Fit Finlay spoke to Fighting Spirit Magazine about his release in March following an incident where he had Miz interrupt the playing of the National Anthem at a house show:
“I was given a lot of leeway and a lot of power in WWE, and that comes with a lot of responsibility. I made a call that caused a storm and I paid for it. They play the American national anthem over here before every event. We had Miz going out first and, because it was just before WrestleMania, we were trying to get as much heat on him as possible. So my spur-of-the-moment call, as I sat right by the technician, was to tell him to hit Miz’s music while they were half-way through the national anthem. Of course, people were up in arms about it, but it was a good reaction as a heel. But there were National Guard people in the building that took exception to it, and I understand that fully. It wasn’t intended to insult anybody in that way — it was just part of an entertaining show. That’s what we do, we entertain — it’s about cheers and boos.”