Former WWE NXT star Riley Osborne has responded to recent claims suggesting he resisted a move to the Evolve brand prior to his release.
Osborne, formerly a member of the Chase U faction, was among 17 talents released by WWE over the weekend. In the days following, Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported that “non-wrestling things” factored into the decision to cut Osborne, while Bryan Alvarez added that sources claimed he had made it “very well known” he didn’t want to be moved to Evolve.
“One of the big things was, there are people that they want to go and help out Evolve,” Alvarez said. “And I was told he did not want to go to Evolve, and he made it very well known.”
Osborne issued a strong rebuttal in a statement titled “Incorrect.” He clarified that he had, in fact, worked the first set of Evolve tapings immediately after his wife was released from WWE, during a personally difficult time.
“When I was told by [a] head coach… I can have it off tomorrow if I need time with my wife… I was the first person in that building the next day and was commended on my professionalism,” he wrote. “I will not have my work ethic questioned… I knew the return would have been on Evolve.”
What Injury Did Riley Osborne Say He Was Dealing With Prior To His WWE Release?
At the time of his release, Osborne said that he was recovering from an injury and had not yet been medically cleared following surgery in March. The injury was reportedly a foot/ankle injury that he suffered at the end of February, and he received his surgery on March 7.
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H/t to WrestleTalk.com