Zach Gowen’s departure from WWE in February 2004 was influenced by behavioral issues and a budding romance.
Gowen recalled the end of his career and speaking with Jim Ross at the time on a recent episode of “The False Finish” podcast.
He stated, “It was just a culmination of my behavior and my inability to be a professional, and to handle the responsibility of a WWE Superstar. It’s really that simple — my behavior, actions, and attitude led me to being released.
“During this time, I met a girl. I fall in love, man, like, just stupid head-over-heels in love, in Detroit. They [WWE] want me to move to Louisville, to go through the OVW system, and to pay my dues WWE style and gain the respect of the locker room. That was their plan for me — and it was a beautiful plan. The problem was I fell in love with a girl, and I called John Laurinaitis and said, ‘Listen, I appreciate that you want me to move to Louisville, but I’m going to stay in Detroit. I am fully healthy, I will continue to train at my local wrestling school … you guys give me a call whenever you want me back on TV.’
In the same interview, Gowen discussed working with Brock Lesnar and referred to their match as one of the most violent in WWE history.
