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WWE 2011 Releases

TJWWE

Pre-Show Stalwart
WWE always do the annual release month when they tend to let go a few or lot of superstars and divas.

Well my question to you all is, who are the obvious people that will be let go this year?

Here is a list of people who I think will get released:
Rosa Mendes
David Hart Smith
Darren Young
Jimmy & Jay Uso or one of them
Primo
Brie Bella
Curt Hawkins
Kaitlyn
Tyler Reks
 
So why exactly do you think these specific wrestlers will be released? Did you just pick random names that you feel make sense? Is it because most of these names wrestle on Superstars? I don't see a real compelling argument for some, but for others I cansee by their lack of creative direction. I think you need names like these to fill programming time and to be stop gaps on the larger shows when bigger stars get hurt and have to fill in.

I think anyone on this board can compile a list of 10 or so names to be released, but the question is why? I don't really see the point of this thread unless there is some form of point or argument made as to why you feel the way you do.
 
Here is mine, in no particular order:

1. Vladamir Kozlov - Once his tag team title run with Santino is up, he'll be exactly where he was before... squash matches against feeble competition or a jobber to the stars. This might last a month or two and he'll be relegated to Superstars and/or dark matches, possibly cut loose even before then. In essence, Kozlov was on the chopping block before the comedy role with Marella I think. This year the axe will likely drop.

2. Ted Dibiase Jr. or Cody Rhodes (or both)- I'm sure Vince and company had high hopes for these kids being 2nd generation stars with name recognition, but neither one of them have really got anywhere. TD Jr. is on, what, his third failed (or failing) gimmick? Cody Rhodes is quickly getting a reputation for being injury prone or at the very least, injury "sensitive." Ask Mr. Kennedy how long you last when you get that stigma. Considering they are both on different shows, they may just meet their fate together. If I had to pick one of the other as "most likely to be wished well in his future endeavors", I'd pick Dibiase Jr. as "Dashing" was instantly hateable and therefore a solid heel.

3. Yoshi Tatsu - Why did WWE even bring this kid up to the main roster after WWECW was shuttered? He's doing exactly the same thing on RAW that he did on Tuesday nights... counting the lights as the referee slams his hand down for a three or non-involvement outright. Unless he is significantly re-packaged (maybe a Muta-like gimmick to match his stronger style), I see Tatsu gone sometime this year, if not one of the first people cut.

4. Kurt Hawkins - Who? Exactly.

5. JTG - See #4.
 
I think David Hart Smith will be ok for the time being. WWE seems to like this legacy thing they have going on plus they are on good terms with Bret Hart, and they would be doing his family a favour keeping him on the books. I also think Tyler Reks will be ok, they had the chance to release him a year or so ago after that Plane incident but they didnt. Theres no reason he cant be a stable mid-card wrestler.

Darren Young
Jey Uso
Jimmy Uso
Primo
Yoshi Tatsu
Tamina

They are my Raw Superstars on thin ice. Yoshi might be ok because of the pull he has over in Asia, but if they get 1 more in he could be in trouble.

Curt Hawkins
JTG
Joey Mercury (trainer now)
Rosa Mendes

They would be my Smackdown Superstars on thin ice. Of course, with Triple H taking over development and WWE using Tough Enough, NXT to push the next generation of stars through, depending on the success of all that, then we could see quite a few more fearing for their jobs. Chris Masters (under-used), Heath Slater, Michael Tarver, Goldust and hopefully Mark Henry. The latter must be a big earner.

Finally what about Rey? Yes his merchandise sales are huge, but with Del Rio beng pushed, Mistico having signed and that Mexican wrestler from FCW due a call up with Rey be surplus given his impending retirement? He wont be pushed, but might be granted release. He will be a big earner.
 
I can think of an argument why Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins won't be released.

Yes, they're stuck in the netherworld that is Superstars, but they've been booked pretty strongly, with Hawkins having a Superstars equivalent to a feud with Trent Barretta.

Reks? Simple. Look at his track record since he's returned. Outside of one match with The Big Show, the man has yet to lose a singles match, and all of his victories have been pretty decisive. WWE seems like they want to do something with him, but have no idea what at the moment.

Everyone else? Yeah, I can see it happening. They aren't really doing anything except jobbing or being made to look like idiots, and they don't seem to be clicking with anyone.
 
