Stu Bennett is in a good place away from WWE.
Bennett, better known to wrestling fans as Wade Barrett, is the star of "I Am Vengeance," which released in North America on Aug. 24 and will release in the UK on Sept. 28. Since leaving WWE in May 2016, Bennett was starred in multiple films and television shows, including the recently released Netflix series "Ultimate Beastmaster."
The former deliverer of bad news discussed his final years in WWE with to Sam Roberts on the Notsam Wrestling Podcast.
"I was miserable for a long time in my final couple of years in WWE. I have no beef with them and no hate on them for that. I just knew 'this isn't for me' at that moment in time. Once upon a time, if you go back to the early-2000s through 2014, all I cared about was being a wrestling," said Bennett "Going on the road, performing in front of crowds, having wrestling matches, getting better. At some point, probably in 2015, that started to do a giant U-turn -- 'Wait a minute, what am I doing here? This isn't going in the direction that I want'"
Bennett's contract with WWE was set to expire in June 2016, but the company agreed to released him a month early. However, WWE did offer him a new contract before parting ways. But continuing with the company was not part of Bennett's plans.
"The worst thing in the world you can do it sign a contract purely for money," Bennett explained. "To be offered a good contract by WWE and think to myself, 'This is a really good deal. If I sign it, financially that would make the most sense.' But emotionally, spiritually, mentally; this is the absolute worst thing I could do is put my signature on this piece of paper."
Bennett's success in television and film today is no accident. According to him, he had offers in 2013 and 2014 to appear on in non-WWE roles. And it wasn't his decision to turn them down.
"They were all turned down by WWE because they would have involved me, in part, being taken away from their shows and their stream train that's running all over the world."
The grind of working "275 nights a year" eventually wore on Bennett, which led to the parting. While Bennett is mainly focused on his acting career, he had made appearances on the Independent scene, but not in a wrestling capacity. He currently provides commentary for World of Sport on ITV.