Hi folks. Today, we’ll be deducing the possible reasons behind some (not all) of WWE’s recent releases in April 2020. Of course, we know the biggest cause is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic affecting most businesses around the world. Without that, these releases were very unlikely. WWE is continuing to make money as an ‘essential’ business, yet they have found it necessary to cut specific superstars & others among the array of talent they have recruited over the years.
While many fans have speculated on their future, I am not expecting other promotions to pick any of them up right away. They are in a similar boat and simply cannot afford to be signing a plethora of new talents. It depends on how much money they are losing, and whether they can secure compensation for their current rosters. For example, NXT UK is likely covered under the UK’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; which is likely why only Kassius Ohno parted ways while the rest are getting paid.
With that said, the opinions stated here are purely speculative going from recent history and comments made by the superstars in interviews and Twitter posts. Also, I may share my personal predictions on where I think some will eventually sign. Wherever they do end up though, I’d feel nothing but relieved to know they found a workplace that suits them, more for their sake than anyone else’s. After all, it’s their lives and they decide what’s best for their future.
Drake Maverick
While his passionate, heartfelt reaction to his release is something which will have touched many, his status in WWE was already questionable. Since he stopped running around after R-Truth for the 24/7 Championship, he’s not been seen anywhere. Having watched 205 Live each week, he’s been non-existent for months. He just hasn’t been used at all, even long before the pandemic was known. So if anything, it’s just a matter of creative having nothing for him at the moment.
Maybe they’ll get him back, but if not, I wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up in Impact; provided they give him something substantial to do other than announcing. I’d like to see him manage EC3, as they have natural chemistry whether it’s together or as rivals. Also, I wouldn’t mind seeing him return to active duty as a wrestler.
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
This one is tricky to understand at first. They were recently brought back in to the frame after months of sitting at home, and I assumed they were doing a good job of backing up AJ Styles as The OC. They were at WrestleMania with AJ against The Undertaker, so if anything.. it looked like their jobs were secure.
With The Revival going shortly before the pandemic, the only thing I can think of is that WWE doesn’t see these teams as big enough draws for the future. They have several tag teams waiting in the NXT wing if needed, including:
- Undisputed Era
- Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan
- Fandango (when he’s cleared) & Tyler Breeze
- Grizzled Young Veterans
- Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne
- Moustache Mountain
- Gallus
- Imperium
- Indus Sher
It seems WWE didn’t see Gallows or Anderson as guys who can carry the division for years to come. They were best used in New Japan, so the pair could decide to go back to where they were most appreciated; as prominent members of the Bullet Club.
Epico & Primo
As an extension of what was said above, WWE didn’t really need them at all. They could have been released a couple of years ago and fans would’ve nodded and said it was bad luck, but if they were getting booked, it was only ever for live events.
It’s a fact that they haven’t been on an episode of SmackDown for over two years, and Primo recently violated the wellness policy; although he said he never failed it, he just wasn’t around to take one and that went against him. Pointing out the obvious here, but they are expected to return to Puerto Rico so they can run and wrestle in the (family business) World Wrestling Council promotion full-time.
Ethan Carter III
He despised his initial run as Derrick Bateman, got over in Impact as another character, trashed WWE here and there as its World Champion, and then decided to leave and sign a WWE contract. I’m not sure what he was expecting.. but it was clear early on that his NXT run wouldn’t bring him success; he was only there so Impact couldn’t have him. There was some hope when he got moved to Raw, but according to a report about a dark match in April 2019 against Harper (w/ Drake Maverick as his manager), Vince McMahon hated it and EC3 was quickly reduced to chasing after the 24/7 title.
Since that time, all he’s done is win the 24/7 title a few times, and was last seen in a squash match against Rusev in September. After picking up a concussion in November, he hadn’t been used and it’s not surprising his rocky relationship with WWE came to an abrupt end for a second time. I don’t want to speculate about where he will go next, but I’d be highly surprised if he ever returns to WWE after everything. It’s too much trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble. He now goes by the title “Essential Character 3”; which is definitely a dig at WWE being labelled as such.
Eric Young
EY may go under the radar here, but I think he’s the most talented active wrestler to be released. Eric can do a wide range of characters. He can cut awesome promos as either face or heel (one of the best in the business), lead stables, or do things on his own. EY has always been the real deal and has a connection to the fans. I think the only reason he never got anywhere, is because Vince McMahon only ever knew him as the leader of Sanity; a stable which only seemed to work in NXT.
Had Vince appreciated his catalogue of work in TNA, he would know that Eric is far more than that. Splitting up the group and leaving EY on his own with no change to his image or anything was the final nail. Simply put, Eric never got the chance to show the WWE Universe what he can do. I’m positive he will end up with either Impact or AEW and be treated with the respect he deserves. And if not, he’ll make one of the best trainers, or start up another fishing TV show? He’s multi-talented. Years ago, while still working for WWE, Chris Jericho once stated EY was one of the most underrated talents in the industry.
Erick Rowan
The big guy is one of the most surprising releases due to his recent form. It was only a short while ago he was being featured as one of SmackDown’s biggest heels in a feud with Roman Reigns. One dumb gimmick later, and he went from climbing up the waterspout, to being washed down by the rain. And now he’s gone, along with his Wyatt Family/Bludgeon Brother Luke Harper. According to those who know him, he’s a really nice guy and didn’t have any qualms with WWE management; so it’s nothing to do with frustration or being difficult to work with.
Something changed in the past couple of months to send him this far down the pecking order. The only thing I can think of, is that management realized he just isn’t over like they hoped. The burial of his latest gimmick (via toy spider) was a big fat nope, and it was hard to see anyone coming back from that. His next logical step would be to join The Dark Order, if possible? Otherwise he can spread himself around and be more of a free agent. Perhaps he will do a Drew McIntyre and find the missing piece of the puzzle WWE’s been looking for? Either way, he’s bound to keep making good money.
Lio Rush
I’m more surprised by this than any other, because he recently sat on top of 205 Live and NXT’s Cruiserweight division as its champion. A year ago, there were many reports of his ego getting in the way of his work. WWE has a unique etiquette where you need to earn the respect which Lio felt he already deserved. A misunderstanding led to Rush believing he was going to be fired, but this turned out to be untrue and he was simply being moved back to NXT. And he’s done a lot of great work since then, especially with Angel Garza and other cruiserweights like Raul Mendoza.
I saw an interview a few days ago where Lio talked to Chris Van Vilet. In this interview, Lio touched on the fact that, at least in the short-term, he may not want to wrestle. He’s considering moving on to other projects like music, and some time away from WWE would allow him to pursue that. So this decision feels more like a parting of ways to allow Lio to focus on other projects. Down the road, if he decides to return to wrestling, at least he gave his other aspirations a chance while he’s young and motivated.
Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder & Heath Slater
I can’t figure this out because these three guys are like.. the biggest enhancement talents WWE has. Heath Slater admitted in a recent tweet he probably hasn’t felt as motivated lately, but it’s not easy when you’re always on the losing end. Hawkins & Ryder did enjoy a tag team title run for two months, but they weren’t seen all that much before losing out to The Revival. Every promotion needs at least one or two guys who are known for ‘jobbing out’, and they fit the bill perfectly.
The only thing I can think of, is that WWE wants to move on and find new guys who can fill this role. Either that, or WWE is fully wanting to bring them back soon, but are more inclined to pay cheaper, unknown jobbers in the interim. It’s a tough one, because they all provide something more than being good losers. Slater sells merchs (he has kids dammit!) and is a great ambassador. Ryder is a big merch pusher as well, along with his YouTube videos. Hawkins is someone they can rely on to train with legends like The Rock if they need a training partner. So out of all the releases, Hawkins, Ryder and Slater are the biggest question marks for me. If WWE doesn’t bring them back, I wouldn’t want to hazard a guess as to where we’ll see them next.
Rusev
Undoubtedly, most fans were taken aback by his release and for good reason. For me however, it’s not too surprising. His career has been on rocky ground for the past five years for several reasons. Remember when WWE made him Russian? I think that, and losing so easily to John Cena at WrestleMania was the beginning of his downfall. Summer Rae cut a Vince McMahon promo (as punishment) on him, after he & Lana publicly announced their engagement while in the middle of a breakup storyline.
Also, ‘Rusev Day’ was never supposed to get over. It was supposed to garner heat, but the fans enjoyed it so much that WWE buried it as it wasn’t part of the plan. Odd though, because WWE sold a good amount of merchandise from that, but they don’t like making more money? WWE’s fascination with splitting up Lana & Rusev continued last year when she divorced him and got married to Lashley. Despite the silliness and mixed reception, it was getting decent TV & social media ratings. When the story died down in mid-February, Rusev disappeared yet again. It wasn’t the first time, but it would also be the last time.
What is it about Rusev though? WWE seems high on Lana, but not so much on him. Whatever it is, they haven’t seen eye to eye for years and it shows with the inconsistency of his booking. It feels to me like Rusev was nearing the end of his contract and after management told him they had no immediate plans, they mutually decided to part ways. He’s made plenty of money and Lana’s still on the books, so it’s no major loss for both parties. It is however, a major loss for his fans who felt he was deserving of more.
Conclusion
We know the world isn’t fair. There’s literally millions of people around the world who have had their lives affected, and wrestling is no different. Luckily, we live in a time where we can enjoy many striving promotions. Any of the superstars who are not taken back by WWE, it’s not like they will struggle to find work. There will always be a place for them, and I’m sure it’s not the last time we will see them.
I’m positive more more details about these releases will come to light later when the world can move on. But you know, WWE really didn’t want this. Much like Shane Helms said, Vince McMahon loves paying people. Look how long WWE kept guys like JTG, Primo & Epico on the roster. So long as the talent are ready to go when management needs them, WWE is happy to keep paying them for sitting at home. That philosophy has never changed, they only release superstars when it becomes a necessity. Does that sound like a company who gets any kind of enjoyment out of firing people?
All these releases were tough to make, and I can’t blame WWE for doing so. Almost every business around the world has had to make similar decisions. It’s nothing personal, sacrifices have had to be made across the board. And that’s all I have for you today. We’ll keep an eye out for anymore releases and let you know. How many superstars do you think will return to WWE soon? Please let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading.
