Parker Boudreaux Reveals WWE Released Him Just Weeks After Giving Him a Raise

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Parker Boudreaux Reveals WWE Released Him Just Weeks After Giving Him a Raise

Parker Boudreaux says he was released from WWE right after getting a pay raise | Exclusive - F4W/WONFormer WWE and AEW star Parker Boudreaux has opened up in detail about his wrestling journey, revealing that WWE unexpectedly released him only two weeks after giving him a pay raise.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with F4WON, the former college football player reflected on his rapid rise in WWE NXT, his sudden release during the pandemic era, and how both WWE and AEW helped shape his career.

Parker Boudreaux Says WWE Push Came Quickly

Boudreaux signed with WWE in 2021 and quickly drew attention because of comparisons to Brock Lesnar due to his physical appearance and athletic background.

After arriving in NXT, he was given the character “Harland” under the creative direction of Triple H and soon appeared regularly on television.

“For me, it was amazing,” Boudreaux explained. “I didn’t think I was gonna get on TV that quickly.”

He also revealed that many fans may not realize how competitive the WWE Performance Center environment can be behind the scenes.

“There are some people that are just at the PC for years and years and never have seen TV,” he said, explaining that some talent spend five to seven years training before getting an opportunity on-screen.

Former WWE Star Parker Boudreaux Says He Was Given A Raise Two Weeks Before Release - Yahoo SportsWWE Released Him Shortly After a Raise

Despite believing things were going well, Boudreaux said his WWE release came completely out of nowhere.

According to him, the company had recently increased his salary before unexpectedly cutting him from the roster.

“I got a raise two weeks before I got released,” Boudreaux revealed.

He described the situation as one of the most shocking moments of his career, especially because he felt he had been performing well on NXT television.

At the time, WWE reportedly informed him the decision was related to budget cuts during the COVID-era restructuring within the company.

Boudreaux recalled receiving the call from former WWE executive John Laurinaitis shortly after finishing what he believed had been a strong workout session at the Performance Center.

Parker Boudreaux Opens Up On Shock WWE Release After Receiving Raise Wrestling News - WWE News, AEW News, WWE Results, Spoilers, AEW Double or Nothing 2026 - WrestlingNewsSource.Com

Parker Boudreaux Says He Still Has Good Relationship With WWE

Although the release caught him off guard, Boudreaux said he does not hold resentment toward WWE and believes a return could still happen one day.

“The person that fired me isn’t even there anymore,” he said, referencing Laurinaitis.

Boudreaux added that he still speaks with several WWE personalities, including Paul Heyman, and described his current relationship with the company as “really solid.”

He also explained that his experiences wrestling internationally — including time spent training in Japan — helped him grow significantly after leaving WWE.

AEW Release Happened After Injury

Following his WWE exit, Boudreaux joined AEW, where he became associated with groups including The Trustbusters.

However, his AEW run was also interrupted after he suffered a wrist injury.

Boudreaux explained that several people involved in his storyline were hurt around the same time, which affected creative plans and eventually led to his release.

Still, he spoke positively about his experience in AEW and praised the locker room atmosphere.

He specifically named stars such as Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, Mark Henry, Paul Wight, and Tony Khan as important influences during his development.

“Swerve Strickland was a huge mentor to me,” Boudreaux said, crediting the former AEW World Champion for helping him shape his character and confidence.

Open to Returning to WWE or AEW

Now competing internationally and currently holding the OPW Global Championship, Boudreaux says he remains open to returning to either WWE or AEW in the future.

He described both companies as major learning experiences and said his passion for professional wrestling has grown tremendously since first transitioning from football into the industry.

At only 28 years old, many fans believe Boudreaux still has significant potential ahead of him — especially after gaining experience in multiple promotions around the world.

Read more to see why Parker Boudreaux believes his wrestling journey may still bring him back to WWE or AEW one day.

 

5/28/2026

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The actress who played Mary Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie has carried a private burden for nearly five decades, and now she is breaking her silence about the one episode she filmed in 1974 that she still refuses to watch. Melissa Sue Anderson, now 62, revealed in a rare interview that a deeply emotional story line from the show’s first season left her so unsettled that she has never been able to revisit it. The episode, titled The Lord Is My Shepherd, centered on the death of the Ingalls family’s newborn son, and for the then-11-year-old actress, it was too raw, too personal, and too haunting to ever relive. 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