Shane Thorne Announces Retirement From Sports Entertainment & Return To Pro Wrestling

Shane Thorne spent five years honing his craft in WWE. He signed with the company after a 2015 tryout. Thorne previously worked in Japan, where he was a star in the Pro Wrestling NOAH promotion. He also competed with tag team partner Mikey Nicholls in Ring of Honor and several other American independent promotions such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

Thorne (known on the independents as Shane Haste) and Nicholls signed with WWE as a team. Now known as TM-61, they worked several impressive matches on the company’s NXT brand. He became a singles wrestler in 2019 and eventually made it to Raw as a member of the Retribution stable. He was released in November of 2021 after being taken off TV for an extended period.

Shane Haste teased fans with a retirement announcement. In a Twitter post on the morning of December 18, 2021, he left fans a video message. He reflected on his career and said that he’s finished with WWE’s brand of entertainment. He’s ready to return to what he sees as real professional wrestling.

“So, It’s the end of the year, a perfect time to reflect and talk. Maybe think about the future a little bit. Now as I do this, as I sit in this nice place, knowing I’ve a wonderful, amazing girl and these two adorable puppies, I gotta think man, life’s pretty good.

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The last five years in entertainment, have been very good to me. So, I think, I think I’m done, I think I’m done with that. But now, it’s time to get back and do what I do best and that’s why I’m here to announce in 2022, I’m coming out of retirement and back to the world of professional wrestling.”

Haste said he was accepting bookings for 2022. He’s ready to get back to pure wrestling. Shane considers it a rebirth of a career he gave up while chasing a dream with WWE that he eventually realized he did not really want.

Shane Haste isn’t the first wrestler to become disillusioned with WWE’s entertainment-first style. He is just another in a long series of grapplers who never bought into the company’s presentation. Now he’s ready to return to his roots.

What do you think of Shane Haste’s return to the squared circle? Share your thoughts in the comments!