WWE's Recent Roster Cuts
Posted by Douglas Nunnally
on 02/15/2006
Originally posted on November 11, 2004.
Scott Stover: Welcome wrestling fans to this week's edition of "The Wrestling Roundtable." I am your moderator Scott Stover and with us today are Mike Steele, Phil Snyder, Jason McGinn, and Josh Westfall. No time for pleasantries today, boys and girls, because there is a topic that needs to be addressed and that is the recent roster cuts from the WWE. In the last 72 hours, ten wrestlers have been given pink slips: Billy Gunn, Test, A-Train, Nidia, Gail Kim, Chuck Palumbo, Rodney Mack, Jazz, Johnny Stamboli and Rico. I'm sure these guys have a lot to say about this topic so let's get started.
Mike Steele: Alright, the way I look at this is that it's either a really good thing or a really bad thing in the long run. The reason it could be good is that rumors are circulating about a possible end to the brand split, which I for one think would be fantastic. WWE might just be cutting the fat here. It can also be a sign of a turn for the worst in WWE. Rumors also state that Johnny Ace is responsible for influencing some of the cuts. This means that there is a huge shift in power and control coming in WWE. Now Johnny Ace and a few others are firing whoever they want for reasons other than wrestlers' performances. Also, here we have talent with great ability such as Rico and other talent with great potential such as Test and Nidia being cut while there is a huge influx of rookies with seemingly little ability such as Jesus on SmackDown! and Tyson Tomko on Raw. Instead of working with their talent, WWE is tossing them out and bringing in new characters with, well, no character. The exception being Carlito, Simon Dean, and maybe Gene Snitsky
Scott Stover: You make mention of the WWE cutting more expensive talent for cheaper rookies, sports teams do this all the time and it is widely accepted. Why are you against the WWE doing this if there legitimately is a problem?
Mike Steele: Well, first, I'm not a big sports fan so I do not advocate nor do I challenge the firing of expensive talent in those sports. But for WWE, they are hurting the product by taking out people with both face and name recognition. Just about everyone they fired had potential and did perform well given the right tools to work with. The only firing I fully condone is that of Billy Gunn for his drug use and refusal to cooperate, with a side order of disloyalty by already talking to TNA previously. I also see reason for firing Stamboli for being argumentative and uncooperative in some situations, but I do not think bringing in new talent without any characters is going to help anything. They are just setting these guys up for failure just like the guys they are firing now.
Jason McGinn: I see no problem with this. In fact, I think that it's great that they are doing this. It gives the under-used wrestlers like Johnny Stamboli and Chuck Palumbo a chance to expand there careers, rather than sit in a locker room or come out every now and then to lose to a guy who will eventually take their job. Some people, like Gail Kim, were a liability, with her being injured twice. A-Train hasn't done anything serious sense his stint with Big Show, Nathan Jones, and Matt Morgan. A lot of this has to do with the creative department’s inability to recycle old gimmicks for them.
Phil Snyder: I really do see a problem with it. It makes it seem that anyone that is not currently involved in an angle is a liability and should be on the look out. I've read that wrestlers are afraid to answer the phone in case the dreaded Johnny Ace is on the other line. Stamboli, while he might be a problem (the dress code was believed to be caused because of him) was just starting to get a role on TV and get over, and he gets the boot. Rico, who's always been well liked, gets released. Apparently now, there are going to be a few more to go and it doesn't seem right that instead of developing them, they just let them go.
Scott Stover: With all the talent they have, it is very hard to develop a lot of storylines with a lot of wrestlers, do you agree?
Phil Snyder: No, I don't think that's the case at all, they have 6 hours a week of programming to give wrestlers time. Instead of having Triple H in 4 segments every week, give him 2 or 3 and give one to these other guys. I think if it there was serious competition, they would be developing these guys and wanting to keep them under contract so no one could sign them, but since the closest competition has a show on Fox Sports Net at 3 on a Friday, there's no point.
Scott Stover: You mentioned Gail Kim was a liability because of her injuries. How do you compare that to Edge and others who have been injured for months up to a year and keep coming back into their roles?
Jason McGinn: Look at Edge's record compared to Gail Kim’s. Edge has won the tag titles close to 10 times; Gail Kim is a one time Woman’s champion. Edge is a seasoned vet, who’s been involved in many great feuds with the Hardyz, the Dudleyz, and Kurt Angle. Gail Kim has had one main feud, (by feud, I mean promos, backstage segments, matches, and championship bouts) and that was against Trish Stratus.
Josh Westfall: Good point that Edge has a better track record, but what about Randy Orton? He came and within his first 8 months was injured 3 different times. A little over a year later, he is heavyweight champ.
Jason McGinn: Randy Orton was also a big name in Ohio Valley Wrestling, with family history behind him. His first matches were great, while Gail Kim’s weren't always up-to-par.
Scott Stover: Josh, you mention Randy Orton and Edge, but what about the people that were injured but not greatly involved in storylines like them? Do you feel their dismissal was justified?
Josh Westfall: Alright, how I see it, all of them are justified because currently the roster of active wrestlers is around 66 wrestlers and that's not including GM's and such which also get TV time. Looking at the entire year of 2004 for wrestlers or personnel cuts from the WWE, this slice off the roster really isn't anything. With 6 hours of TV time to work with and that many wrestlers you just can't keep everyone happy and changes have to be made. Here is a list of all the talent cut this year, not including the last 10: Kevin Nash, Zach Gowen, Kanyon, Ernest Miller, Bill Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Farooq Sean O'Haire, Terri Runnels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Brian Christopher, Scott Steiner, Chavo Guerrero Sr., Jaqueline, Rue DeBona, Sakoda, Rikishi, Sable, Jamie Noble, Tom Prichard, and Pat Patterson. Now I understand that there are various reasons for all of them, but in the end, it just happens that the last 10 were all at once and that is the only reason there is a fuss.
