The Revival Explain WWE Release, Meetings with Vince McMahon to Chris Jericho

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Former WWE Superstars Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of The Revival appeared on Wednesday's episode of Talk Is Jericho to discuss their WWE departure and what led to their departure from the organization. 

Dawson (now going by Dax Harwood) and Wilder (Cash Wheeler) were officially released by WWE on April 10 after months of speculation that they wanted to move on.

During the interview with AEW star Chris Jericho, Harwood explained the rationale behind wanting to go elsewhere:

"That was our biggest factor as far as leaving was that tag team wrestling was featured everywhere else except for WWE. And we wanted to be a part of that because we could sit back and ... we could have no legacy aside from our NXT stuff. We could have no legacy in the history of wrestling, or we could go out and make history, and I think that was our biggest factor in leaving is that we could go out and prove to everyone that we are the absolute best tag team on this planet. And I say that with as much humility as I can muster from my guts. There is not a tag team on this planet that is as good as we are, that is as fluid as we are, and has the one goal, the one common goal in mind that is to be the best."

Wheeler also noted that the lack of focus on tag team wrestling in WWE was what compelled them to ask for their release:

"Like the tag team titles, they don't really mean anything. The tag team division had been, this has nothing to do with, nothing against Braun [Strowman], I think Braun's a great guy, I get along with him really well. But, like he had steamrolled the entire tag team division and then a 10-year-old or whatever won the tag titles at WrestleMania [34]. And then no tag teams were featured on SummerSlam until the last minute they added the women's tag titles, which I'm all for, it's just it was so last minute people didn't even know. So we wanted to make a point like, 'Look, the tag team division doesn't get respect, it doesn't get the time a lot of these teams deserve, and we want to take chances on ourselves.'"

Harwood and Wheeler also talked about having a meeting with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon prior to their release and discussed how that played a role in them leaving as well.

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Specifically, Harwood noted that they were presented with a new character idea that they had no interest in pursuing:

"They gave us the last big spiel about how they wanted to use us. It was all Vince's idea. We had a meeting with Vince, and he presented us with these characters that were less than flattering to us. It wasn't what I felt that we could represent or should represent, and I don't know too many guys who if they have any kind of self worth or if they believed in themselves as characters, as people, if they would have taken that opportunity. And we just said no, it's time for us to go."

Harwood was referencing concept photos that leaked showing The Revival in bizarre costumes complete with bright colors, tassels, glow sticks and even lipstick:

Wheeler and Harwood confirmed the leaked photos are legitimately what they were shown by McMahon, and the duo aren't sure whether Vince thought the idea was great or presented it as a way of punishing them.

Wheeler said he laughed out loud when shown the photos, but both he and Harwood noted that they told McMahon they were willing to try the characters until the end of their contracts in the summer, although they would not be re-signing at that point.

Also, Wheeler said the rumored contract offer WWE made of $750,000 per year was inaccurate, as it was actually an even higher number. He expressed his belief that their unwillingness to sign the big-money contract essentially told WWE they were serious about leaving, which led to WWE pulling them off the road and then releasing them.

Now, Harwood and Wheeler are known as The Revolt rather than The Revival, and they are perhaps the hottest free-agent tag team in all of wrestling. Given the fact that they are former NXT, Raw and SmackDown Tag Team champions, they shouldn't have much trouble catching on elsewhere.

Harwood and Wheeler mentioned AEW, Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling as potential destinations, and they specifically noted that an eventual match against AEW's The Young Bucks is on their agenda.

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