Released WWE Tag-Team Found NXT "A Bit Boring"

There's no animosity towards WWE, but this duo weren't inspired by NXT.

Grizzled Young Veterans
NXT

Former WWE tag-team Grizzled Young Veterans have revealed that they found NXT life just "a bit boring" overall. The pair hold no animosity towards their former employer, but did think it was time to leave and do their own thing outside the WWE bubble.

Initially, WWE didn't agree, but GYV got their wish in the end. Now, as Zack Gibson and James Drake told Metro UK, the pair are keen to see what they can achieve on their own. Gibson said their departure shouldn't be considered "a big middle finger to the company" either.

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In fact, GYV agree WWE is doing "great business". Sadly, that business didn't quite fit with anything the UK pair fancied being a part of. So, they pushed through releases after temporarily being repackaged as members of Schism alongside Joe Gacy.

Now, Grizzled Young Veterans love the thought of exploring new opportunities and showing what they can do on their own without WWE's backing. They described the creative disconnect as "company objectives [shifting]" towards something that didn't really involve them.

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Look out for Gibson and Drake on independent shows in 2024.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.