William Regal has made his first onscreen appearance since returning to WWE.
As seen on the January 23rd broadcast of NXT, Regal was seen walking outside of Shawn Michaels’ office alongside Ava, who had been named the new General Manager of NXT. Regal congratulated Ava on the appointment and had every faith that she would be great in the new role.
Welcome back, @RealKingRegal!!!
You have some big shoes to fill @avawwe_ 👀#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/OLQt0DsY5F
— WWE (@WWE) January 24, 2024
Regal was a huge part of NXT, especially in the Black and Gold era of the brand. The former General Manager was praised for not being the traditional heel authority figure and became a fan favourite, especially with the iconic WarGames call in his British accent.
In a shocking move in 2022, Regal was released by WWE as part of the many rounds of budget cuts. The surprises would keep coming for Regal later that year as the Blackpool native would turn up unannounced at AEW Revolution 2 months later, separating Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson and being an onscreen mentor for The Blackpool Combat Club.
Regal’s time at AEW would be memorable but brief. While many remember the comical interactions between Regal and AEW announcer Excalibur, Regal would be written off TV when he was attacked by MJF, who became World Champion largely in part due to Regal’s assistance. Regal exited AEW in December 2022.
Why Did William Regal Leave AEW?
According to reports, Regal would request his release from AEW as his son was a part of the NXT roster, competing under the name Charlie Dempsey and wanted to see him compete in his rookie years. Tony Khan respectfully granted the release under the condition that Regal could not appear on WWE TV for a full year. Regal would re-join WWE in early 2023 and was later named Vice President of Global Talent Development. Regal also respected Khan’s request and did not appear on TV for over a year.
Featured image: WWE
