Update on Neville: Negotiating Return to WWE

Rumors are bubbling over as to why The King of The Cruiserweights left WWE. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer. Here’s the breakdown of the story.

The rumor initially came from Twitter account @WrestleVotes.

There’s no word on who Wrestlevotes is or what sources they have inside WWE. However, the story was investigated further by trusted news outfit ProWrestlingSheet. Here’s what they had to say.

Sources say Neville was initially scheduled to lose to Enzo Amore in the main event lumberjack match on Raw. However, plans changed after the ex-cruiserweight champion walked out before the show.

PWS partially confirmed WrestleVotes tweet:

…and most people we’ve spoken with say there does appear to be some truth in that claim.

PWInsider got a more definitive but not definite answer from WWE sources:

Numerous WWE sources have denied to PWInsider.com that Neville has departed the company.

The Wrestling Observer says that while Neville “quit” it isn’t that simple.

Sources confirmed to us that Neville walked out before Raw on Monday and appeared to have quit the promotion, though WWE has officially denied that he’s quit.

Then via PWInsider:

*We have been told there were several factors Neville was unhappy with. One source claimed a souring point was being left off of the Wrestlemania 33 DVD, which meant no royalties from what is traditionally the biggest selling WWE DVD of the year.

After a few weeks of rumor and silence, we got another update from PWI. It looks like the former Cruiserweight champ is negotiating a return.

There is a belief among some in the company that talks have gone so well that Neville could actually be returning to action for WWE before the end of the month. One source even believed Neville could be back as soon as this week, but PWInsider.com has (as of this writing) not been able to confirm that. Obviously, we will see if that is soon the case.

Our Take On Neville And The Rumors

All we really know is that Neville was not on TV for the last few weeks. All the inside news confirms that the high-flyer left the taping of Raw and that WWE changed their plans for the night accordingly.

It is possible that Neville was simply tired of the direction of his character and his taking time off. Or he is just tired of the constant grind wants a bit of rest. WWE has to grant a release of a talent’s contract in order for them to leave the company. Normally if a talent really wants to leave, the WWE will cut them lose. This is what happened with Cody Rhodes. But sometimes, WWE will hang onto a talent in order to prevent them from going to work elsewhere. This happened with Rey Mysterio a few years ago and caused him to sit out the remainder of his contract.

If Neville were to be released from his contract, WWE would announce it in a simple “come to terms” press release on their website.

If Neville did indeed walk-out and quit, that is most unfortunate and I think a bad decision on his part. While it is perfectly valid to feel that the cruiserweights weren’t given a fair shake, The Man That Gravity Forgot has been at the top of the division. He was pushed to the moon and his Red Arrow is arguably the most protected finisher of any wrestler on the main roster. Hopefully, he is just taking time off and will be back on TV soon.

Should Neville leave WWE? Share your thoughts.