Chris Masters Feels Like He's Been Exiled By WWE

Though he hasn't appeared in a WWE ring since 2011, that didn't stop Chris Masters from teasing his potential entry in the 2023 men's Royal Rumble. That, of course, did not happen, with the match's "surprise" spots going to a returning Edge, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, and Logan Paul.

In the wake of many former WWE stars returning in recent years, Masters explained in an interview with "So Catch" his notion of why he may have been excluded from that list. "It feels like I've been exiled, hasn't it?" he wondered. In the days leading up to his 2011 release — his second from WWE at that point — Masters recognized that wasn't being utilized much, and despite the acknowledgment of his drastic improvement from when he first started, he believes the creative forces at WWE just weren't all that into the idea of using him anymore.

"It's like a bad marriage at that point," he recalled.

Masters later mentioned that he'd love the comeback angle of creating an "oh, s*** wrestling moment" and, while he remains hopeful of a possible return, he's also realistic about it ever happening. "I don't ever feel like I'm coming back to WWE full-time. For me, it would be great to just come back to the Rumble to sort of make amends with certain people in the company, but to also show the WWE Universe the polished performer that I've become," he said.

Up until about two years ago, Masters admitted he never envisioned a comeback for himself, but upon seeing the returns of performers from his era in wrestling — MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Carlito — the idea got him excited.