WWE Trainer and Former Champion Requests Their WWE Release
Scott Garland, better known to pro wrestling fans as Scotty 2 Hotty, took to Instagram on Tuesday and announced he had requested his release from the WWE. Originally wrestling in the company from 1997-2007, the former two-time WWE Tag Team Champion was rehired by the company in 2016 to work as one of the trainers at the WWE Performance Center. Garland wrote, "Today, I have asked for my release from World Wrestling Entertainment. 30 years ago I stepped into a WWE ring for the very first time. I have lived my dream 100 times over. Some of my most special memories will always be from the last five years working with NXT.
"The black and gold brand was something special and I am proud to have been a small part of that. I always promised myself that I would never be part of something solely for the paycheck and that was where I was at. I told myself that I would walk away if I ever got to that point, so that is what I have chosen to do," he continued. "Coaching and producing the stars of NXT will always be a highlight of my life. I love you all more than you will ever know."
WWE has yet to officially comment on whether or not Garland's release has been granted, though the promotion stopped officially announcing talent releases during the last few rounds of cuts. Stay tuned for further updates.
Garland's request comes less than a week after WWE's latest round of releases, which included former NXT stars like Tegan Nox and the three remaining members of Hit Row. WWE has released 80 wrestlers since the start of 2021, many of whom were Performance Center trainees, NXT stars and wrestlers who had made a name for themselves on the Black & Gold Brand but had struggled to find their footing on the main roster. On top of that, NXT was rebooted as NXT 2.0 back in September, putting a greater emphasis on wrestlers trained almost exclusively at the Performance Center over talent that had built up their skills on the independent scene.
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