Quick Links
Arn Anderson is among the most universally respected figures in pro wrestling history. He was never a main eventer, but there’s no shortage of pundits who think he had the talent to have been, and may have advanced to that spot had he not been so firmly planted as Ric Flair’s sidekick throughout their peak years. In the meantime, The Enforcer was an all-time great mid-card act and tag team wrestler. Moreover, he anchored more than his share of factions, including different versions of The Four Horsemen, The Dangerous Alliance, and a forgotten trio with Flair and Vader known as The Big Three. Arn Anderson went on to a distinguished tenure as a backstage agent for WWE.
Related: 9 Former WWE Wrestlers Who Are Now AgentsAs an agent, Anderson was one of those trusted wrestling minds who helped younger talent put together their matches, planning key spots, psychology, and the flow of the action. Despite how respected Anderson was in that role, WWE let him go in 2019.
WWE Released Arn Anderson in 2019 Due To An Incident With Alicia Fox
One of Arn Anderson’s best remembered performances in WWE ironically enough came after he had officially retired from the ring. Double A factored into an angle between Ric Flair and The Undertaker in the build to WrestleMania 18, and he made an all-time great cameo appearance in the match itself, nailing The Dead Man with a spine buster at a key juncture to shift the momentum of the match and draw a monster pop from the crowd.
Anderson was already working as an agent for WWE at the time, lending his wisdom from nearly two decades in the ring to modern talents. Despite being well respected in that role, things took a turn in February 2019. A number of sources, including Wrestling Inc, reported Anderson was let go because he allowed Alicia Fox to work a match, despite being intoxicated. The details are fuzzy, but the reports suggested The Enforcer was already on thin ice, but demonstrating poor judgment sending a wrestler to the ring in an impaired state was the straw that broke the camel’s back on his WWE employment. Anderson has not, to date, publicly confirmed this was the reason WWE released him, but has also not offered any other concrete explanation.
Arn Anderson Had A Surprising Reaction To WWE Releasing Him
Arn Anderson had a full life in wrestling, with a career in the ring that ran nearly two decades, followed by nearly two decades in an agent role, spanning multiple eras of WWE programming. Being let go by WWE had to be a blow for someone with that kind of experience. However, The Enforcer’s reaction to the news may surprise some fans.
On his podcast (h/t Sportskeeda) Anderson explained, “I got the call and I hung up the phone... Inwardly, I was doing jumping jacks with a half twist… It was literally like 500 pounds had just been lifted off my shoulders.” There’s no shortage of wrestling personalities who have been open about hating to work for Vince McMahon. While Anderson didn’t go that far in expressing disdain toward his former boss, there was an implication that between McMahon’s management and the rigorous schedule WWE demands of its personnel, Double A was happy to step back from his role with the company and slow down a little.
Months After His WWE Release, Arn Anderson Showed Up In AEW
Six months after Arn Anderson was let go from WWE, he made his first on-screen appearance for AEW, backing up Cody Rhodes against Shawn Spears, who had Anderson’s old running buddy Tully Blanchard in his corner. Anderson would go on to work as a manager and commentator for AEW, in a run that has included some particularly memorable promo work, like a dressing down he gave Rhodes about not being assertive enough.
Related: Arn Anderson’s “Glock” Promo Proves How Important Legends Are In AEWApart from his AEW efforts, Anderson started a show with wrestling podcast powerhouse Conrad Thompson. The Enforcer was notoriously buttoned up for years, maintaining kayfabe even as a talking head for WWE documentary projects where most other insider voices were shooting. While opinions vary on the podcast itself, it has been interesting to get a peek into his real experiences and point of view via the show.
From his experiences working with some of the greatest wrestlers of all time in the 1980s and 1990s, to his backstage working with the next generation of stars from the 2000s and 2010s, Arn Anderson has a perspective like few others in professional wrestling. He parted ways with WWE in 2019, and while it doesn’t seem that the severance was entirely amicable, it does appear both sides were satisfied with the choice. Anderson certainly found his footing quickly and has proceeded to prosper in his other endeavors.
