On Wrestling Observer Radio last week, Dave Meltzer stated that Baron Corbin’s return to WWE had been “heavily talked about” within the company.
On Thursday, WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select posted an update on Corbin, noting that sources referred to him as a “locker room favorite” and suggested they would like to see him return to WWE.
The report also noted that WWE sources believe Corbin is headed back to the company. Corbin has also reportedly finished up in MLW.
Is Baron Corbin returning to WWE?
On the May 17 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer speculated that Danhausen’s segment on WWE SmackDown this week could be laying the groundwork for Corbin’s return.
Meltzer said:
“On the SmackDown show, when Danhausen was talking about something bigger, my gut was that that’s who it is. That’s just my speculation, but I just know that he’s been talked with about being brought in.”
“It might even be done, but I haven’t had it officially confirmed to me it’s done. But I have 100% confirmed that it’s been heavily talked about.”
Tom Pestock (fka Baron Corbin in WWE) addressed reports on his potential WWE return.
In a reply on X calling out the rumors on his re-signing with WWE, he wrote:
“Had to correct my horrible grammar. I accepted 8 shows in Europe. My eye is still swollen from Australia. I also didn’t know i was done with some of these companies. Who ever is making my schedule needs to let me know this sh*t. I thought it was me but apparently it’s not.”
He was with WWE for 12 years before his exit in 2024. Pestock won the King of the Ring tournament in 2019, the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2017 and is a former United States Champion in the company.
Following his WWE departure, Pestock has been active on the independent circuit under the name Bishop Dyer. He competed prominently on GCW, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling and CMLL. He also fought in World Series Wrestling’s (WSW) Rise Against Tour in Australia this month where he faced Karrion Kross in a No Holds Barred match and Nic Nemeth in a Street Fight bout.
He also wrestled a dark match in AEW before the January 21 edition of Dynamite in an eight-man tag team match.
Had to correct my horrible grammar. I accepted 8 shows in Europe. My eye is still swollen from Australia. I also didn’t know i was done with some of these companies. Who ever is making my schedule needs to let me know this shit. I thought it was me but apparently it’s not. https://t.co/Z5wc3NOuL3
A new report has emerged on Baron Corbin’s WWE return.
Tom Pestock, aka Bishop Dyer, aka Baron Corbin, is reportedly on his way back to WWE. Previously reported by WON, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select has followedup with a new update.
As per the new report from Fightful Select, it is believed that Pestock is currently finishing up his commitments elsewhere before making the jump to WWE. The report notes that Pestock is expected to be finishing up with MLW, where he teamed with Donovan Dijak as the Skyscrapers. “Those that we spoke to in the industry believe that he is either signed by WWE or will be imminently,” the Fightful Select report read.
The former Corbin last appeared in WWE in October 2024, a few weeks before he was informed that his contract would not be renewed. Since then, he has spent his time in several promotions, rebuilding himself as Bishop Dyer.
He also teamed up with Donovan Dijak as the Skyscrapers in MLW, where they won the MLW World Tag Team Champions and held the titles for 329 days. He also wrestled once for AEW earlier this year in 2026.
More on Baron Corbin’s WWE career
Corbin, 41, was with WWE from 2012 until 2024. A popular wrestler, Corbin also experienced a successful run in WWE, where he won the WWE United States Championship once, the NXT Tag Team Championship with Bron Breakker, the 2019 King of the Ring, as well as the 2017 Money in the Bank briefcase.
A former football player, Corbin is now reportedly on his way back to WWE after two years away from the promotion.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including the potential return of Baron Corbin and how he could be used, the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano show, Smackdown from Friday night, plus all the frivolity you expect. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Corbin departed the company in November 2024 at the expiration of his contract. He has been wrestling for promotions such as Maple Leaf Pro, the NWA, and GCW as Bishop Dyer since.
Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Corbin’s return has been “heavily talked about.”
“Probably back in WWE,” Meltzer said of Corbin.
“I’ve not heard it’s a done deal, but I know it’s been talked about, yes.”
Meltzer also speculated that Corbin’s return could be related to Danhausen’s segment on WWE SmackDown this week, saying:
“On the SmackDown show, when Danhausen was talking about something bigger, my gut was that that’s who it is. That’s just my speculation, but I just know that he’s been talked with about being brought in.”
“It might even be done, but I haven’t had it officially confirmed to me it’s done. But I have 100% confirmed that it’s been heavily talked about.”
Corbin spent 12 years with WWE from 2012 to 2024. During his time with the company, he was the 2017 Men’s Money in the Bank winner, the 2019 King of the Ring winner, the 2016 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner, a one-time United States Champion, and a one-time NXT Tag Team Champion with Bron Breakker.
In 2018, he was voted Worst Gimmick and Most Overrated in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards. He also won Most Overrated in 2019.
Bishop Dyer has now revealed Tony Khan’s reaction to his recent AEW dark match debut before the latest edition of Dynamite.
Before the January 21st, 2026 edition of Wednesday night Dynamite began, Dyer, formerly known as Baron Corbin, teamed up with Martin Stone, Hadar Horvitz, and Ori Gold to face Austin Gunn, Billy Gunn, Brady Booker, and Elijah Drago in a losing contest.
Shortly after, speaking on Off The Ropes with Jonathan Coachman, Dyer detailed his experience and Khan’s reaction to his AEW dark match debut in Orlando, Florida.
“I know Tony (Khan) told me afterwards, he was like, ‘The match was so fun. I enjoyed it,’ and obviously, he’s working his ass off back there. I’m not gonna bother him with anything other than, ‘Thank you for allowing me to do that with Billy and Austin’ so that was the extent of our conversation.”
He also claimed, “The highlight of my day was not only being in the ring, with that crowd, because the crowd was just f***ing awesome through and through. But, the whole thing started because I went to pick up Big Show to take Big Show up to Orlando for the show and to just see my people, and they ended up switching their shows last night and adding Collision post-Dynamite, because there’s supposed to be a snowstorm.”
“So they did it last night, and we stayed through the end. So we didn’t leave Orlando till like 12:20, 12:30 at night. Drove back to Tampa, got to Odessa, dropped the big man off… Great time, great stories. I love that man to death.“
Dyer currently works with Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he is one-half of the promotion’s World Tag Team Champions alongside Donovan Dijak since June 2025.
Last December, Paul Wight opined that Bishop Dyer, the former Baron Corbin in WWE, would be someone that could really help AEW.
On Wednesday, Dyer took a step toward doing just that, appearing in an eight-man tag team dark match prior to AEW Dynamite in Orlando, Florida. It’s unknown as of this writing what led to his appearance and if there are more to come.
Dyer teamed with Better Together (Hadar Horvitz & Ori Gold) and Martin Stone in a loss to Billy Gunn, Austin Gunn, Brady Booker and Elijah Drago and got a good reaction (clip below).
Dyer will be part of March’s ROH x Maple Leaf Pro Global Wars Canada show on March 27 and the MLW Uprising event the following night.
Dyer and Donovan Dijak are the reigning MLW Tag Team Champions with Dyer also working several indies as a singles wrestler. The 41-year-old’s WWE contract expired in November 2024 and he departed the company after being there when his career started in 2012.
Dyer is a former WWE United States Champion and WWE NXT Tag Team Champion.
Paul Wight thinks a former WWE star could be what AEW needs.
Speaking to Notsam Wrestling Live (h/t: WrestlePurists) Wight said he feels Bishop Dyer, aka the former Baron Corbin, could be someone that AEW needs.
“l’ve told everyone this — if you look at Tom [Pestock]’s footwork, he’s got some of the best footwork of any big man in wrestling,” Wight explained. “If we give Tom the right character, he could be such a great heel. He’d be such a great heel for us. He knows how to work. He can talk on the microphone. When I look at people that can help AEW, Tom is a guy that I think could help our product. I really do.”
Dyer had a long tenure in WWE, where he held the United States Championship and is a former King of the Ring and Money in the Bank winner. When Triple H took over WWE creative in 2022, Corbin was briefly associated with JBL before eventually going down to NXT. In the 2024 WWE Draft, he was called up to SmackDown and remained there until WWE chose not to renew his contract in November of that year.
