Why AEW's Matt Hardy Calls Dolph Ziggler's WWE Release 'Shocking'

After more than 100 WWE employees were laid off in the days following the WWE-UFC merger closure, the company then began releasing several talent on September 21. Perhaps one of the most surprising departures was that of two-time World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler, who had been signed with WWE since 2004.

During a recent episode of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy," Ziggler's former colleague Matt Hardy shared his reaction to Ziggler's release, which he described as "very shocking," especially considering "The Show Off" was one of the longest-tenured WWE performers. With that point in mind, Hardy is concerned that morale will likely deplete within WWE.

"[The releases] just make people question like, 'Am I next?' It makes them walk on eggshells and it makes them very worried and anxious about what the future may hold even for them. It's just tough, especially when you see those mascots, especially when you have someone like a Dolph Ziggler, who you think as long as he is around and healthy, he's going to have a job and be employed because he's been very loyal and very faithful to WWE. If he can get [a release notice], then anybody can get it more or less," Hardy said.

Despite WWE's decision to let Ziggler go, Hardy asserts that his former colleague is one of the best move sellers in the game. In fact, Hardy credits Ziggler as the greatest to ever take his signature Side Effects move. "He took the best Side Effects ever. He would take a Side Effect and land on his shoulders and spin. Dude's crazy."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.