a Japanese wrestler that I knew that I was cool with, and I said, 'Hey, man, I'm thinking about leaving WWE. Can you find out if there's an interest in me coming to Japan? And he got back to me and he said, 'There's definitely interest.' So just on that alone, I went and I said, 'John, I need to talk to you.'"

MVP left WWE at the end of 2010. He was a former WWE United States Champion and Tag Team Champion. He returned to the company nearly a year later after a surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble and made his AEW debut in 2024.

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