In the year since his release, Dyer has continued to wrestle, making appearances for MLW.
Bishop Dyer provided some insights on how WWE handles contract talks with talent during a recent interview.
The former Baron Corbin appeared on Off the Ropes with Jonathan Coachman on SiriusXM and said WWE often takes wrestlers off television in the months leading up to their contracts expiring to gain leverage in negotiations. Dyer also said WWE has ‘no answer’ for why talent are paid what they are.
He said:
“They have no answer to why you are paid what you are paid. For a brief period, they brought measurables to the table. ‘Well, these are your social media numbers, these are your merch numbers, these are your interaction numbers.'”
“I know someone on the roster who said, ‘Well, these don’t look right to me.’ And they had someone do some serious digging and they countered everything that was being presented to them with facts. And then they got a way better contract. But that was the last time they brought those things to the table.”
Dyer continued:
“When you get closer to your contract ending, ‘Hey, I’m six months from my contract being up and now I’m not on TV.’ It’s not a coincidence. It’s written that way. ‘Well, we don’t have much for you.’ So now when they present you the contract, they go, ‘Well, you haven’t been on TV in two months.’ Yeah, but I was for two and half years prior to this. So they low ball you.”
“It’s a business strategy, I get it. It is what it is. It’s the nature of the beast.”
Karrion Kross mentioned earlier this month in an interview with Ariel Helwani that he asked WWE for more information on how they arrived at the number they offered him during contract negotiations. He said the company didn’t provide the information and pulled the offer after he didn’t accept it within the 24-hour window they gave him.
Dyer is currently active in multiple promotions, including MLW, where he and Donovan Dijak won the tag titles at Summer of the Beasts 2025. He also lost to Josh Barnett at a Bloodsport event in January and has appeared on multiple shows for Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro.
A clip of Dyer’s interview with Jonathan Coachman is available below:
WWE contracts can be wild at times. Bishop Dyer, fka Baron Corbin in WWE, discusses with Jonathan Coachman how WWE Superstars can get paid or lowballed in their contracts. In the wake of the Karrion Kross release, do you remember a time when a WWE Superstar you followed got faded off TV as their contract was expiring? (via Off The Ropes on Pro Wrestling Nation 24/7) #wwe#wrestling#prowrestling#karrionkross
Well, not really, but a lot of people think Bryan doesn’t like certain people, and in pretty much every case they are wrong. So we’ll talk the Botchamania video with FTR and Undisputed Era, Triple H and wiener questions, why Bryan would enjoy living next door to Baron Corbin, how he and Punk had more in common then they’d like to admit, how to ask questions at press conferences, MAX numbers, and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Bishop Dyer, formerly known as Baron Corbin, spoke about his future plans during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Wednesday.
Dyer has wrestled for GCW and Maple Leaf Pro since his WWE departure last November. He also revealed during the show that he’s signed on for multiple appearances with MLW.
Dyer says he’s motivated to show WWE what they gave up.
“Part of me is angry—if we’re being realistic, part of me is angry that I got let go because, again, I’ve always done everything that’s expected of me and done it well. And I was getting great reactions on the shows,” he said.
“I was getting fantastic reactions and doing great matches. I reinvented myself, and Hunter told me, ‘Great job reinventing yourself, you should really be proud.’ And I got let go.”
“The first thought that comes to mind is, alright, well, I’m going to become bigger and better, and then when you call me to come back, I’m going to tell you to stick it,” he continued. “That’s kind of the motivation for me at the moment.”
“And granted, six months from now, hopefully all that irritation and anger goes away, but I think that’s what set Cody [Rhodes] off for success. Cody was like, alright, middle fingers, I’ll show you what I can do—and then he did it. His first match with AEW, he smashes Hunter’s chair, and then Hunter’s the guy that calls and wants to bring him back. Like, that’s the cool thing about the wrestling world.”
Earlier in the show, Dyer discussed what’s next for his wrestling career, stating he’s hoping to go to Japan and is excited to begin working with MLW.
