Tossing Salt Presents:
WWE Releases 10 Superstars:
Thoughts and Opinion
April 15, 2021
DougMaynard.com

A few hours ago, I woke from my nap to find that the WWE has released nten WWE superstars from their contracts. It was one year ago that WWE did a major housecleaning and let a bunch of talent go and it looks as if history is repeating itself. Most of these names are not really surprising, but there are a few of them that I’m looking at and going, “What the fuck?”. More names may follow in the days to come, but these are the talents who were pink-slipped today. Let’s take a look at each name and try to figure out why they’re on the list and what the future may bring. Are you ready? Let’s do this.

Wesley Blake: I had to look up to see exactly who Blake was and I think that says as much as anything. Part of the Forgotten Sons, who were broken up and forgotten by WWE not long after their main roster debut, Blake’s release isn’t a surprise. He was just there, not being used, and was never given a chance to stand out or do anything after leaving the NXT roster and being brought up to the main roster. Black is a solid hand in that ring though and I think that maybe ROH or Impact Wrestling may give him a call soon enough.

Bo Dallas: This one breaks my heart. Bo Dallas, a third-generation superstar, the grandson of BlackjackMulligan, the son of Mike Rotundo, the nephew of Barry Windham and Kendall Windham, the brother of Bray Wyatt, and one of the most charismatic guys and most talented in-ring performers on the roster, and WWE hasn’t used him in over a year and couldn’t find anything to do with him. He was backstage at Mania this past weekend. And now he’s unemployed. It just doesn’t make sense. From what I understand, Dallas has been using this time off to get into real estate and I hope he has better skills at this side profession than his Uncle and Grandfather did. As for wrestling, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Dallas in a WWE ring. I hope he goes the Drew McIntyre route and becomes “the star” of the Indy circuit before making a return to WWE in a couple of years and showing the world what he’s capable of, kind of like he did during his run in NXT. I suspect that Tony Khan has Bo’s number on his cellphone and is just waiting for the no-compete to expire. If he’s not, then he should.

Chelsea Green: Poor Chelsea Green. She’s shown so much potential in NXT and had a good debut on Smackdown, but injuries took their toll and in what seems to be a recurring problem for Green, she was put on the shelf. This isn’t a surprise though because Green is engaged to Impact Wrestling star Matt Cardona, aka the one-time Zack Ryder. To say that Cardona’s relationship with WWE has been rocky since his release is an understatement. And not that I’m implying that WWE would be that petty and terminate Green because of her relationship with Cardona, but yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Green worked for Impact Wrestling a couple of years ago and, especially with her fiance working there now, I expect that’s where she’ll return.

Mickie James: Mickie worked at the announce table for NXT last week, but WWE hasn’t used her regularly in quite a while as a wrestler. She’s talented, can still go in that ring as a performer, and has quite a bit to offer any company she works for, but I can almost get this one. She’s passed her prime and WWE wants to cater to the youth and new fans, not the older fans who appreciate the legends. If it hasn’t happened already, I’m sure a “Legend’s Contract” and maybe a role as an occasional Ambassador will be coming her way. As for the immediate future, if Mickie wants to wrestle, I’d say keep an eye on the NWA. Mickie has a strong in with her husband, the current NWA World Champion Nick Aldis, and any company would be glad to have her. I think her future still looks very bright and a return to Impact Wrestling or AEW is a strong possibility as well. We haven’t seen the last of Mickie James, not by a long shot.

Kalisto: The former United States Champion hasn’t been used much lately and was broken off from the Lucha House Party, his most recent affiliation. I can get this one because while WWE wants to cater to the Latino market, they have Rey, Dominick, and Angel Garza so what is one less Luchador in a mask? He’ll be fine though and I expect a return to Mexico will be his next move after the no-compete ends.

Billie Kay: This one is another shocker. She’s an excellent wrestler and has been so damn entertaining as of late with the lamest of gimmicks, carrying around a sheet of paper and giving everyone her resume. I think WWE is really dropping the ball here with her and former Iiconic partner Peyton Royce. Both are so damn good both in the ring and on the mic, be it serious or comedy. I think that both AEW and Impact will be calling Kay as soon as they’re able and if so, she’ll be a strong addition to the roster. I think this one might be back to bite WWE in the ass at some point in the future. What the hell are they thinking?

Peyton Royce: Read what I said for Billie Kay and just say ditto. This release doesn’t make any sense to me and I think someone in WWE management had a massive brain fart here. But Royce will be heavily recruited by both AEW and Impact Wrestling and whatever the future holds, she’ll do damn well. I hope that she and Billie Kay can remain as a unit and be together wherever that may be. WWE really dropped the ball with this one.

Tucker: First they take his tag team partner by making him turn heel on Otis, then forget about him and strand him as an extra sitting around in catering, and now he’s being told to hit the road. Not a surprise really, but I think WWE left money on the table by not following up with him and Otis after their break-up. Tucker is a solid hand, but never really had a chance to go anything outside of being part of Heavy Machinery. Just a wasted opportunity by the WWE. I think maybe ROH or Impact Wrestling might be in his future. He’ll reinvent himself and show up somewhere, a classic example of “What if?”.

Samoa Joe: And the biggest surprise of all, former TNA and ROH World Champion Samoa Joe has been released. Joe is a strong in-ring performer and even though he’s been out of action due to a concussion, he’s been part of the RAW announce team and has been killing it, even calling the action this past weekend at Wrestlemania. I don’t get this one at all. If Joe can’t be cleared to wrestle, he’s already shown he’s far more than capable of doing anything that the WWE needs and doing it very well. I’m sure that Tony Khan already has Joe’s name on speed-dial and is ready to call just as soon as he’s legally able. Of all the releases, this is the one that makes the least amount of sense and while I’m sure that WWE had their reasons, this is the one I think they’ll be second-guessing the most in the days to come.

Mojo Rawley: And right before I was going to close this up, I went to check and see if any new names had been added to the list, and lo and behold, Mojo Rawley is now a part of the roster cuts and new additions to the unemployment line. This isn’t a surprise since Rawley hasn’t been used in forever with a forgettable 24/7 title run. His role seemed to be more to lure Rob Growonski into a WWE contract, but when The Gronk left to go back to the NFL and to claim another Super Bowl ring, Rawley’s usefulness came to an end for the WWE. I can see Mojo going to Impact for a program with his former Hype Bros. partner Matt Cardona, or maybe even a spot at AEW if he can secure a commitment with Gronk as part of the deal. Rawley has potential and WWE wasted and didn’t see or use it. And now, let’s see what the future holds.

And there you go. What’s the old cliche about when one door closes, another one opens. These are some very talented men and women and while there may not be a place for them in WWE at the moment, I’m sure that each and every one of them will do fine in the days and months ahead. It’s both a sad day and a great day for the world of professional wrestling. Ten superstars are out of work, but ten people now have a bright and amazing future ahead of them as new opportunities present themselves. I don’t know what WWE was thinking today, but for these ten talents, especially as the pandemic seems to be winding down and the major companies resume touring again, the future is theirs to embrace. Go for it Peeps.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, or any questions are welcome and appreciated. Let me know what you think about these WWE releases and what the future may hold for these talented men and women. I want to hear what you think about all of this. And with that, I’m out of here. Until the next time, stay safe and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!