MVP Confirms WWE Departure & Challenges Josh Barnett At Bloodsport XI

MVP has officially confirmed he is finished with WWE.

Following Josh Barnett's match against Bad Dude Tito at Bloodsport XI on Sunday night, MVP made a surprise appearance at the Game Changer Wrestling event. MVP stood across from Barnett and said he had recently secured his black belt in jiu-jitsu and his contract with a company he wouldn't mention was about to expire and he isn't going back.

MVP then challenged Josh Barnett to a future match, a challenge which Barnett accepted by noting the former WWE United States Champion is free to arrive on his own or with a group.

It emerged earlier this month that MVP was expected to exit WWE when his contract expired, while Bobby Lashley is also set to leave WWE when his own deal comes to an end. The pair will reportedly look to reform the Hurt Business with Shelton Benjamin in All Elite Wrestling.

WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H was asked about Lashley and MVP's WWE futures last week but he refused to provide an update.

MVP has had two runs with WWE, first from 2005 until 2010 where he became a two-time United States Champion and one-time WWE Tag Team Champion with Matt Hardy. MVP returned to WWE in 2020, primarily working as a manager of Bobby Lashley and The Hurt Business before he moved over to managing Omos in 2022.