Ariya Daivari Talks Backstage Reaction To WWE Releasing Big Names Recently
In an appearance on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, former WWE star Ariya Daivari talked about his brother, former WWE, Impact and Lucha Underground star Shawn Daivari. Daivari reminisced on the two growing up watching pro wrestling, and how wrestling made their relationship stronger than ever.
"Yeah we just started watching together," Daivari said. "He was 14 and I was 8. We just started watching together, he was the one who discovered it but we watched it together, which was super cool. Just over time he got to be an indie wrestler first, obviously. That's why his career took off before mine did, he's just older. We were big fans together. He had all the T-shirts and I had all the toys. It actually brought us a lot closer. We were just typical brothers, we hung out but not a lot. But pro wrestling really brought us closer and closer and to this day that's why we are super tight."
As Shawn had worked for WWE back in the mid 2000's, Daivari was somewhat worried about being in his brother's shadow if he used the Daivari name. In the end however, Daivari decided to keep the name when he joined WWE for the Cruiserweight Classic in 2016.
"I kept going back and forth on it," Daivari revealed. "I didn't want people to think 'oh he's just Shawn's brother.' And I have to admit he was in at a time when the wrestling industry was even hotter. He had a lot more eyes on his career back in 2004. Some people went 'oh cheap ripoff.' But whatever. I was proud of the fact that I made it to the WWE at my size and keep my name. It is all me being presented as me."
Currently Shawn works for the WWE as a backstage producer, a job he briefly lost last year at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Daivari talked about his feelings over that release and the wave of releases in general.
"My own brother was recently part of the COVID releases," Daivari said. "Only just recently he was brought back, which I am very happy for. I was very upset when he got released during COVID. After the COVID releases happened I was like it sucks but I survived I think I will be good. Then there's been 3 waves of firings in 2021.
"When Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman got released, the whole roster from top to bottom, RAW, SmackDown, NXT was like'oh s**t. If they are letting guys like Braun and Samoa Joe go, it could be anybody.' I would say for the last 4 to 5 months I wasn't expecting it, because I was wrestling all of the time. But a small part of me said that if it was going to happen, it might be around this time. Unfortunately it did."
You can watch the full interview below.