WWE star, 43, open to first match in 13 years after forced retirement

WWE star Byron Saxton has insisted you can ‘never say never’ to an in-ring return.

The 43-year-old former wrestler was initially signed as an active performer in 2007, but five years later he was transitioned into a commentator and broadcaster.

Speaking exclusively to Metro in Las Vegas at the WWE 2K25 Face-Off at Fremont event, Byron admitted part of him still longed to get back in the ring.

‘Of course, we all hear the famous quote all the time, “Never say never”, right? Which is true.

‘So I will not say never, because the one thing anyone who steps in the ring can tell you is that that bug, that rush that you get from the crowd, never leaves you.

‘Are you at peace with not competing? Sure. Are you okay with not competing? Yes. However, there’s. Always that little part of you that misses just getting a bunch of someone in the face. So, you never know.’

The desire would clearly be there, but could Byron wrestle again after over a decade?

‘I like to believe that I maintain a respectable level of physical conditioning,’ he laughed. ‘But of course, if I were to actually consider getting in the ring, that’s a completely different level of conditioning, as opposed to hopping on a treadmill or elliptical.

‘But, you know, listen – I never know what tomorrow brings, and that’s the beauty of life.’

Indeed for Byron, he’s still a constant presence in WWE, whether as a backstage interviewer, host of the post-PLE press conferences, or hosting events like the Face-Off on Fremont for 2K.

He’s also still part of 2K’s WWE video games series in a three-man commentary booth with veteran Michael Cole and Corey Graves.

Although he’s not on the team for Raw, SmackDown or NXT each week, the role is still a heavy one.

‘[The sessions] are pretty much all year round. They’re usually a few hours long, depending on the day and time of the year. It’s cool just to be part of that evolution of video gaming.

‘Back in the day of No Mercy, or Wrestling Challenge, you recorded the game, and that was done.’

That’s now change with the rise of DLC and other updates – The likes of Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, TNA Wrestling legend Abyss and Raw’s Penta are all coming to the game between now and November.

There will also be a special WrestleMania 41-themed pack with the new stadium, plus superstars and attires which are yet to be fully revealed.

‘You have to constantly update the game, which means we’re constantly around to make sure the fans get the most recent product,’ he said.

Thankfully for Byron, he was prepared for a role like this working with Dusty Rhodes in FCW, the predecessor to NXT.

‘He gave me the opportunity to wear so many hats, whether I was wrestling, whether I was managing, whether I was doing commentary, ring announcing,’ he recalled.

‘Without knowing, it’s like he almost knew that, hey, let me prepare you in every single facet. So, if your job description does change, you’ll be ready to step up and do the best job you can.’

That doesn’t mean it was easy for Byron to leave wrestling behind for a less active role in the company.

‘It was hard, because that was my dream since I was four years old – stepping in the ring, and competing. So, I won’t lie to you, it was an adjustment period for me mentally,’ he candidly admitted.

‘But at the same time, I look back now, and I look at everything I’ve been able to do and all the opportunities I’ve had, and I go, “You know what? I wouldn’t have written it any better”. That’s the path I had to take to get where I am now.’

It means WrestleMania week is a world away from how he would have imagined it, hosting press conferences and WWE 2K25 events rather than fighting for a spot on the card, and it’s a special time.

‘It’s surreal, in a sense, because it comes once a year, but it’s so massive, and it’s only a couple days long,’ he beamed.

‘But between the superstars, the legends, the fans of travel from all over the world – I like to call it a convergence, like a family reunion of wrestling fans.

‘So for me, it comes once a year, but then I try to cherish every minute of it.’

WWE 2K25 is available now. The first New Wave Pack DLC launches on May 14 with Motor City Machine Guns, Giulia, Stephanie Vaquer and a yet to be announced celebrity guest.

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