Neville Might Be Quitting WWE

Neville done with WWE?
Photo Credit: WWE.com

In case you were curious as to why Kalisto won the Cruiserweight Championship on RAW Monday instead of at TLC in two weeks, it's because he was thrown into that lumberjack match at the last minute. Enzo Amore was always set to work the match, but he was supposed to go over Neville instead. Additionally, the entire cruiserweight division was around ringside except for the former two-time longest reigning Champion. That's because Neville walked out on RAW and has apparently quit the company. Neither Pro Wrestling Sheet nor F4W Online gave reasons yet, but I mean, the knee-jerk assumption is because 205 Live isn't exactly the best endpoint for someone who signed with the company with hopes that he'd get the big boy career path.

When Neville originally signed with WWE, the term "cruiserweight" seemed to be a label of nostalgia. He was in NXT when Daniel Bryan took the YES! Movement to its logical end in triumph at the end of WrestleMania XXX, so the stigma seemed to be lifted forever. Additionally, he became NXT Champion around the same time, so things were looking up for him. However, he became lost in the shuffle when he was promoted to the main roster, with his highlights being a couple of shots at Seth Rollins' WWE Championship and involvement in the Cody Rhodes/Stephen Amell feud. He got injured, and when he came back, he was shunted right into a cruiserweight division that at that time was already dead in the water.

Of course, that change in booking trajectory could only be one of many reasons why someone would want to leave WWE, which despite being the best chance at a payday is, from all accounts, a hellish place to work. Neville hitting the free agent market again would attract prime dates, but he'd have to hit that market first. Just because he may have asked for his release doesn't mean WWE will automatically grant it. WWE has held wrestlers hostage before, especially ones that could put dents in WWE's hegemony, no matter how small. Just ask Rey Mysterio. Even if Neville wants to leave, he may not be able to just yet.

However, should Neville get his release, he may find a spot opening up for a junior heavyweight spotlight role in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Ricochet is reportedly getting ready to shake hands and take pictures with Triple H. The 2017 Battle of Los Angeles winner has been jonesing to get himself to WWE to join former Monster Express teammates (and current Titus Worldwide stablemembers) Akira Tozawa and Apollo Crews. Of course, the article cited by UPROXX there seems to be based a lot on speculation. Either way, if Neville should return to Japan after his release goes through, he'll have his pick of jobs to go to probably. NJPW could take him, and he does have extensive history with Dragon Gate.

Still, if these rumors of quitting are true, and they don't get resolved with him staying out his contract with WWE, Neville leaving would be a huge boon for the rest of the wrestling world. WWE still continues to sop up talent for the sole purpose of having them, and until payroll costs start outpacing benefits of Network revenue, the only outflow of talent will be people not renewing contracts or quitting. WWE is getting too bloated for its own good, and it has several wrestlers who could boost companies across the country and the world. Neville leaving would be a good start to that.