Bray Wyatt was released from his WWE contract nine months ago, and the former Universal Champion remains a free agent.

His release was surprising for many reasons. The soon-to-be 35-year-old was one of the company's most popular and accomplished stars as well as a top merchandise seller. And prior to his release, Wyatt was one of the company's highest-paid stars — a clear indicator that he was greatly valued in WWE.

Speaking on Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast (h/t WrestlingInc.com), the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer reported that Wyatt was making over $4 million annually. Meltzer also explained that Wyatt's current asking price to return to wrestle is too steep for some wrestling promotions.

"His price is really high," Meltzer said . "I know a couple of companies that wanted to get him, but the price he was asking was really just too high."

Several months ago, AEW President and CEO Tony Khan expressed interest in bringing Wyatt over to the promotion. Nothing has happened on that front, and it seems like unless Wyatt brings his asking price down, a potential arrival in AEW won't be happening any time soon.

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Wyatt's final WWE match took place on day two of WrestleMania 37 against Randy Orton. In a surprise, The Viper quickly defeated Wyatt after the latter was betrayed by Alexa Bliss. Wyatt appeared on the post-WrestleMania edition of Raw and stated that he was seeking a fresh start, but WWE never followed up on that. He was kept off of television for several months prior to his stunning release on July 31.

Bray Wyatt Sounds Keen On Wrestling Again

Wyatt's father, Mike Rotunda, believes that the former and Bo Dallas (also released by WWE last year) will eventually return to wrestling. In an Instagram Q&A earlier this month, the former WWE Champion told a fan that he "will always love wrestling", though he emphasized "Timing is everything."

Wyatt has a strong fan base, a quality in-ring skill set and a unique art in being able to reinvent his wrestling persona. It truly only feels like a matter of time until he steps foot into the squared circle again.

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