Scott Stover: I agree many of the other talent you mentioned left for various reasons, but if they talent that were released this week were released over a period of months instead of 72 hours, would we not be complaining?
Josh Westfall: Other then some mark who greatly loved a certain wrestler that was released, in the time period that any of the previous were let go, it became old news in a day or two and was forgotten. So no, I don’t think we would. Granted I was surprised mostly by Test, Gail and Rico. Test because he was still injured. Gail because I have seen her wrestle locally a long time and she has the talent. Rico because he was over and still going strong.
Phil Snyder: I'm really disappointed in the way Test was released. I've read that Triple H was "out to get" him for the past couple of years, so I really hope that wasn't the case. The WWE had a good track record of not releasing wrestlers when they were injured, and frankly it isn't fair that someone who got injured at his job got fired from that job because of the injury that wouldn't happen in the real world in most cases and it shouldn't have happened here. Not only was in unfair, but Test was a great talent and someone that Johnny "Ace" was supposedly looking for, since all he wants is big men.
Jason McGinn: Granted, I’m not totally against the releases. It’s too close to Thanksgiving and Christmas and these guys have families.
Mike Steele: Well, first, these guys are probably all well off so I don't take their families into consideration. When Michael Cole goes, "You can't fire Tony Chimmel; he has a family to feed!" I really get annoyed. We all know that guy is loaded by now. Also, people love returns more than they love debuts. A lot of people have paid to see the Royal Rumble in previous years not for the event itself but for the announced or surprise returns bringing back Test and A-Train as a unit would get a strong reaction as opposed to everyone's non existent feelings about Tyson Tomko of Luther Reigns. The worst reaction is no reaction. Most of the wrestlers who were cut weren't over enough with the fans because WWE never let it happen or encouraged it to happen WWE often says, "Sorry, we don't have anything for you right now, you're released". That is the lamest excuse to get rid of a wrestler. We teens and young adults give several great suggestions on what to do with these underused talents. Look at what happened with Shawn Stasiak. Granted he wasn't a great wrestler, WWE had him job every week on Heat and made it his gimmick but fired him for not being over with the fans or showing progression. WWE keeps its own talent down, and then fires them for it. A sad, sad pattern for WWE. All of these new guys debuting are headed the same way, guaranteed.
Josh Westfall: Shawn Stasiak was not fired for those reasons; he was fired for video taping wrestlers backstage without their knowledge. Letting wrestlers go because there is nothing to do with them isn't a lame excuse, it's almost a blessing for them. We do not know their salaries. From what I have been told by wrestlers themselves or stories from others, if you aren't a "main attraction", you aren't making huge amounts; you are just getting by, show to show. Maybe they do get more, but I highly doubt it’s the salary you have in mind. Would you rather go pay check to pay check traveling state to state, or be given the chance to wrestle for someone like TNA or over in Japan for a larger paycheck most likely and more exposure and use?
Phil Snyder: I just wanted to throw in there that the average WWE contract is in the upwards of $200,000 a year, which is by far more than you would make wrestling for TNA. 200 G's doesn't sound like a lot, but it is.
Mike Steele: Well, the reason I said it was a lame excuse to fire a wrestler because of a lack of a plan for them is based on WWE's lack of creativity. They hire these big Hollywood writers and they come up with absolutely nothing. If a writer can't come up with something for A-Train how will he come up with something for Luther Reigns? And about the salaries, Maven came in making 52,000 a year and quickly moved to 75,000 a year as a bottom feeder. Other talent that makes much more and is given the longevity of their time in WWE has saved up a pretty penny. The benefit of working for TNA is less travel which is the biggest complaint in WWE, i.e. Brock Lesnar quitting. Now they're paying less for cheaper goods in my eyes. Most of the people they've brought in are huge and have no characters which is something fans nowadays hate. They've just cost themselves more money by paying these guys to do nothing while they could've kept their old guys and put them to use. Look at Mordecai, Matt Morgan, Nathan Jones, and the Basham Brothers, all a waste of money. Working with what you've got is the best way to go when your company is in the dumps and the economy isn't doing great.
Jason McGinn: Roster cuts are great for the overall picture, but if it’s for something like the Diva Search of the million dollar Tough Enough, it’s bullshit. While this group wasn't an essential group in WWE, I’d love to see Gail Kim over Christy Hemme any day. Mostly it’s just the fact that WWE needs to get there priorities in line. TNA is in need of some cuts as well but were not going to go into that now.
Josh Westfall: I agree with that 110%, that’s all I have left to say.
Scott Stover: Well this has certainly been a hot topic. I'm sure it will only get worse if more people get cut in the near future. I would like to thank the guys on the roundtable for coming and you out there for reading. Say good night to the readers guys!
Mike Steele: Buenas Noches!
Phil Snyder: Good night to the readers, guy. Oh, I went there!
Scott Stover: Help me lord...
Jason McGinn: It’s early. Do we have to leave? There my friends!
Phil Snyder: Yes, we do. Some of us have to get food.
Jason McGinn: Mind if I come?
Phil Snyder: Only if you buy.
Jason McGinn: Got some money anyone?
Josh Westfall: Time for some poker. Have a good night all and thanks for letting me join.
Scott Stover: And this is Scott Stover saying see you next week at The Wrestling Roundtable.
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