Yoshi Tatsu could have been the replacement for Tajiri, but after ECW, he's had no luck to shine. He's like Evan Bourne, except not as impressive. It's sad how this guy first came into the company beating guys like Shelton Benjamin and William Regal and then finds himself lost in the shuffle. His only accomplishments are winning the 26-Man Battle Royal at WrestleMania 26 and appearing in the Smackdown vs RAW 2011 video game. Sad.

The USO's arrived in the WWE looking strong. After a few matches with the Hart Dynasty, they slowly faded into the background. They have no charisma, character and impact. Nothing about them reads 'top contenders' or even a legitimate Tag Team threat. Instead of repackaging them, creative is splitting them up? What good is that gonna do? It won't make a difference except crowd the Superstars cards...or they could always feed Tyler Reks more losing effort opponents.

Darren Young is boring. He hasn't really improved. The same can be said about David Otunga though. These two shouldn't even be in the WWE right now.

Primo lacks the attitude or look or presence of his brother. All he has going for him is his speed. There's potential for him to use that to his advantage and get the crowd pumped (so much for that since he's a heel now), but he doesn't have any non-generic moves of his own to put him up there.
 
The only person I HOPE is released from the WWE in 2011 is wait for it...
...
...
Milwaukees favorite, R-Truth.
This guy just fails to perform, He failed to put Mason Ryan over because he botched literally EVERYTHING, His entrance makes me cringe 17597364 times, the guy can't dance, the guy can't rap, The guy can't sell ANY submission move in the entire wrestling Move book and the guy needs to pack his bags and get his ass over to TNA and become TNA Champion so they can botch another couple of storylines and make him a custom belt with a spinner of a dancing guy in the middle.

Yes, Im English, I have strong praise of my own Opinions.
 
I Would have to agree wth, Burrows94, RTruth has to go surly, i really dont know how he is still on TV, if anything he should be on superstars! and thats it !

As for other posts i have read, i was shocked to read some one choose Ted Dibiase Jr. or Cody Rhodes (or both) thats just crazy, they are both very talented and neither deserves to, or will be released this year, would be stupid.

Others mentioned, Curt Hawkins, he is very talented he just needs to be made relevant again but he shouldn't be released at all.

But there are a few that personally i wouldn't be sad to see go:

Mark Henry: Do i really have to explain ? I don't know how some superstars like vance archer get released and then you have guys like Henry keep their job ? hmmmm . . . .

RTruth: Getting so annoying watching this guy and his entrance just makes me want to stab myself in the eye! His match with mason ryan on raw was the last straw for me, he should have made ryan look like a monster but all he did was botch moves and forget where the hell he was!

Khali: See Mark Henry

JTG: If Shad is gone is there any reason to keep JTG ? ? ?

Divas: No not all of them, just alot of them who are just not necessary and talentless e.g. Eve!!!
 
They will keep Harry Smith cos of the Bulldog connection. It would go over in the UK if they package him as a "Baby Bulldog" type with Regal as manager... The UK market is a focus right now and that will likely see him safe...

Darren Young is on thin ice... he offers nothing other than his Cena-a-like looks...

Otunga will be safe, as will all the Corre nexus guys... WWE know that someone like Slater could pop at any time... just as guys like Edge did in the early 2000's... It won't take much to get most of them over... just the right gimmick and timing.

Tatsu... I can't see them releasing the only Japanese star they have without an over replacement... If anything I see them adding another Asian star soon...

Guys who to me would be "on the bubble" if I were Vince or Trips right now are:-

JTG - Doesn't offer much and his gimmick is stale... There are guys like Percy Watson and the former Consequences Creed who can easily take his spot on the roster.

Primo - There is no way Carlito is coming back so it doesn't really matter if they release him.

Mark Henry - His time is running out careerwise and he is expensive for what he is offering... Guys like Kozlov and Zeke can perform the same function but free up money for 2 more signings.

R-Truth - He seems to be getting buried a lot lately... I think his usefulness on RAW is about spent and he doesn't offer anything on Smackdown that JoMo wouldn't if moved across (most likely after WM)...

Tyson Kidd - Yep, I know he is talented but he had his shot and despite Andrews being green, Tyson also didn't make it work... Him getting slammed by Hornswoggle during the Rumble was telling.

Add Barretta, Hawkins, Khali and Jackson Andrews to the list...

