Former WWE Superstar and Coach Scott Garland (Scotty 2 Hotty) recently spoke with Fightful Select for an upcoming interview an noted that when he asked for his release from the Performance Center role back in November, he’d already been considering a departure from the company for six months until everything boiled over, adding that he was no longer having fun.
Garland cited a lot of the changes that people weren’t expecting in WWE NXT, as well as the mass releases as a reason he lost a lot of joy for the job. He also believes that having a limited number of coaches and trainers does not necessarily promote individuality. Garland felt like coaches should have been provided the courtesy of being clued in before cuts happened, especially since so many were their students.
Garland said he and other coaches were left in the dark about releases, and he didn’t know Adam Cole was leaving until after was gone.
Garland revealed that he thought WWE should recruit and tryout Broadway performers and theater actors for NXT, but the idea was shot down by WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, who said, “We are not actors, we react.”
Garland said he didn’t think Vince remembered who he was and didn’t have any real interactions with him since he began coaching.
Garland also said that while he coached, he was not allowed to bump at the WWE Performance Center because he could not get medically cleared. He was open to appearing in the Royal Rumble as a surprise if WWE would have him, and said he has no ill will against the company.
Garland also revealed how former WWE CEO Linda McMahon told him to never take a top rope DDT again after his now-infamous Backlash 2000 match with Dean Malenko.
Stay tuned for more.
Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.