The bitter taste of the pandemic purge

Remember April 2020? The world was locked inside watching Tiger King, and WWE decided to trim the fat with a massive wave of releases. Brian Myers, better known to the masses as Curt Hawkins, was one of the many names let go. Six years later, he is finally speaking his truth, and let’s just say he’s not sending a thank-you card to Stamford.

Myers didn't mince words about the situation. He admitted that while he has moved on professionally, there is a lingering bitterness about how it all went down. It is hard to blame the guy. Getting handed a pink slip while the world is literally burning outside your window leaves a mark that doesn't just fade away with a fresh contract elsewhere.

A career defined by the streak and the shuffle

Let’s be real for a second. Myers had a hell of a run in WWE, even if the creative team didn't always know what to do with him. Who could forget the legendary losing streak? He turned being the guy who always loses into an absolute art form. It took guts to commit to that bit as long as he did, and he deserved better than a zoom call termination during a global catastrophe.

The current state of professional wrestling is a different beast than it was back in the 2020 era. As WrestlingNews.co reported, Myers holds no illusions about the nature of the industry. He understands that wrestling is a business first, but that doesn't mean he has to enjoy being a line item on a budget spreadsheet. Every wrestler has that 'what if' moment, and for Myers, his 'what if' is tied directly to that chaotic spring.

The post-WWE hustle is real

Since the jump, Myers has kept his feet moving. He’s been grinding on the independent circuit and thriving in his role with Impact Wrestling before their various rebrands. He didn't sit in his basement crying over spilled milk. He took his knowledge, his podcast, and his passion and turned them into a career that keeps the lights on without a corporate overlord breathing down his neck.

However, the skepticism remains. You can see the frustration when he mentions the way he was treated. Professional wrestling has a habit of chewing people up and spitting them out, and it takes a special kind of person to look back at the meat grinder and admit they still feel the burn of the gears. It is not just about the money; it is about the lack of respect for the time he put into the machine.

Booking decisions that still sting

Was he underutilized? Absolutely. Anyone who watched him work knows the guy can go. He has the fundamentals of a seasoned vet, but WWE had an obsession with using him as a setup man for the flavor-of-the-month talent. Seeing him now, it is clear that he had so much more to offer than standing in the corner waiting for a tag that was never going to come.

It’s fine to hold a grudge when the grudge is earned. Myers isn't a bitter veteran shouting at clouds; he is a performer who took his craft seriously at a time when the company clearly hit 'panic mode.' You can argue the merits of the cuts all day long, but there is no denying that the way those releases were handled changed the locker room culture for years to come. Today, on May 28, 2026, he stands as a reminder that wrestling is as much about the politics outside the ring as it is about the sequence of moves inside the ropes.

  • Myers spent years refining his character work as a tag team specialist.
  • The 2020 cuts set a precedent for how wrestlers view corporate loyalty.
  • His current work outside the WWE bubble proves he never needed the main roster script to remain relevant.