Baron Corbin Says He Was “Blindsided” By WWE Release

Tom Pestock, formerly known as Baron Corbin in WWE and now wrestling under the name Bishop Dyer, opened up further about his WWE departure during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.

Pestock first hinted back in January on Insight with Chris Van Vliet that a higher-up within WWE may have influenced his release, and he doubled down on that belief in this new interview.

“I was a little blindsided, but I also kind of expected it. I was in a weird place…”

He revealed that even those close to him within the company were stunned, including veteran star Randy Orton:

“Randy Orton was dead set that I would be a lifer in WWE. When that happened, he was completely shocked…”

Pestock emphasized that throughout his WWE career, he was known as a dependable professional who never made waves backstage:

“I’ve been a guy that never made waves. I always did what was asked of me. I made everything that was given to me really, really good. I never complained about having to give someone else their flowers or put someone else over.”

Since his release, Pestock—now competing as Bishop Dyer—has been taking select independent bookings, and fans have taken notice of his revitalized energy and darker persona. While his departure from WWE was abrupt and still raises questions, it’s clear Pestock is using it as motivation to evolve and carve out a new chapter in his wrestling career.