WWE has proven to be a gateway to many opportunities. Many stars from the promotion went into different industries. Most of them started to get offers during their time at WWE. A classic example will be that of Dwayne Johnson. He started acting while he was still with the promotion and is now a Hollywood star. Unfortunately, some stars didn’t get to grab some prestige opportunities. This came about because the wrestling promotion has signed them to a contract that gave them control.

Recently, an ex-WWE star revealed how the WWE deprived him of an opportunity to appear on the cover of a popular magazine. His frustration boiled over when he learned that the promotion granted other superstars permission to indulge themselves in such opportunities.

Former Intercontinental champion chastises Triple H

Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has been in the ins and outs of the company, knowing every single detail about everything. So when Ryback got an opportunity to be on the cover of Flex, a major fitness magazine, Triple H. In a reel he posted on Instagram, he said, “Story when I was supposed to be on the cover of the Flex magazine, twice. And Triple H and WWE refused to let me.

For the November 2014 edition, the magazine had a WWE theme in which Triple H and Stephanie McMahon appeared on the cover of Health and Fitness magazine. Ryback was also slated to be on Flex Magazine and the Bella Twins would appear on the Muscle and Fitness Her Magazine. However, a couple of weeks after the discussions took place, Levesque told Ryback that he could not do the shoot. Hunted attributed Ryback’s heel persona at the time as the primary reason. This incident took place in 2014.

He even added the company would only let him do it when the time was right. Ryback further said that he was constantly in touch with the folks at Flex Magazine. One day, in 2015, he got a call from the lead photographer of the magazine. But unfortunately for Ryback, he did not have any good news. He said that the magazine again approached the promotion. However, the wrestling promotion wanted Roman Reigns on the cover and not Ryback. The editorial team explained that Ryback emerged as the perfect fit for the cover as he has a tall and broad stature. But in the end, “Roman didn’t do it, and WWE didn’t let me do it so another missed opportunity out of the window” Ryback said.

Ryback’s career at the promotion was a mixed bag. On one hand, he was on his way to be the next Brock Lesnar. On the other, he felt that he was lied to. But numerous issues boiled over that eventually made him quit WWE.

Why did Ryback quit?

At Payback 2016, Ryback lost to Calisto, in the face-off for the United States Championship Title. After this, media personnel reported that he immediately left for home. Later on, he clarified that he went home and that he would not be coming back until improvements in negotiations panned out. He explained that he felt a lack of equal pay while also suffering from enjoying different opportunities.

In August 2016, the star decided to part ways with the promotion. He went on to start his own line of supplements. The 41-year-old star even continued to work on independent circuits, but he took a break in 2018. He also has his own YouTube channel/ podcast Ryback TV, where he discusses about top news of the week or month from the world of pro wrestling and gives his opinion on them.

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Do you think Ryback lost a major opportunity? Would his career be any different if he was featured on the cover page? Let us know in the comments below.