Former WWE Superstar Ariya Daivari recently spoke with Dominic DeAngelo of WrestleZone for his first post-WWE interview. Daivari was released from his WWE contract back on June 25, after signing with the company in June 2016 for the Cruiserweight Classic. Daivari is currently under a 90-day non-compete clause, and will become a free agent on Tuesday, August 31. He is currently taking bookings via DaivariBooking@gmail.com.
Daivari noted that he received the release phone call from Canyon Ceman, WWE’s Senior Director of Talent Development, not long after cracking his phone screen with a dumbbell while working out. He learned of his longtime friend and tag team partner Tony Nese getting released on the same day, then saw where he had missed a phone call from a number with a 203 Connecticut area code. Daivari put the pieces together, took it in stride, and went back to the pool with a few drinks.
With WWE releasing several talents in recent months, some notable, Daivari said there was always the thought that anyone could be next, but he also thought he and Nese may be safe because they were working on a consistent basis.
“Me and Tony Nese were on like literally every episode of 205 Live like the entire pandemic even beforehand so we were working every single week and we were working with a lot new guys they were bringing us,” Daivari said. “Again on one hand, like I said, when bigger names got let go, [so the thought was] ‘Oh it could be anybody.’
“On the other hand, we were working every week so I didn’t think I’d fall into that category, but I don’t know. I was always told by more veteran wrestlers the average WWE career is like five to seven years unless you’re a big star.”
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