Welcome to another eWrestlingNews Question of the Day!
I’ve already asked the question of where you think the WWE Superstars who were just released on Friday should/could/will go next with their careers, but something I’ve neglected to ask in the past is to not look backward or forward, but sideways, to a “What If?” type of scenario.
What if these WWE Superstars weren’t released the other day? How would you have used them if you were on WWE Creative? Which feuds do you think WWE left on the table and should have gotten around to, that you’re disappointed won’t be happening now?
My question for you today is “Which storylines and matches that could have happened with those released WWE Superstars stand out to you as missed opportunities?”
Remember to answer with your response in the comments below.
As far as my answer…
If I’m brutally honest, a good number of the people let go the other day didn’t have things that I was particularly looking forward to. That’s not to say I disliked them—and certainly not to be interpreted as me being happy that they’re gone, as that couldn’t be further from the truth—but I’m also not going to glaze everyone by saying they all were so clearly in the running to dethrone John Cena this year or anything of that sort.
Much of this round of cuts were from the NXT group, and some of those didn’t develop characters interesting enough for me to want to fantasy book a whole career for them, even if I think they still have a lot more to offer. However, I do think there are some stories or one-off matches that would have been fun to tinker around with.
For example, pairing Braun Strowman with any other big man is a benefit to that guy. Look at the Bronson Reed feud. I would have liked to have seen The Monster of All Monsters put over Oba Femi. I think there should have been an interaction between Strowman and The Wyatt Sicks, too.
For what feels like two or three years now, I’ve been saying Gallus should have been called up to the main roster as part of a stable working for Drew McIntyre. I don’t even particularly dig Gallus, to be transparent. Overall, they’re fine, but nothing stands out to me as special to watch beyond most average other wrestlers out there. But even if they’re not my cup of tea, I saw some potential in having them as backup for McIntyre. He’d be the clear leader, Joe Coffey would be the midcarder, and Mark Coffey and Wolfgang would be the tag team element. Give them some cool Scottish name, entrance, theme song, and ring gear and they could be bad ass.
I’m always curious about couples working together on screen. Sometimes, it doesn’t work, but other times, it’s magic, as they just have that chemistry already. Since so much had been put on Tatum Paxley not having friends (and now, she just lost her 2 tag team partners), I’d be curious if there would be something of a romance angle between her and her real husband, Javier Bernal, given his “Big Body Javi” gimmick that wasn’t bad as a weasel jobber type. For that matter, given the reception Rhea Ripley gets, you mean to tell me Gigi Dolin wouldn’t have gotten over like crazy on the main roster with her assets and aesthetic? They missed an opportunity for Dolin and Paxley to come up to Raw or SmackDown and check off the “team of hot goth/emo/alt chicks” for the audience that loves wrestlers more so for their vibes and appearances than even for their in-ring talent or mic skills. Dolin had more than enough of both of those, too, after being in NXT so long, that at the very least she would have made for better filling in for Bea Priestley, Isla Dawn, and some other talent they were always keeping in the midcard of the division.
Shayna Baszler was so poorly handled that her star power evaporated over time. She went from THE WOMAN in WWE who was the coolest to watch and the most protected, to just a generic sidelined “tough girl” on the roster who got less and less attention and clout over time. I would have sent her to NXT if they didn’t want to do anything else with her. Baszler working with a Giulia, Zaria, Stephanie Vaquer, Sol Ruca, Jordynne Grace, even Tyra Mae Steele, would have been great matches.
Lastly, Dakota Kai should have won the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. That girl only being able to get a few tag team title reigns that lasted a few hours or days and nothing else is so unfair given how good she is. I think WWE missed out on allowing the audience to get behind her and have a midcard title reign. Not giving someone an opportunity to fly keeps them grounded. Kai’s always been a backup person with a lot of potential to become a more prominent fan favorite. Even if it would be to send her back down to NXT and make her a bigger fish in a smaller pond where she can win that title and work with the other women, rather than to win a Raw or SmackDown title, I’d have pitched giving her a chance to hold a singles belt to see if there’s a spark. Hell, not even the SPEED championship?? C’mon.
What do you think? Drop your thoughts below!
