Everyone who got released today should take Braun Strowman's advice and simply get over it and get another job.
Ryder could (if he wanted it) land in AEW. I recall Cody singling him out when asked who he'd want to take from WWE a year or so ago. Maybe Rowan can go there too to fix Brodie McMahon, who has been shit since he got there.
Gallows and Anderson are likely heading back to New Japan.
EC3 would be interesting back in iMPACT if for no other reason than he is the "nephew" of the now former owner.
The others who knows. The Indies won't exist for a long time, and they'll be vastly different once they do (I'd assume most small local outfits will go under before they come back).
I'm hoping guys like Lance Storm, Hurricane, and Finlay were just furloughed and will be back when this all blows over. Not surprising that producers who are flown in from around the continent are not retained during this, as they likely have a few producers in Orlando who were retained to work all the shows.
This fucking sucks balls. But it isn't surprising, they need to cut back expenses. If they don't cut payroll they'll go out of business and everyone's out of a job.
Let's be realistic here, This as to arrive at some point and it made the day of the dirt sheet and mainstream media to spin this into a negative piece for WWE to make people angry at WWE for what they are doing right now.
I've been following WWE for over 30 years now, i've seen the good and the bad that happened with this company and the one constant in all of this over the years is that Vince will always think about business first over the product. He will do anything he can to save his company even if he has to do things that he really doesn'T want to do. Just like him being forced to closed down the XFL, this move was something that i'm sure he didn't want to.
If you look at how WWE as been run since he put HHH in charge of talent relation, they wouldn't release anybody unless they had a really good reason to release them. They rather keep a lot of wrestlers in reserve then having them sign with another organization so doing this was, just like going live every week is a desperate decision done by vince to make sure some money gets in during the pandemic.
Having said that, i'm sad to see all these wrestlers lose their jobs because a lot of them didn't really got a chance to show what they were made off in WWE. Guys like Mike kanellis and EC3 who only got sign from TNA because WWE didn't want those stars to sign with another promotion. Guy like Rusev who was starting to finally found his character and get over. Guys that seem to be pegged as lifer like Zack Ryder and Heath Slater.
It's also a sad day because, for now at less, they can't go anywhere else because nobody is hiring right now because of how the economy is really unstable. So they won't be able to wrestled for a while.
When all of this is over i could AEW being interested by some of them. The revival are pretty much a lock for AEW but i could see Rusev, Mike and maria kanellis, Sarah Logan, Rowan and gallow & anderson being offered some sort of contract with AEW.
Would be fun to see drake maverick, EC3 and Eric Young go back to IMPACT but i'm not sure that will happen.
Ryder, hawkins and Slater could probably get there job back in WWE when this is all over with as i could see WWE wanting to keep them around since they are great at putting other guys over.
Primo and epico were only on the payroll because they didn't want to get rid of the connection they had with porto rico, as far as they're concern, they will just continue doing what they've been doing in porto rico when wrestling return.
And whoever's left will probably get pick up by either ROH, MLW or New japan when the whole pandemic is over so i'm not worried for them. I just hope that in the meantime they won't have they have enough side project to make a living because it's going to be a hard few months for them.
Obviously they need to cut back expenses, but to say that the $4 million they spared with these cuts is going to make or break the WWE is false. WWE had to endanger these talents in live broadcasts in order to secure their TV deals, which includes that billion-dollar FOX deal. That deal alone would cover the annual cost of these salaries two-hundred-and-fifty times over!
This doesn't even cover the USA Network deal, or the $500 million (or in WWE's words in their shareholder's report from February, "$.5B") in their reserve for emergencies.
Had we only been talking about releases or only about doing what they can to protect their revenue I wouldn't have much of an argument, but pairing them together you get an unjustifiable scenario. WWE does not get to endanger staff to ensure that billion in one hand and count beans with the other.
Also, holy shit everyone, did we gloss over the fact a senior referee who has been with the WWE since the late 1980s just got sacked? This is so wrong.
Last edited by smarkmouth; 04-16-2020 at 08:54 AM.
Well, fuck, some of my figures are incorrect. The 500 million figure includes debt capacity, the $4 million includes a projection of montly savings. Apologies for above.
The numbers vary but I stand by my point. Talent was both endangered and released, and if it absolutely had to, it should be one or the other and not both.
To be fair, with regards to working it seems like no one was forced to work and if you didn't feel comfortable going to work then you didn't have to.
They're bleeding money right now, and they're trying to cut the fat out of their expenses. It sucks but that's what any business should do. Yes they have reserves they can use to keep operating but they need to stretch that out since who knows how long this is gonna be.
If they did this 6 months ago no one would complain about the on-air talent being released as the only ones really being used were Gallows and Anderson.
And in regards to being released and endangered, Lio Rush, Gallows, and Anderson (and maybe Aiden English and Chioda) are the only ones to have been used since the shutdown.
Pretty sure this is a temporary thing. Cutting $4 Million/month during a financial collapse isn't surprising. I would be surprised if all of them aren't back in the next 6-12 months.
Definitely fair, but let's not omit the unspoken pressure against doing so from the discussion. Working sick is part of wrestling's carny code and has been forever.
Essential services such as grocery and utility aren't cutting staff. If WWE wants to deem themselves as such then we shouldn't let them off the hook.They're bleeding money right now, and they're trying to cut the fat out of their expenses. It sucks but that's what any business should do. Yes they have reserves they can use to keep operating but they need to stretch that out since who knows how long this is gonna be.
As stated, I agree with that, but combined with other circumstances of these releases is plainly ghoulish.If they did this 6 months ago no one would complain
Add Drake Maverick (who is still going to compete in the interim Cruiserweight tournament mind you) to that list. Either way, one is already too many.And in regards to being released and endangered, Lio Rush, Gallows, and Anderson (and maybe Aiden English and Chioda) are the only ones to have been used since the shutdown.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)