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Drew Gulak Rumors, Brodie Lee on Vince McMahon, Edge Responds to Critic
May 18, 2020
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.
Gulak Could Still Return to WWE
Many fans were shocked over the weekend when WWE quietly moved Drew Gulak to the alumni section of its website, just a night after he went one-on-one with Daniel Bryan in SmackDown's Intercontinental Championship tournament.
While the immediate speculation was that WWE released Gulak as its latest cost-cutting measure, it turned out his contract expired, making him a free agent. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported Gulak was seeking a raise from his current contract, and WWE pulled its offer off the table.
It turns out the two sides remain in talks, and Gulak's career with WWE isn't necessarily over, per Meltzer.
Gulak does not have a non-compete clause, so he could sign and wrestle with any company instantly. However, the timing of his contract expiration leaves him without much leverage. AEW is the only other major wrestling promotion putting on shows due to the coronavirus pandemic. Independent dates have essentially halted worldwide, leaving WWE and AEW as the only acts in town.
While Gulak is a talented performer, he's not necessarily a big enough draw to attract interest from AEW. He may be in a position where the pandemic squeezes him into signing whatever deal WWE offers.
Brodie Lee Says He's Not Parodying Vince McMahon
Ever since Brodie Lee debuted in AEW, there have been rumors that his Exalted One character was at least loosely based on Vince McMahon. That is, of course, because Lee has not-so-subtly referenced McMahon in several of his promos and vignettes since his debut.
While there may be some crossover, Lee wants to make it clear he has no hard feelings toward WWE or McMahon.
"Look, you take them however you want," Lee said on Busted Open Radio (h/t Wrestling Inc.). "I'm happen to be a fan of mafia movies, so that's the way the character is portrayed for me. I believe the leadership style, the results speak for themselves. So, you can take it anyway you want.
"Trust me, I hear you. I hear everybody. None of that is intentional. I have no reason to hate WWE, no reason to hate Vince McMahon, nothing like that. You take it how you want."
Lee went on to say he left WWE because he wanted to wrestle while he was still physically capable.
Edge Responds to Fan Critical of Orton Angle
At WrestleMania, Randy Orton and Edge seemed to blow off their feud in a Last Man Standing match. While many criticized the match for being overly long, it at least appeared to tie together their build and offer a satisfying conclusion.
Right until Orton showed up on Raw and challenged Edge to another match. A...regular wrestling match. Some were understandably confused, noting it seemed like Edge and Orton were doing their feud backwards.
"In what alternate universe do you start the feud with a Last Man Standing match and end it with a "straight up" wrestling match? Lol you should have stayed retired. Bogus," a fan commented on Edge's Instagram post announcing he'd be at Raw on Monday to answer Orton.
Edge responded: "You have no idea what I have planned. And because of that you have no idea what you're talking about. Does EVERY story you've ever read or movie you've watched play out the same? Because that's sounds boring as hell to me. So you can complain, or quit being that jaded "smart fan" and just try and enjoy something and watch the power paradigm shift and play out."
Edge makes a fair point about fans judging an angle before it's concluded, but it's hard to see where this goes or how it makes sense. There is no logical reason for the feud to continue from a story standpoint. So it looks like we'll just have to wait and see how everything plays out before deciding which side is right.