By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

After being released from his WWE contract on Sunday, Charlie Haas was interviewed on the "Right After Wrestling" Sirius radio show on Monday night talking about his release, regretting not going to TNA, and why he thinks Jack Swagger, Shelton Benjamin, and Dolph Ziggler are being held back in WWE.

-- Haas on feeling relieved not being with WWE: "I feel 100 percent relaxed, less stress, and so happy. It sounds crazy, but you have no idea how crazy it is up there. You're always walking on eggshells; it's very political, and it's something I don't miss."

-- Haas said going back to WWE after his first run and not going to TNA with his wife, Jackie Gayda-Haas, was a "big mistake" and one of his regrets in the wrestling business.

"I thank WWE for the opportunity - my first run was the best ever. The second run - after getting married, my wife going to TNA, and I had the opportunity to go to TNA - it was a big, big mistake. I was always loyal to WWE. I thought they would be loyal to me, but it just wasn't. I'm a pure athlete wrestler. I'm not a Hollywood entertainer like they want. I can't fault for them because Vince McMahon is making billions of dollars following his formula," Haas said.

"I kind of regret going back after they let my wife and I go the day we got back from our honeymoon (in 2005). "She went to TNA and I had an opportunity. I was loyal. I regret maybe going back too soon. Maybe I should have held out, gone to Japan or Ring of Honor."

-- Haas on creative not having anything for him: "Creative didn't like writing for me. They said I was boring. They said that 'Charlie Haas' is a great wrestler and great hand in the ring, but he doesn't entertain us."

-- Following that, Haas talked about the "curse of Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and Bobby Lashley" as far as WWE being skittish to push wrestlers with amateur backgrounds. That includes Shelton Benjamin, Jack Swagger, and Dolph Ziggler, who coincidentally will be in the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 26.

"Shelton Benjamin is being held back. He should be World champion right now. My personal opinion, I think being an amateur wrestler, we're a different breed. I think there's a bad stigma in WWE about amateur wrestlers," Haas said. "Swagger's been buried. Dolph Ziggler - they started hot on him and they've held off on him. I don't know if it's (because) Kurt, Brock, and Bobby Lashley walked out on them, but maybe they're like, 'they're great athletes, they can step up to the plate, but if we push them, will they walk out on us?' Maybe we're getting the backlash from that."

-- Haas said he's looking forward to wrestling again, starting with Saturday night against former WWE wrestler Tommy Dreamer at a UCW show in Texas.

"I fall under the 90-day no-compete clause and now there are other opportunities where Charlie Haas can be Charlie Haas and wrestle," he said. "As soon as the release went, my phone started ringing. It's never a good thing to be fired - I have a third baby on the way, I'm sure my wife and kids are worried - but I know that God-willing, it's the right time for me because there are other places to work where my style can be highlighted."

Link: Subscribe to the RAW Podcast on hardcoresportsradio.com to listen to the interview.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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