Backstage Update Regarding Brian Kendrick's WWE Status

While there was plenty to discuss coming out of Survivor Series WarGames this past Saturday, one of the more notable stories occurred backstage, when it was reported that Brian Kendrick had served as a producer for the "SmackDown" Women's Championship match between Ronda Rousey and Shotzi. As such, many have wondered whether this was the beginning of yet another run for the controversial wrestler in the company.

As it turns out, it is and it isn't. PWInsider is reporting that while Kendrick isn't signed with WWE, his producer role at Survivor Series was in fact a tryout for a potential job within the company. At the time of their report, PWInsider noted that no agreement has been reached between the two sides as of now, and it's unclear whether Kendrick was offered a deal.

Kendrick began 2022 with WWE before his contract expired in February. Almost immediately after, he was booked to wrestle on an episode of "AEW Dynamite" against Jon Moxley. The match quickly fell through, however, after past comments from Kendrick surfaced in which he promoted anti-semitic conspiracy theories and expressed skepticism towards the Holocaust. AEW would ultimately decline to use him.

Kendrick has since attempted to distance himself from his past comments, offering an apology and claiming the comments didn't reflect his true beliefs, though former tag team partner Paul London has expressed skepticism towards that defense. Kendrick would also claim that WWE investigated his past remarks before re-signing him in 2016, and expressed no issues with him, though they told him not to discuss conspiracies going forward.  Despite the controversy, Kendrick has continued to work in wrestling throughout 2022, most notably for indie promotion Circle 6.