Apollo Crews, who had been with WWE for nearly 12 years, was released shortly after WrestleMania 42. Unexpectedly, he appeared at TNA Slammiversary 2026 under his former ring name, Uhaa Nation, competing in a match for the TNA International Championship against Mustafa Ali and Rich Swann, though he did not win.
This surprise came because Crews was still within his 90-day non-compete period after leaving WWE. On the show “Insight with Chris Van Vliet,” he revealed how he managed to wrestle at Slammiversary during this time. He shared that TNA reached out to WWE first, and Moose was reportedly the first to contact him, informing him about TNA’s interest in having him for Slammiversary. Initially, Crews doubted it could happen because of the non-compete clause.
Mustafa Ali also approached him about participating, asking if he would be okay with losing the match. At that point, about a month post-release, Crews was unsure if he even wanted to continue wrestling. He told Ali that after spending his WWE career often losing, he didn’t want to lose his first match outside WWE. Ali respected this and shared a similar sentiment.
TNA then proposed a triple-threat format so Crews wouldn’t have to take the pin for Ali to retain the title. Crews appreciated being in the spotlight again but emphasized that wrestling is no longer his primary focus after WWE.
If you quote this content, please credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” and attribute the transcription to Wrestling Inc.
Fan Take: This news highlights the evolving opportunities for wrestlers after leaving major promotions like WWE, showing that non-compete periods might not be as restrictive as once thought. For fighting fans, it opens the door to exciting cross-promotional appearances and storylines, which can invigorate the sport with fresh matchups and unexpected returns.
Source: www.wrestlinginc.com
