Former NXT star CJ Parker appeared on episode 337 of The Art Of Wrestling with Colt Cabana and during the interview, he was asked about his time in NXT. He noted that he enjoyed being in WWE’s developmental system for the first couple of years due to his likeness for head trainer Dr. Tom Prichard and working in the ring with the likes Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Cesaro. He thought that everything was going the right way for him at the time but then Prichard was removed as head trainer, things changed for him and he stopped enjoying his work.
When asked about his departure from WWE, he noted that he knew he was done right before WrestleMania 31 and believed that he needed to leave after the event because he wanted to see the event. He took an issue with not being on the first NXT Takeover special in a big arena. This led to his decision to leave the company. “I wasn’t on it and I was so angry and I made up my mind right there, ‘yup, I’m done. I’m out. I’m going to figure it out.’ Then I told, I pulled [Giant] Bernard, Baldo, aside and I told him that.”
You can listen to the interview here:
