Former WWE NXT star Dijak dropped shocking news that the promotion is not renewing his contract following his draft to Raw. He announced on X (formerly Twitter) that WWE had opted not to renew his contract. He is set to become a free agent on June 28, 2024.
Dijak signed with WWE back in 2017 and debuted for WWE’s developmental branch, NXT. Over the years, under the black and gold brand, he made a huge name for himself. He was called up to the main roster in 2020 as part of a faction called Retribution; however, the faction never lived up to the expectations of the fans and WWE officials.
In 2022, Dijak returned to NXT, where the promotion repackaged him. During his second stint in WWE NXT, he regained his momentum and rose to the top. His final match was at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver against Josh Briggs and Oba Femi, and he subsequently faced a loss. Despite being drafted to the main roster on Raw, he never officially appeared there.
Dijak, who was thriving in NXT, announced his surprising departure from WWE after being drafted to Raw in April. The news stunned fans, but recent reports from Fightful Select have revealed why the promotion decided not to re-sign him.
The WWE informed Dijak that they would not re-sign him following his WWE Speed match with Xavier Woods. The match was filmed in the last two weeks. Meanwhile, the exact timing of the decision remains unclear. In an interview with Sean Ross Sapp, he stated that the promotion had been planning to let his deal wind down for a while.
Prior to his draft to WWE Raw, he also mentioned in his tweet that he was initially set to challenge for the NXT title.
Backstage reaction on Dijak’s WWE contract expiry
Fightful Select behind the paywall, in its recent reports, has provided backstage reactions to Dijak’s shocking departure. Sources backstage revealed that officials well-liked and praised Dijak. The reports also stated that Shawn Michaels was a major supporter of Dijak, despite some creative disagreements between the two in the past.
Sources close to Dijak reported that initial negotiations had recently started positively. Following the negotiations, WWE did not follow up until they notified him. They informed him that his contract would not be renewed without engaging with him. This lack of negotiation surprised many backstage, with one former WWE talent remarking that 20 years ago, he “would have had a job until his legs fell off.”
However, following Dijak’s shocking departure from WWE, he has garnered major interest from various wrestling promotions, as per reports. It will be interesting to see what is next for Dijak after his surprising exit from WWE.
