Brian Kendrick, who was recently released from WWE, was pulled from AEW Dynamite after his comments were made public.
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Veteran wrestler Brian Kendrick was pulled from the latest episode of AEW Dynamite due to several old anti-Semetic comments coming to light.
Kendrick, who was recently released from WWE, was set to face Jon Moxley in his debut bout on the show.
The fact that he was even debuting was noteworthy. Recent reports suggested that Kendrick was awaiting his WWE release while sitting in catering.
What’s more, most WWE releases come with a standard 90-day non-compete clause. But Kendrick was immediately booked for Dynamite, even though news of his release itself was not made public.
However, the issues began when journalist David Bixenspan unearthed an old clip of Kendrick. This prompted other social media users to do the same.
As such, a number of old YouTube clips were brought to light. In them, Kendrick can be seen spouting a number of conspiracy theories.
This prompted AEW president Tony Khan to announce that he was pulling Kendrick from Dynamite.
We’ve been made aware of abhorrent & offensive comments made in the past by Brian Kendrick. There’s no room in AEW for the views expressed by Brian. We think it’s best for all that Brian be pulled from tonight’s card as we gather more info. We’ll announce a replacement bout ASAP.
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) February 2, 2022
It remains unclear at this point what impact this will have on Kendrick’s career. But it is hard to fault Khan’s call to pull him from the show.
Subsequently, Kendrick did issue an apology for his statements. In two tweets addressing the quotes, he said he was sorry and that he does not believe in these things.
I apologize for all the hurt and embarassment I have caused with my words. These are not my beliefs and never were beliefs of mine, and I crossed the line.
— Brian Kendrick (@mrbriankendrick) February 3, 2022
I spread the most vile comments without thinking of the damage it would cause. I will live with this regret for the rest of my life. I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused.
— Brian Kendrick (@mrbriankendrick) February 3, 2022
As stated above, it remains to be seen how this will impact his wrestling career going forward. It is also orth noting that conspiracy theories in and around wrestling are nothing new.
Many a wrestler has, in the past, been accused of spreading misinformation on certain subjects. AJ Styles’ supposed flat-earther leanings became a laughing point on WWE television itself.
However, as things stand, Kendrick is unlikely to become a full-time AEW star.
