Former WWE Superstar Dijak, now going by his original name
Donovan Dijak
, is set to make a significant impact on the
independent wrestling
scene and beyond in the coming months. Having recently departed WWE after nearly eight years, a period that ended with the company deciding not to renew his contract, Dijak is ready to embark on this new chapter of his career.
As a free agent, Dijak has taken time to reflect on his entire WWE journey, weighing both the positive and negative experiences.
In a recent interview with "Fightful's" Sean Ross Sapp, Dijak shared his memories of the early days after signing with WWE.
He recalled being sidelined for about six months initially, as he joined the company alongside numerous other top independent talents at that time. When he finally got his chance to appear on television, he was taken aback by the name WWE chose for him.
"I was standing in Full Sail, and the tron came up with the thing and it flashed 'Dijak.' I thought, 'Oh, just Dijak,' and then it slid down and said Chris. I was like, 'Urgh.' My real name is Chris, but almost nobody calls me Chris," he explained.
Dijak eventually adopted the ring name Dominik Dijakovic, only to later be rebranded as T-Bar in the Retribution stable, and finally settling on just Dijak. He found the process of adding extra syllables to his name somewhat perplexing.
"We were discussing how to make my name sound more European, given my Croatian heritage," Dijak said. "The idea was similar to a Stipe Miocic vibe. I thought seven syllables was way too long for a WWE name, but that's what was presented to me."
With a fresh perspective and his original name restored, Donovan Dijak is now poised to make waves in the wrestling world outside WWE.
Why did Donovan Dijak’s WWE contract end?
Update On RICOCHET & DIJAK Joining AEW | Ex-WWE Team Making ROH Debut
Donovan Dijak’s contract with the WWE on June 29, 2024. Despite the former star’s attempts at resigning with the promotion, WWE rejected his requests. It is unclear as to why WWE did not consider resigning Dijak despite his amazing performance at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver. He was also praised by a top dog of the company. Dijak said:
“I'm thankful, disappointed, but also excited," Dijak continued. "This has lit a fire under me to relentlessly prove myself to the world. All I ever wanted was a fair shot and now I have the opportunity to go out and take it.”
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