Pat Buck Explains How He Left WWE & Joined AEW In The Same Week

Pat Buck was one of the main producers for WWE, being part of several top matches and feuds. He left WWE after WrestleMania 38, where he produced Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns alongside Michael Hayes.

Pat Buck parted ways with WWE due to the grueling schedule all producers in the company have to endure. In the end, he chose what was best for his family and his fans respect his decision.

While speaking on AEW Unrestricted, Pat Buck provided an explanation as to how he managed to part ways with WWE and then subsequently join AEW in the same week.

“Since AEW’s inception, I feel I’ve had an unofficial working relationship with Tony (Khan). It’s always been interesting because I never really thought, after chasing wrestling so long, not having the TV contract sort-of successful performer that I would be completely working for myself the rest of my career, and I was fine with that. I started in 2001, 2011 comes and I’ve been wrestling pretty much full-time, everywhere, anywhere, but never really got that opportunity to really cement something. I said, “Screw this, I’m going to put on a show and become a promoter.’ Luckily, that worked out, opened my schools. I figured that was what I would be doing the rest of my life and I was fine with it. If I want to wrestle somebody, I’ll book them to wrestle.

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A poor man’s Jerry Lawler, if you would. ‘This is my area, I’m running 30-50 events a year in the New York-New Jersey area, I have these schools.’ Then, my students started getting noticed a lot. Primarily, and only by AEW, even when I worked at my former place. It was the act of getting independent wrestling talent seen and getting into the system, they had different requirements. Tony and I value talent in a similar light. The Acclaimed, Kris Stalander, Bear Bronson, Mark Sterling. There are six or seven of my kids that I see what they’re doing and I think it’s awesome, but I never had an official talk with Tony.

Ton of people I’ve worked with have worked with most of the roster in some capacity, independents or WWE or somewhere. Sonjay (Dutt), we worked not just in WWE together, we had a long-standing relationship before that promoting and working shows together. Producing shows together. I submitted my release on a Monday morning, post-WrestleMania before Raw. I was on the plane ride back and a certain talent text me, ‘Tony would like to speak with you on Wednesday.’ It was a short 12 hours, maybe a little bit longer, maybe 24 hours of going from one place to another, which is pretty wild, but it’s the greatest thing that has happened to me.

I assumed, the moment I walked in, ‘It’s going to be out there.’ I also thought, and I think people would assume when I quit WWE, I didn’t have this lined up. Did I hope in my heart that I’d be here? For sure. Did I hope Tony would recognize this and there is a thing there? I took a gamble on myself and by what happened and being here, it didn’t get out for quite a while. I was kind of shocked. That goes to show you the different kind of respect in the locker room. Even the extras booked that day, some of them I booked for WrestleMania and the shows a week ago. They walked in like, ‘What the heck is this?’ Credit our locker room for having that respect. It got out a couple weeks later, but it shocked me.’

Pat Buck made his decision as AEW will ultimately allow him to give more time to his family. In the end, that is what truly matters to him.

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