Dexter Lumis Says Latest WWE Release Feels “More Final” Wrestling News Source – Latest WWE, AEW, Pro Wrestling News, AEW All In: London 2026 Results

Former WWE star Dexter Lumis has opened up about his second departure from the company, admitting this release feels more final than the first and revealing there had been discussions about turning him into a singles star.

Lumis, whose real name is Samuel Shaw, spoke about his WWE exit during an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He compared his latest release with his first departure in 2022, when he was brought back to the company only a few months later.

Van Vliet asked:

“How does this release feel different from the one you had in 2022? And for people that don’t remember, you got released and brought back in like three months.”

Lumis explained that his first release came during a period of major change within NXT. Triple H had stepped away due to his heart issue, while the black-and-gold era was replaced by the colourful NXT 2.0 presentation.

“Well, I think the first release was that there was a lot of shakeups going on in NXT. Triple H, who I considered my boss back then, he went down with a heart issue, and then it just seemed like a Vince McMahon overhaul happened in NXT. We went from black and gold to this splatter paint 2.0, very bright. John Laurinitis is down there every week and keeping tabs on talent now, and it’s like I’m not gonna feel the way I felt when I was an extra trying to get his attention every week.”

Lumis said that by that stage of his career, he had already proven himself and was determined not to allow changes behind the scenes to affect his confidence.

“I’m a man now. I’ve had success at this place, and I’m gonna continue to have success at this place. Doesn’t matter if there’s a regime change. Doesn’t matter if that guy’s somewhat in charge now, I’m gonna do my thing.”

He also spoke about the importance of experience in professional wrestling and why he believes Triple H understood that wrestlers can continue improving later in their careers.

“Slowly but surely, you start seeing, yes, there are opportunities because I think Triple H understood you don’t really get good at this, like, really, really, really good, until you understand it fully, and you might need 15-20 years in the business to understand that.”

Lumis added that he continued training hard and believed he still had plenty to offer WWE. However, he feels the situation is different under the company’s current ownership structure.

“I’ve kept my body in shape, and I train hard. I can do athletic stuff, and I’m 35 years old. So why don’t you hire me? I have a lot to offer this company. Now, I don’t know. I just feel like it’s different because TKO, the bottom line is the dollar.”

When asked whether this latest release felt more permanent, Lumis admitted it did.

“It does feel a little more final. You always hear, you know, the door could always still be open. Never say never; those types of things. But I feel like now, as opposed to back then, I got to go out and prove myself a little bit more.”

Lumis was also asked whether he was surprised that WWE released not only him, but the entire Wyatt Sicks group.

He explained that he had been doing everything possible behind the scenes to improve and make the most of his time with WWE, rather than simply waiting around for television opportunities.

“I was a little surprised, just because I felt like I was doing the necessary things outside of just being booked and brought to TV every week. The joke that, oh, they just sit in catering and they collect a paycheck, that’s not me. I’m not there for that.”

Lumis revealed that he regularly walked around backstage speaking with experienced names and seeking advice. One person he had been talking with extensively was Paul Heyman.

“I walked around the building all night, and I talked to important people, and picked veterans’ brains, and I was talking to Paul Heyman quite a bit, who I respect the hell out of, and I was getting some great advice from him.”

Perhaps most interestingly, Lumis claimed Heyman had discussed the possibility of establishing him as a singles performer towards the end of the Wyatt Sicks run.

“One of the things he was saying was like, we need to make you a singles guy. This was very late, towards the end of the Wyatt Sicks run. I almost felt like something was brewing, but I just didn’t think like the whole group’s going to be released.”

While Lumis believes his latest WWE departure could be more final than his previous release, he has not completely ruled out another return. For now, however, his focus appears to be on getting back out there and proving what he can offer away from WWE.