“I want to continue to wrestle. Obviously, I love wrestling. I want to go to Japan and wrestle. I’m excited for other shows that I’m doing with new talent that I’ve never been around. MLW is going to be amazing. What they’re doing is amazing. I get to be a part of that. I’m going to do several shows with them.”
MLW has yet to officially announce Dyer for any upcoming shows. The promotion heads to Los Angeles for Battle Riot VII on April 5, followed by Azteca Lucha in Chicago on May 10.
Dyer’s full appearance on today’s episode is available below.
The COUNTDOWN is on! NWA World's Heavyweight Champion Thom Latimer has a few words to say ahead of his World Title defence at #MLPWrestling MAYHEM on March 14-15 in Windsor, Ontario!
— MAPLE LEAF PRO Wrestling (@MapleLeafPW) March 1, 2025
Latimer has held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship since defeating EC3 for it last August at an NWA Power TV taping in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena.
MLP Mayhem is scheduled for March 14 and 15 at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. It will air live as a pay-per-view on Triller TV. Don Callis and Mauro Ranallo will once again be on commentary for the promotion. The following wrestlers are confirmed:
PCO
Kaito Kiyomiya
KUSHIDA
Harley Cameron
Sheldon Jean
Mo Jabari
Kylie Rae
Gisele Shaw
Bhupinder Gujjar
Aiden Prince
Taiji Ishimori
Raj Singh
Beaa Moss
Taylor Rising
Brent Banks
Aurora Teeves
Billy Gun
Laynie Luck
Kevin Knight
Jake Something
Rich Swann
Johnny Swinger
Alex Zayne
Stu Grayson
Blake Christian
Rohan Raja
Zoe Sager
Michael Allen Richard Clark
Aiden Prince
QT Marshall
El Reverso
Mike Rollins
Ring announcer Jade Chung, interviewer Sam Leterna, and four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings Darren McCarty have also been announced for the show.
Following MLP Mayhem, the promotion returns to Toronto for Northern Rising on May 11 from the Mattamy Athletic Center.
MLP Mayhem announced lineup:
NWA World Heavyweight Champion Thom Latimer defends against Bishop Dyer
The former Baron Corbin has his sights on competing in Japan following his exit from WWE.
Tom Pestock departed WWE in November 2024 when he was informed that his contract would not be renewed. Now free to wrestle elsewhere, he made his indie debut for Game Changer Wrestling over the weekend. Pestock appeared on Insight with Chris Van Vliet following that show and discussed what his wrestling future might look like.
Pestock said he loves the culture and history of professional wrestling in Japan and would like to wrestle for NJPW. When asked about AEW as a potential option, Pestock said that — out of respect for AEW and its fans — he would prefer to establish himself elsewhere first instead of just coming in as another former WWE guy.
“I would love to go to New Japan, for multiple reasons. And, you know, the door never closes with WWE either. And as far as AEW, their fans, they like that AEW in a sense is its own entity and built from the ground up. And I don’t want to be — If I went there, out of respect for that world, I wouldn’t want to be just another WWE guy that came there because they left WWE. I would rather go and do like New Japan for a year or more, who knows? Maybe that’s where I just love it and I stay there for the rest of my wrestling career,” Pestock said.
“So if I ever did go that route, I would want to kind of clear that, ‘Oh, he’s just a WWE guy coming over.’ Like, Baron Corbin is dead as far as we know. We’re dropping [a] new name, new moniker, new character. I love wrestling. I love the creativeness of it. I love the freedom. I love performing in front of an audience and getting that live feedback in the moment. There’s nothing better.”
Pestock also mentioned TNA and the NWA as potential options for him. He is not interested in being locked into a contract anywhere right now.
Though he wrestled under his real name in his first indie match, Pestock confirmed that he’ll be going by “The Nomad” Bishop Dyer going forward. He filed a trademark for that name on January 21.
