Mike Bennett (aka Mike Kanellis) is one of several WWE Superstars this year to ask to be released from his contract, then not be given that release. Bennett has some unique circumstances though – he and his wife, Maria Kanellis, signed new multi-year deals with WWE in June. In a recent appearance on the talk show Swings & Mrs. Bennett was asked if his storyline after re-signing, in which his wife revealed she was pregnant with another man’s child and regularly belittled him on Raw, led to him trying to leave WWE.
Bennett said he didn’t mind the content of the storyline (“at the end of the day, I am playing a role on a TV show”), but said he didn’t like that it had no payoff (transcript from Wrestling, Inc.):
My only issue was it didn’t go anywhere. If I’m going to do a storyline like that, I want it to go somewhere. I think the fans would like that too. There should be a payoff. Because there wasn’t a payoff, it’s like, what was the point? I don’t mind thinking outside the box. I don’t mind embarrassing myself, I mean, I wrestle in underwear for a living. I really don’t care. If they say I have to be emasculated by my wife, I’m like, fine, I don’t care. I get offended when it doesn’t go anywhere.
Bennett also reiterated points he’s made since he asked for his release in October: that he mainly just wants to wrestle more and make the most of his career, and if WWE called and asked for him to wrestle on one of their shows, he would do it.
