Mark Andrews Comments On His WWE Release
It will be three weeks this Thursday since Mark Andrews, along with several other WWE "NXT UK" stars, were released from the brand, as part of the promotion's decision to transition "NXT UK" into "NXT Europe." In the most recent episode of his podcast, My Love Letter To Professional Wrestling, Andrews discussed his release, how he learned of it, and why it occurred during a particularly hectic period in his life.
"As you know, I was in the process of moving house," Andrews said. "And I'm getting married two days before Clash at the Castle too. So normally, moving house, having a kid and getting married is something where you do one of those in a year. So it's been a hectic month, really crazy. And to be honest, I'm feeling, it feels like I've won three and I lost one. That's how it feels. It's still 3-1 to Mandrews world. So genuinely, I'm in a pretty good place. When it actually happened, I essentially just sat there waiting for a call. There was a big group call that kind of hinted at that a few people might be losing their jobs. And then the boys group chat, one by one 'I've been released.' 'I've been released.' 'Yeah, me too.'
Mark Andrews Reveals He Was Shocked By WWE Release
"And the thing is, when it comes to being a professional wrestler, and especially when you're working for a bigger company like WWE, you do expect these things. I remember Drake Maverick saying to me years ago when I first signed with TNA, he said 'It's not what you make, it's what you save.' And that's got to be your mindset being a pro wrestler, because these things happen. It's the same thing as American football players for example. They get drafted from team to team, and they just get let go. So it's kind of the nature of the business. So that is something I've been prepared for. There's been numerous occasions in the last six years of working for the company where I felt I was going to get released. This one actually surprised me. All the other times I was like 'We are on our way out.' And this time I was like 'Oh. Two weeks before the big Welsh show? That's weird timing. Surely this should've been a year ago.'"
Andrews' release came shortly before WWE ran Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales, the home country for both Andrews and several other released "NXT UK" stars. And Andrews couldn't deny that aspect of his release is what hurt the most.
Mark Andrews Says One Thing Made WWE Release Sting
"That's the bit that stings," Andrews said. "Because genuinely I don't feel ill will towards the company for letting us go. "NXT UK" is ending, there's a time period between "NXT UK" and "NXT Europe." I do see why it makes sense. But it does sting that it's two weeks before the only stadium show in Wales to ever happen, the biggest show in British history to ever happen. So to really put that into perspective, it's not just like 'Oh we're Welsh.' For me, it's like 'I've pretty much wrestled in every other venue in Cardiff.' That would be the one to get off the list."
"And I guess that's where it gets a little bit confusing, because me, Flash, Wild Boar, and Eddie, we're really close friends in real life as well as wrestling. And we all said a year ago 'If any of us get on this, that's the most important thing.'" All of the years of putting the work in Wales, it just would've been lush if one of us could've had the moment to be celebrated. Being released I can take. It's the wrestling business, this stuff happens. But the Welsh show, this is something that might not ever happen again. So that's the bit which hurts." During his tenure in "NXT UK," Andrews won the brand's tag team titles alongside partner Flash Morgan Webster, holding them for just over a month.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Mark Andrews: My Love Letter to Wrestling and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.