Brian Kendrick Discusses Controversial Comments Costing Him AEW Spot

Brian Kendrick was scheduled to face Jon Moxley on the February 2 episode of "AEW Dynamite," but after some of Kendrick's past controversial comments — including 9/11 conspiracies, Sandy Hook school shooting conspiracies, and stating that the Holocaust was "overblown" — resurfaced, Kendrick was removed from the match by AEW owner Tony Khan and was replaced by Wheeler Yuta. While on K & S WrestleFest, the former WWE Tag Team and Cruiserweight Champion discussed the comments that cost him his match against Moxley and, likely, future opportunities in the company.

"Talked with Tony Khan on the phone, they made me music, I had an entrance and everything was ready to go," Kendrick said. "Show up to Chicago in my wrestling gear, a few hours from going out there and performing, I get a call from their lawyer  ... She goes, 'Is it true?' I go, 'Is what true?' She goes, 'There's this video out there' ... 'There's some pretty salacious stuff about the Holocaust, about Sandy Hook', and I go, 'Oh, mfer, I know exactly what you're talking about'."

"And that was it," Kendrick continued. "She goes, 'I think we're going to have to pull you from the show.' I said 'I understand.' I text Bryan Danielson. I say, 'Hey buddy, sorry for the embarrassment' ... Then I get a call from Sonjay Dutt, go in to meet him and Bryan Danielson, Tony Khan, ... [Tony] says, 'I apologize, you know, I don't think this would've happened if you wouldn't have quit your job [at WWE] and came here, but this is what we're dealing with right now. So I think it's for the best if you grab your gear and you leave'."

Kendrick had been re-signed to WWE in 2016 when the company debuted a now-defunct show known as "205 Live", in which competitors 205 pounds and under would compete each week. Kendrick ended up leaving WWE in early 2022, but because of that video Kendrick never ended up debuting for AEW.

"As far as the business goes, Tony doesn't know me from nothing," Kendrick said. "He just knows me as a headache walking in ... I officially got released on May 1st, so there was about three months in limbo, being quasi-employed."

Kendrick insists that he never actually believed in the conspiracies he discussed in the video, but admits that it was an attempt to get attention and get wrestling bookings by portraying a character who did believe these things at a time when conspiracy theorists were becoming more and more mainstream. He does recognize that he was wrong to try and capitalize on the spread of such disinformation.

"The truth is I don't really believe in anything," Kendrick stated. "As far as like, with the Holocaust stuff, for example, you know, how could I say such things. Well, I said them because they're salacious. I said them to get a rise out of people ... What it was, was me trying to profit off of it."

Since his release from AEW in May, Kendrick has wrestled at one indie event in Pennsylvania, defeating VSK in a singles match.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit K & S WrestleFest with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.