Giovanni Vinci is finally opening up about his WWE release— and his reaction might not be what people expected.
After reports noted that WWE had plans for Vinci that were ultimately dropped before his February 2025 release, the former Imperium member is now sharing what that moment actually felt like from his side.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Vinci admitted the call ending his WWE run was emotional — but also came with a sense of relief after everything leading up to it. Before reflecting on the bigger picture, Vinci described the immediate feeling after getting the call, saying it was a mix of disappointment and something unexpected.
“I just knew that after the call, because it was such a surreal feeling, man. It was like, on the one hand, it sucked that that chapter was over, because that’s what I wanted to do since I was 13 years old.”
Giovanni Vinci then explained why that moment didn’t just feel negative, revealing that the ups and downs of his final run actually made the release feel like a reset. Vinci went further, comparing the feeling to finally being able to step away and breathe after a long stretch of uncertainty.
“But on the other hand, because it was such a roller coaster leading up to that, it felt freeing in a way. I told a friend of mine—he asked me if I was okay—I said, ‘Yeah, man, I’m good.’ It’s almost like when you’re in school and school ends and you’re going on summer vacation—just all the weight was off, because at least I knew there was no more thinking about it.”
He also made it clear that after the release, his focus immediately shifted away from wrestling and toward taking time for himself. When asked how surprising the release actually was, Vinci admitted that by that point, he had already seen the signs coming — especially after being off TV despite earlier plans to bring him back.
“And really, after that, all I did was—I just knew I was taking some time. Didn’t know how much it was, and yeah, I didn’t think about how long exactly I was going to be out for. Just like, okay, we need some space—take some time for myself, figure myself out, and yeah, enjoy life a little bit. I wasn’t, because, I mean, during the summer the previous year, I wasn’t on TV—but I knew there was a plan to come back eventually. We did vignettes and everything, but that didn’t last long. So after that, I noticed some thoughts started to creep in. I tried to focus on the positive, and I always had high hopes.”
He pointed to internal conversations about roster depth as a key factor, explaining how even expanded TV time didn’t guarantee opportunities. Even with that added time, Vinci said he still wasn’t being used — which made the eventual call easier to process.
“For example, when 2025 started, SmackDown went from two hours to three hours. I was told—like, there was a quote from one of the producers—‘We have all the real estate in the world, there’s just not enough land,’ which is basically—you have all these great wrestlers, but not enough time on the show.
So when SmackDown went to three hours, I thought maybe here’s the chance. And then, yeah, I wasn’t needed for TV for a couple of weeks. You don’t want to hear that call, but when that happened, I can’t say I was really surprised. It was kind of like a weird mix of feelings.”
In the end, Vinci confirms there were plans at one point, but from his perspective, things never fully came together before his release. Instead of frustration, he’s coming out of it with clarity, perspective, and a reset after a stretch that never quite clicked.
Do you think WWE dropped the ball with Giovanni Vinci, or was his release the right call given how things played out? Let us know your thoughts.
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