Lars Sullivan Reportedly No-Showed WWE Tapings, Lars On What Led To His Release

Lars Sullivan reportedly no-showed WWE TV tapings before he was released.

As noted on Tuesday, it was revealed by PWInsider that WWE quietly released Sullivan back in January some time. Dave Meltzer noted on the F4Wonline.com message board that at one point WWE Chairman & CEO really wanted to push Lars, but that changed over time. Lars reportedly no-showed WWE TV tapings before he was released, which was originally reported by Ringside News in December.

There's no word on when Lars actually no-showed, but WWE was working a new storyline with him in late October and November before he disappeared from TV for the last time. His last match came on the October 23 SmackDown show, when he defeated Chad Gable. He defeated Jeff Hardy the week before that, which was his TV return match. WWE began airing vignettes and sitdown interviews with Lars in late October and November, but nothing ever came of it.

Lars spoke with Fightful Select on Tuesday afternoon and confirmed the departure, noting that he was surprised WWE didn't announce it themselves. Lars chalked the release up to WWE being nice about everything, and he was very complimentary of how the company handled his departure. He added that they released him with "compassion and honesty."

Sullivan noted that he told WWE he was done with pro wrestling after battling crippling anxiety issues, to the point of struggling to eat during days where they were doing TV tapings. He also had trouble sleeping. Lars lost his father last year, which added to an already-tough year for him. He said he is his own worst enemy, and owned up to multiple issues that prevented him from gaining traction in what he described as his dream job.

Regarding his future, Sullivan also said he's likely done with pro wrestling. He once again took responsibility for the issues that led to his departure, calling some of his actions "idiocy" and "his own selfish behavior." Lars was also grateful for the experience with WWE.

One WWE source noted that they saw Lars' shirtless sitdown interviews with Michael Cole as "sabotage, but if it was a test, he passed it."

Sullivan said he liked doing the promo segment and saw it as WWE trying to add more depth to his character. He revealed that he was given specific instructions to breath heavy through his nose, and use the verbiage that he did.

Lars reiterated that he was treated well by both the WWE office and others in the locker room, noting that this was not a case of bullying.

Stay tuned for more on Lars' WWE release and his future.