“TNA has called, so maybe there’s something there. Maybe NWA. Like, I am open to it all because I love wrestling. And if I can go somewhere and be in front of fans, I’m going to go. It’s just I know that I don’t want to sign a contract right now, because I like this ability. So I’m going with ‘The Nomad’ Bishop Dyer. I’m gonna be The Nomad. I’m gonna roam, man,” Pestock said. “It pays tribute to The Lone Wolf, dire wolf, and then a bishop is higher than a baron, so we’re going up. The rankings are going up. So it’s getting trademarked. So don’t even try it suckers, getting trademarked right now. But I think it’s just a powerful name. It’s a cool name. And I want to be The Nomad, man. I’m gonna float and see where the wrestling world takes me in that sense.”
Because he’s been smart with his money, Pestock is in a position where he can take risks and try out things he wants to do. Outside of wrestling, he mentioned acting in horror movies, appearing on the Food Network, and competing in jiu-jitsu as ambitions he has.
Returning to WWE in the future is something that Pestock thinks could be possible, but he wouldn’t return right now if they called and asked. He views this as an opportunity to establish a new identity. Despite having frustrations with how his run there ended, Pestock is grateful for all of the opportunities he received in WWE.
Pestock’s first non-WWE match was a loss to Josh Barnett at The People vs. GCW this past Sunday. Pestock told Van Vliet that it was a fun experience and he would definitely like to come back to GCW again.
The GCW show took place from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Pestock said there was a moment where he was standing between the Hammerstein Ballroom and Madison Square Garden that made him appreciate where he is at in life right now.
“It was just such a cool moment for me in life in general, to be standing on that corner in between the two buildings. Like, looking [at] past, present, future all at one moment,” he said. “It was like euphoric in a sense. It was just something where it was like, ‘This is cool.’ Like, my life — it’s cool. It’s fun and exciting, and it makes you appreciate it. I think it made me appreciate the show even more with GCW and the opportunity I had to do that [Bloodsport rules] match with Josh and be in front of that crowd. It’s such a cool spectrum and to stand in the middle of it was really awesome.”
Tom Pestock, FKA as WWE’s Baron Corbin, has filed to trademark a potential new name.
According to documents available on the US Patent and Trademark Office website, Pestock filed to trademark the name “Bishop Dyer” on January 21, 2025.
Attorney Michael E. Dockins filed the documents on behalf of Pestock.
The purposes of the trademark are listed as:
“Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Providing online interviews featuring a professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the field of professional wrestling and sports entertainment for entertainment purposes”
Pestock’s post-WWE career began at The People vs. GCW at Hammerstein Ballroom this weekend. Josh Barnett defeated him in a Bloodsport-rules match on the show. Shortly after the event, Pestock posted to X that he plans to return to GCW.
Earlier this month, Fightful reported that NJPW has shown interest in Pestock, and the two sides have had discussions. However, Pestock has also said he’s not looking to sign a full-time contract right now and has goals outside of wrestling, such as acting in horror movies.
“No I want to do things I want to do like a horror movie. I don’t need to work. Big difference,” Corbin responded to someone on X.
GCW’s anticipated return to New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom for Sunday’s The People vs. GCW saw several new champions crowned as well as the first post-WWE match for the former Baron Corbin.
Corbin, going by his real name of Tom Pestock, took on Josh Barnett in a Bloodsport rules match during the show. Pestock tapped to a leg lock to take the loss, his first action since a WWE SmackDown dark match last October. Pestock’s contract wasn’t renewed by WWE, announced in November.
GCW has a new World Champion as Effy took home the title for the first time after defeating rival Mance Warner in the main event.
Effy earned the shot by virtue of winning a no. 1 contender’s match earlier in the night with Allie Katch — a bout that had to be stopped after just a few minutes when Katch injured her leg after a dive to the outside of the ring. The win ends the 232-day reign of Warner.
New GCW Tag Team Champions were crowned as the Gahbage Daddies (Alec Price & Cole Radrick) defeated Violence is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku) to win the gold for the first time, ending the champions’ 400+ day title reign.
Matt Tremont is now the unified GCW Extreme/Ultraviolent Champion after winning a unification bout featuring Maki Itoh, Matthew Justice, Ciclope, Rina Yamashita, John Wayne Murdoch, Brandon Kirk, Dr. Redacted, and Drew Parker. Itoh came into the match as the Extreme champion while the other title was vacant.
