William Regal: Man with the Mask, you’re NOT the one that I want

Well…….It was fun while it lasted!

All the reports are stating the same thing, William Regal is leaving AEW to return to WWE, and that’s ok. It may look bad on the outside having a talent leave after only 9 months with the company,  but Regal has garnered so much respect from his peers that his possible reason for wanting to go back to WWE is acceptable.

Bryan Alvarez reported that people within WWE believe that Sir William may have had a clause in his contract. Stating that if HHH ever got back into power that he could go back and work for him. They are real life good friends after all. Regal initially took a young Trips (then known as Jean-Paul Levesqueu) under his wing in WCW at the start of his career. It is great that he feels that type of loyalty to his long time friend.

After Regal was a victim of the dreaded “budget cuts” in January 2022, he found a place to  crash in AEW coming out as a surprise at the Revolution PPV in March. Separating his former students/rivals/friends Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley from beating the holy hell out of one and other. From there he aided the two in forming the Blackpool Combat Club, a stable designed to take young talent and make them stars. Could the stable have been better? Sure. Could it have taken more younger wrestlers on board? Sure. Did the BCC and JAS rivalry drag on way too long? Abso-freakin-loutly. So what exactly will be missed about His Lordship in AEW? His Bromance with the man in the mask!

Not only was I entertained by the interactions between Regal and Excalibur on commentary, I was educated too. Regal’s knowledge of moves and ring psychology is outstanding but it was his knowledge of delectable desserts that impressed me. “Man with a Mask, you ooey, gooey, jelly filled Trifle you. I would let you dribble down my chin, yum yum, yes yes.” It was silly but entertaining and I couldn’t wait for the Bromance to be on my screens each week. Whether Regal was just trying to “pop” the boys in the back or make Excalibur break on live TV it really seemed he was having so much fun out there.  Then it was time to get serious and the Bromance was over.

The program between Mox and MJF brought us some great promos that had us engaged from the get go. But once the backstory came out of Regal rejecting MJF at a WWE try out years prior you knew some sort of turn was in the works. Regal turned his back on Moxley and the BCC when he aided MJF in winning the World Title at Full Gear. But just as soon as a new era began, it ended. 2 weeks after the Turn on Moxley, Regal was blasted in the back of the head by the devil himself MJF. Now he has been written out of the story very abruptly.

No one really knows for sure the entire story of why Regal is leaving.  Some reports stating that after his first day he immediately regretted his move to AEW, citing maturity issues backstage, to not having any of the younger guys pick his wrestling brain. I for one feel it’s his loyalty to Triple H as the biggest factor to wanting to go back “home.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

However I will always fondly remember the Bromance that put smiles on so many people’s faces. So here’s to you Sir William Regal. Thanks for the memories, you creamy, moist, jam infused, chocolate covered mud cake you.