Former WWE and AEW talent Parker Boudreaux has reflected on his turbulent run through both major promotions, opening up about the highs, the frustrations, and the shock surrounding his releases from each company.
During a recent interview with F4WON, Boudreaux spoke candidly about arriving in WWE NXT in 2021 and quickly finding himself pushed into a featured television role as Harland under the guidance of Paul Levesque.
At the time, comparisons to Brock Lesnar followed him everywhere, but Boudreaux said WWE soon began molding him into his own character once they saw his progress at the Performance Center.
“For me, it was amazing because right when I got there, you know, of course everybody was saying the Brock Lesnar stuff, but then once they saw me train and, you know, work, you know, some promos and do the stuff, they gave me my character and that was Harland. I got the Harland character a couple of months into training, after probably like six, seven months of training, I got the Harland character.”
Boudreaux admitted he was surprised to reach television so quickly, especially after seeing how long many talents remained at the WWE Performance Center without ever appearing on TV.
“And so what an honor, because I didn’t think I was gonna get on TV that quickly, because there were a lot of people at the PC. I don’t think a lot of people know this, but a lot of people at the PC, there’s five to seven years that you go without even being on TV sometimes. Like, there’s some people that are just at the PC for years and years and never have seen TV, who are just training, maybe waiting for that great moment.”
Despite believing things were moving in the right direction, including receiving a pay raise shortly before his departure, Boudreaux said his release completely blindsided him.
“I was grateful for my time in WWE because I could definitely see myself back in WWE soon. And just what an honor to be in the WWE, and I was on TV every Tuesday. I was doing a great job, I thought, because I got a raise, you know, two weeks before I got released. So, um, when I got released, obviously, it was super blindsiding and super unexpected, probably the most unexpected thing in a while.”
Looking back now, Boudreaux said the experience helped him better understand the wrestling business and motivated him to continue improving internationally, particularly through his training in Japan.
“But looking back at it, of course, now I just realize that’s the pro wrestling business. It could’ve been anything, you know? For me, I knew I put my 100% work ethic in there, and now I’ve just grown tremendously internationally, and all these different techniques, living in the dojo in Japan for years. And, you know, just all the things that I’ve done now, I think it’s just showing my passion for it.”
The current OPW Global Champion also detailed the moment he learned WWE was letting him go during the pandemic era. According to Boudreaux, he had just completed what he believed was a strong Performance Center workout before receiving a phone call from John Laurinaitis informing him he was being released due to budget cuts.
“This was before TKO, so I don’t know how it is now. But when I was there, it was, like, COVID time, so it was, like, everybody was still kinda sick and stuff like that, and you had to get tested a lot. But for me, it was like I just did a workout at the performance center, did, like, a live PC. I thought it was, like, a great day, and I just got back to my apartment, I got the call from Mr. Laurinaitis, and they said it was budget cuts.”
Even with the disappointment surrounding his release, Boudreaux emphasized that he still maintains positive relationships within WWE and believes the door remains open for a return someday.
“So for me, it was like, looking back now, Mr. Laurinaitis is not in the WWE now, so it’s like there’s this, you know, there’s more new people in there now. There are different people. He’s not in there. You know, so it’s the person that fired me that is not even there, and I talk to, you know, many superstars still in the WWE now, and Mr. Heyman, some other people. So, it’s just I think the relationship with me and WWE is still really solid.”
Following his WWE exit, Boudreaux eventually landed in All Elite Wrestling, where he spent more than two years developing on television and behind the scenes. He explained that injuries within his group and a stalled storyline ultimately contributed to his release from the company.
“It was different, my release, because everybody in the storyline was getting hurt. Trench, the guy with the face tattoos. He got hurt, and then I got hurt with just a sprained wrist, so I was out for like two and a half weeks.”
Boudreaux noted that AEW had a special training group for talent recovering from injuries and trying to work their way back onto television.
“But I was in this special class where it was getting back to TV class, so I would go down to Orlando and train every week, sometimes multiple times a week in Orlando with AEW, and that’s when we would do these, you know, specific training sessions where everybody was fully healed from an injury and they’re just trying to get back in the storyline.”
While he admitted the AEW release felt more expected than his WWE departure, Boudreaux still spoke positively about his time there and praised the opportunities he received.
“It’s like a business, so I get it. But that was a great experience, too, because I was with AEW for over two years, and like I said, traveling like that and getting used to all that and doing some really big matches, and that was really, really fun.”
Boudreaux also credited several AEW names for helping him develop, specifically naming Swerve Strickland as a major mentor during his run.
“Swerve Strickland was a huge mentor to me because he’s been a veteran. He’s one of the top or the top guy in AEW right now, and he’s just, you know, what a mentor, what a great guy. He’s helped me out a lot when I was starting in AEW, finding that Parker Boudreaux BFD character.”
He also praised talents and executives including Kenny Omega, Paul Wight, Mark Henry, Tony Khan, and Tony Schiavone for making his AEW experience memorable.
