Dijak on WWE Exit, AEW, Retribution, T-Bar, Cody Rhodes, Vince McMahon

Donovan Dijak is a professional wrestler previously signed to WWE. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Toronto, Ontario to talk about his WWE departure and the letter he posted to social media, being backstage at AEW Forbidden Door, RETRIBUTION and the original pitch for the group, returning to NXT and his relationship with Shawn Michaels, being on the receiving end of a brutal Cody Rhodes chair shot, what next for him and more!

00:00 Intro
00:36 His love of being on the road
01:02 Having a picture of his broken finger on his shirt
02:08 Dislocating his finger at NXT Vengeance Day
06:19 How did he feel after his WWE contract ended?
10:41 Being able to wrestle right after his contract ended
12:32 Writing his well-worded list upon the ending of his contract
18:33 Backstage interactions with CM Punk & Hangman Page
22:18 Visiting backstage at an AEW event
27:11 What are his plans now that he’s not with WWE
29:17 Having to prove himself to a new base of fans
32:46 Trying to translate his Twitter persona into his wrestling
36:19 His strategy in branding himself on the indies
38:12 Why wasn’t he called back to NXT?
41:02 Does he think writing that letter burns a bridge with WWE?
44:14 Memories of Cody Rhodes nailing him with a steel chair
46:22 How did the Retribution group come to be?
54:04 Was T-Bar supposed to stand for something?
55:24 Trying to make Retribution work because he was on the main roster
57:11 How would Retribution have been received with an audience?
58:23 Certain fans having made their minds up not to like him
59:38 What does it mean be ratio’d in WWE?
01:07:27 Being let go alongside all of his friends from Retribution
01:11:16 What did he learn from Shawn Michaels that he still applies
01:13:18 Memories of failed pitched to Vince McMahon
01:18:50 His original pitch for his latest run in NXT
01:21:33 The NXT Iron Survival Challenge defining his run
01:26:23 Being able to look forward to what comes next
01:27:34 3 Things Dijak is grateful for

#wwe #wrestling #aew #BlueWireVideo

[ChrisVanVliet]

Feast your eyes! We’re closing in on 500, 000 subscribers. If you’re reading this and you haven’t subscribed yet, you know what to do 🙏💪

[Dzone]

The irony is Trick Williams really needed a big heel opponent during his reign but Dijak wasn't around to be it - this dude should be WAY more utilised than he was on WWE programming.

[Brocturnal]

I said it before and I'll say it again. THIS GUY, CHRIS VAN VLIET, IS THE REASON WHY I LOVE INTERVIEW SO MUCH.

[ronakkothari]

Man, dijak vs Keith lee, one of the best series of matches I have seen in my 20+ years of watching wrestling.

[KnifeySpny]

It’s dinner time in Australia, Chris your timing is impeccable

[tayojones]

I love this interview. Chris, you are a great guy to talk to in interviews. You are so friendly and give the wrestlers enough time to talk and share their thoughts. Great work mate!

[phaw-]

now we can finally see Dijak vs. Santizap — BOOK IT !!! #OilUp

[scottinglis]

He seems like a really good guy - I hope it all works out for him.

[tornadowarrior]

Great insight. First time I can remember a wrestler being this open and honest about every detail.

[LadyTreez]

Djak voice would be Good for Radio, Nature Shows, ASMR Videos 😂❤

[kendrickking]

I wish I could start a podcast with wrestlers. It extremely awesome seeing Chris amongst so many wrestlers

[Ucey]

I can hear the pain in his voice. They broke this man’s heart, what a travesty.

I can not wait for him to land somewhere he can prosper.

[bailey.mckinlay]

you’re the man for kinda promoting these newly free guys that deserve the best

[mtkfitness]

Dijak is one of the best wrestlers in the business. Checks all the boxes with athleticism, aura, intensity, promo skills. How in the world do you fumble that bag? I truly hope he expands his brand to the point of undeniability. I would love to see him in WWE again

[kendrickking]

His voice is similar to Damien Priest. Well the deepness of his voice. I have never seen Dijak this way.. he’s cool

[DeaundreMJ]

This man seems ridiculously genuine. His match’s with NXT/PWG Keith Lee were amazing. He comes to my town me and the boys are coming through.

[MaxMawGames]

Man, this will always be one of the biggest confusing, what if moments for me in pro wrestling. Dijak literally did everything right. He was given a chance at NXT and KILLED IT. I would say almost all of his matches, if not all of them, in his NXT run were top tier. Put people over. Got himself over. Gets the call up, then gets zero chance to show off his character and wrestling skill he built up from NXT. I figured that was the idea of NXT in the first place - to try out new characters and get better in ring. Really sucks.

[HopesendSirus]

Chris Van Goat! Love the casts! Here from clips of yours, but more so definitely the Taker crossovers. But now I am here for you and I really appreciate how you interview.. because it doesn't feel like that. It feels like a real conversation and I love that. Thank you for brightening my days, teaching me more about all these great talents I already love, and for the reminder to be grateful.. Thank you! Grateful for the podcasts! Look forward to new ones every week, currently combing the backlogs!

[Andrew-Antioch-Kim]

I first discovered Donovan in Ring Of Honor.

However, his match against "Limitless" Keith Lee in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is a sight to see!

[Stardust_Lei]

Happy to be training under him at the New England Pro Wrestling Academy, he truly is the real deal.