Wade Barrett has been completely professional during this whole story - he hasn't confirmed or denied reports, he's simply taken to twitter to thank his fans for their kind words and assure everyone that he'll continue to work hard in WWE. Nevertheless, if Barrett is indeed leaving, there has to be truth to the rumors that he's unhappy with the way the company has used him. Wrestling fans aren't blind; we can see when a talented superstar is not being pushed to the level of his or her potential. Still, knowing that a wrestler feels the same way about the path his career is taking is a reminder that WWE isn't the happy place its spokespeople paint it to be. The company may act like they're the pinnacle of sports entertainment, but with every star that leaves of his own volition, there are more eyebrows raised. Barrett probably won't be airing his dirty laundry like CM Punk anytime soon, but the fact that he's choosing not to renew his contract speaks volumes. "Bad News" pursuing work elsewhere would once again force fans to consider that maybe WWE isn't the best place to work.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
