News

Ex-WWE Champion Stripped Of Title Amid Return Rumors

By Sridhar Krishnan • Published Jul 05, 2026 11:37 EDT
WWE logo over Baron Corbin
WWE logo over Baron Corbin - Source: WWE.com

Amid rumors of a WWE return, an incumbent champion in Major League Wrestling was stripped of their title.

Bishop Dyer, fka Baron Corbin, was one-half of the MLW Tag Team Champions alongside Donovan Dijak until the Fusion event, which took place on July 4.

The American wrestling promotion wrote his imminent departure as part of the storyline, presenting Dyer as a cocky champion who had been in the midst of a contract dispute for several weeks.

Citing his demands as unreasonable, the company stripped him of his title, thus “locking out” Dyer.

Rich Bocchini shared the update, revealing that Dyer made several demands, including a salary bump, by leveraging his tag title.

I literally just stepped out of a series of high-profile meetings with sources inside the MLW office, and we have a major development regarding the World Tag Team Championships. Something that could really shift the entire landscape of Major League Wrestling. Now, for weeks, the question has been, exactly where is Bishop Dyer?

I can now confirm this – negotiations between Dyer and Major League Wrestling have officially hit a total standstill. My sources tell me that Dyer has been using – or attempting to use – his status as World Tag Team Champion as the ultimate leverage. We’re talking about a salary bump and perk demands that would make a billionaire blush. Now, the League’s response to this – ‘We’ve had enough.’ As of this moment, Bishop Dyer has officially been locked out of Major League Wrestling, until he returns with a reasonable mindset.

After the promotion made its stand clear, Dyer’s tag partner, Donovan Dijak, wrote on X that Dyer deserved the raise and MLW should pay him.

Meanwhile, Dijak found a member to add to the Skyscraper faction in the form of Joshua Bishop.

Baron Corbin Enjoyed A 12-year Stint With WWE

Before transitioning to professional wrestling, Baron Corbin, real name Thomas Pestock, played in the NFL, representing the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals.

He entered WWE’s developmental system in 2012 and debuted on NXT.

Corbin debuted on the main roster at WrestleMania 32 by winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He additionally earned several accolades, including winning the Men’s Money in the Bank in 2017 and the King of the Ring tournament in 2019.

Corbin also won the WWE United States Championship once. During the 2023 Draft, he became a free agent in the company, allowing him to appear on either brand as an active talent.

He returned to NXT, where he became a tag team champion with Bron Breakker. As The Wolfdogs, the duo held the title for 57 days before dropping it to Fraxiom.

Baron Corbin subsequently returned to WWE SmackDown, where he would spend the remainder of his time in the company. His contract was not renewed, thus ending his 12-year stint with the promotion.

During his tenure, the 41-year-old adopted multiple gimmicks, including Sad Corbin and Happy Corbin, both of which had a stark contrast to his usual role.

At the moment, it is unclear as to what his new role in WWE will be upon his return.