Ryback On If He's Spoken To Vince McMahon Since His WWE Departure
Ryback has been relatively quiet since departure from the WWE in 2016 due to a public contract dispute. In an interview with The Domenick Nati Show, Ryback said he has no regrets for how he left the company.
In May 2016, Ryback was sent home from television and later posted on his Tumblr that he chose to go home due to lack of equal pay among wrestlers. He was released from the WWE in August and he has worked the independent circuit ever since. Ryback said he hasn't spoken to Vince McMahon since his departure and has not plans to do so because he stands by what he believes in.
"I have not spoken to him since I left. It's one of those deals that I wasn't happy there, and the people that have followed my career can understand why," Ryback said. "I had enough respect to know that he created that empire and that system and my only option at that time–they left me no other option, I had to leave. I had to get out of there. And that was it, it was really a simple decision. I'm thankful for everything I achieved there and everything I had the opportunity to do. But at the end of the day, there are some things that I believed in, and I don't regret anything."
Ryback said he's currently focused on his Feed Me More nutrition line among other endeavors. When asked if he had any advice for someone hoping for a career in the WWE, Ryback said his biggest piece of advice would be to fully understand what they're committing to. There's nothing easy about the pro-wrestling business, so you have to be prepared for the highs and the lows that come with it.
"I would never try to detract somebody or stop somebody from achieving their dreams," he said. "I just think there are many, many great things out there that you could do... It's obviously a great way to earn a living at times, but I think you need to fully understand that when you get into it, the person who created that enterprise is a billionaire and is a billionaire for a reason. You got to be okay with being gone and sacrificing your body and whatnot. You got to know what you're getting into, and it's more than what meets the eye and what you see on TV."