Giovanni Vinci is ready to get back in the ring, and he sounds refreshed after more than a year away from professional wrestling.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Vinci opened up about his WWE release in February 2025 and what the period since has looked like for him. He described a complicated set of emotions upon receiving the call but ultimately found a sense of relief in finally knowing where he stood.
“I just knew that after the call, because it was such a surreal feeling, man. It was like, on the one hand, it sucked that that chapter was over because that’s what I wanted to do since I was 13 years old. But on the other hand, because it was such a roller coaster leading up to that, it felt freeing in a way. Like, I told a friend of mine, he asked me if I was okay. I said, ‘Yeah, man, I’m good.’ It’s almost like when you’re in school and school ends and you go on summer vacation. Just all the weight was off because at least I knew. At least I knew. There was no more thinking about it. And really, after that, all I did was, I just knew I was taking some time. Didn’t know how much it was. And, yeah, I didn’t think about how long exactly I was going to be out for. Just like, okay, I’m going to need some space, take some time for myself, figure myself out, and, yeah, enjoy life a little bit,” Vinci said.
Vinci said he was both surprised and not entirely surprised by the release. When SmackDown expanded to three hours, he had hoped the additional airtime would create more opportunity for his repackaged singles character following his split from Imperium, but that did not materialize.
He said he has had some “really good talks” about a return, though no timeline has been set. When he does come back, Vinci is clear about what he wants it to look like.
“I feel like there’s way more things to do for me. I feel like I haven’t reached my full potential yet. I feel like some people know what I can do, but I know I can do a lot more. And I just really, like, yeah, I wanted to take enough time to not come back and go in halfway. So I definitely work out, like I want to wrestle again. I feel like there’s many things still to do. Nothing set in stone yet, but when that opportunity comes, I know I’ll be ready for it,” Vinci said.
He also described the mindset shift he wants to carry into his return, having spent much of his career putting excessive pressure on himself while pursuing his dream of succeeding in WWE.
“Whereas nowadays, I just want to have fun, man. I want to go out there, because that’s what it’s supposed to be. It’s just fun. I want to have great matches. I want to be authentic. I want to tear it up with whoever I’m in the ring with. Just have a good time and enjoy the process. Live in the moment. And I know that’s when great things are going to happen,” Vinci said.
The 35-year-old has not wrestled since December 2024 and returned to social media last month for the first time since his release.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
