Former WWE star and current free agent Mike Bennett, aka Mike Kanellis, says pro wrestlers need to start treating their fans better and "stop talking down to them." Bennett and his wife, Maria Kanellis, were released by WWE in April due to budget cuts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Twitter post on Saturday, the two-time WWE 24/7 Champion, wrote, "Dear Wrestlers, Interact with your fans. Talk to them. Engage with them on social media. Listen to them. Appreciate them. The days of calling them marks and talking down to them are over. The fans are your lifeblood. Treat them as such."

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Bennett was recently interviewed on the Busted Open podcast and stated that his run at WWE was doomed from the start since he "showed up addicted to drugs." The wrestler began abusing prescription pills after he dislocated his knee cap. He also said WWE never paid for his addiction recovery. The wrestler made his WWE debut on June 18, 2017, at the Money in the Bank, billed as Mike Kanellis, alongside his wife, Maria Kanellis.

Bennett returned to the ring last week at United Wrestling Network's Primetime Live, where he unsuccessfully challenged Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He was accompanied to the ring by his wife, Maria, who went by the name "Maria Bennett" in support of her husband's title match. The couple has two children, daughter Fredrica Moon and son Carver Mars, who was born earlier this year.

Bennett made his professional wrestling debut in 2002. He first appeared on WWE in 2007 with Bryce Andrews on an episode of WWE Heat, where they faced Cryme Tyme. He regularly appeared on Ring of Honor from 2008 to 2015, where he won the ROH World Tag Team Championship with Matt Taven. Before signing with WWE, he worked with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he won the IWGP Tag Team Championship with Matt Taven, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he won the TNA X Division Championship.

Source: Wrestling Inc

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