In what has turned into quite an interesting story, it appears Drew Gulak and WWE have parted ways. After wrestling this past Friday against Daniel Bryan, a number of sources have confirmed Gulak is no longer with the company.

While we assume the match had nothing to do with any sort of release, it is interesting to note that the split came right after the bout and after WWE had used Gulak repeatedly on the SmackDown brand. Reports surfaced in the afternoon on Saturday that perhaps Gulak had been let go when his profile appeared on the Alumni page of WWE.com. Later Saturday, Pro Wrestling Sheet said their sources were able to confirm the news.

Fightful chimed in almost immediately following the first report saying they'd reached out to WWE but figured the website move was an error. It was then confirmed it wasn't a mistake. Since then, a number of stories have provided more insight as to what might really be going on.

Gulak's departure comes as a shock to many despite the cutbacks from WWE. The company has released a number of talents, backstage staff, and office workers in response to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon first hearing the news, it appeared he was the latest casualty of those cuts. Further reports suggested his contract simply expired and the two situations may not be related.

The latest is that WWE and Gulak were working on a deal but one wasn't reached. If he stays gone and the contract expiration report is accurate, it is believed he is not under any restrictions of a 90-day non-compete.

Gulak, 33, wrestled a mat classic bout against Daniel Bryan on Friday where no strikes were thrown during the entire contest. The loss removed Gulak from the Intercontinental Title Tournament, but more than that, it signaled potentially his last match for WWE. It is unclear if he had asked to finish things out or if his intention is to re-sign, but his exit has shocked a number of fans.

Gulak Was Just Getting Going

A number of the talents released by WWE have been Superstars that haven't been used by WWE. Quite the opposite, Gulak was just finding his rhythm working alongside Daniel Bryan. He was used regularly by WWE and his social media back-and-forth with Bryan as a coach to his new student was hilarious.

It's hard to understand why WWE chose to go this route unless there's more to the story than people know. Some are speculating that Gulak could feasibly ink another deal right away. We'll be sure to update you with any news.

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