WWE’s recent decision to part ways with Baron Corbin, one of the company’s long-standing and most reliable wrestlers, has left fans and industry insiders alike scratching their heads. Among the trio of wrestlers released on Nov. 1, Corbin’s departure was by far the most surprising. Known for his commitment and willingness to embrace any storyline, Corbin brought stability to WWE for over 12 years, despite often being underappreciated by the wrestling community.

Over his career, Corbin, a former NFL hopeful, earned accolades including the United States Championship, Money in the Bank win, and King of the Ring title. Just last year, he even added the NXT Tag Team titles to his resume alongside Bron Breakker, successfully supporting Breakker’s transition to the main roster. Corbin’s steady, safe approach made him a go-to performer, and his adaptability endeared him to fans and colleagues, if not always to critics.

Adding to the confusion are recent reports indicating that Corbin filmed promotional material for WWE’s partnership with Netflix just days before his contract ended, with no mention of the split. In response to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select’s report about this last-minute activity, Corbin confirmed on X/Twitter, stating, “That is a fact.” The news quickly gained traction, with fans voicing their frustration over the split. One Instagram user commented on Corbin’s cooking post, “WWE fumbled the bag letting you go,” to which Corbin replied, “I appreciate that and feel the same.” Today, Corbin (real name Tom Pestock) expressed gratitude to fans for the outpouring of support following WWE’s departure to Saudi Arabia for the Crown Jewel event, sharing his thanks alongside a humorous Nic Cage GIF from The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

While Corbin’s future remains uncertain, his departure leaves a gap that WWE may find challenging to fill, given his reliability and versatility. Fans are left wondering what lies ahead for the veteran star—and what WWE’s next moves may reveal about the direction of its roster.