Also bear in mind that there is ALWAYS one high profile release each year that you don't expect... with Batista's this year. I think this year could see the end of... Randy Orton's tenure... The Viper gimmick is winding down, he is still over but is becoming increasingly one dimensional... Add to which his past may start to catch up with him. Guys like Anderson got canned on Orton's moaning about botches... yet this week he injured Punk in a massive blunder... sure it made for good TV but Orton could increasingly find it hard to keep his spot as guys like JoMo, Sheamus and Barrett rise. I can see him throwing his dummy ala Batista or asking for time off at the wrong moment.
 
I Would have to agree wth, Burrows94, RTruth has to go surly, i really dont know how he is still on TV, if anything he should be on superstars! and thats it !

As for other posts i have read, i was shocked to read some one choose Ted Dibiase Jr. or Cody Rhodes (or both) thats just crazy, they are both very talented and neither deserves to, or will be released this year, would be stupid.

Others mentioned, Curt Hawkins, he is very talented he just needs to be made relevant again but he shouldn't be released at all.

But there are a few that personally i wouldn't be sad to see go:

Mark Henry: Do i really have to explain ? I don't know how some superstars like vance archer get released and then you have guys like Henry keep their job ? hmmmm . . . .

RTruth: Getting so annoying watching this guy and his entrance just makes me want to stab myself in the eye! His match with mason ryan on raw was the last straw for me, he should have made ryan look like a monster but all he did was botch moves and forget where the hell he was!

Khali: See Mark Henry

JTG: If Shad is gone is there any reason to keep JTG ? ? ?

Divas: No not all of them, just alot of them who are just not necessary and talentless e.g. Eve!!!

If Khali goes it's more likely to do with his recent problems in India with the shooting. Vance Archer was unfortunate but will likely return down the line, I would have preferred him to get the role as Kidd's bodyguard.
 
RatedCharisma59...YOU SIR...ARE A RACIST!

Nah I'm kiddin'. I agree with you on all the picks you made.

Not to add the race card in, but I'm black and am sorely embarrassed by the ass that is R-Botchmaster flex- truth.

I believe had it not been for the PG era, he would not be where he is now. K-kwiq was proof of that. I really do not understand the reason for his push, even in TNA.

David Otunga- I don't believe he's no where near as close on the chopping as some other's mentioned, but his lackluster-ness is surely pushing him to the brink. The problem is (as with alot of the names mentioned and the new guys headin' forward into the ring) the lack of passion. I think people know what I mean by passion. I'll give a fer instance: Otunga's promo's are very forced and robotic, like he's not even tryin to make an effort (or a piss poor one). Let's look at lets say....Dvon or Bubba rays promo in the early 2000s, very strong,passionate even though bordering on "ridiculism" (trademarked).

Christian- As much I feel this guys potential is awesome at this stage of his career, I feel the wwe are gonna continue to botch his chances, causing him to become irrelevant in the crowd, which will lead to his "endeavored". This would be no fault of his own. I hope this is will not be the case.

Khali- Why hasn't he been released yet? Watching him move is like watching a very tall infant learn to walk, let alone have him actually wrestle.

Mark Henry - Here's a big maybe here. The potential is there, but I feel Henry needs to stop dickin around. There are signs the fans want to get behind him, but some how, he fucks it up and loses steam. It's hard to explain with him. Henry also has job security and is one of the most loyal (behind taker). So it's a big maybe.

Dibiase Jr.- A great talent he maybe, his father he is not. Him playing off his father was a horrid move as we all (marks, smarks and non-marks) saw it coming. He's also very robotic. Being and saying heelish does NOT mean you'll just get booed. He has to do something to become relevant, otherwise *Chop*!

USO's- One of em is definitely getting cut as the team slips will lead to the inevitable: about 80-85% of the time. Suffers from what dibiase Jr is suffering from, but not to his extent: If these guys didnt play off their legendary parents they'd be alot more successful. Case in point: The Rocky. YEs he had Rocky Maivia (a play off his father and is grand father's name) but that was it. He didnt come off toting his back ground even for a minute. He was his own person. His transgression into "The Rock" came from a necessity that spawned when the public grew tired of the smiling hero; even further distancing himself from his status as a 3rd generation wrestler. Randy Orton and Cena did this. Why cant the USO's(or commentators for the match) or Dibiasi get this?

All the DIVAS minus Pheonix, Gail Kim and Niedhart as these three actually give a damn about their performance. The divas division should be revamped by these 3 and if possible, WWE should acquire the knockouts of TNA(another thread discussion maybe). As we all know, the Divas are horrible I see no reason to keep them. Using them as eye canding is just exploitation and the opposite of this whole PG thing( Hypocrite much wwe?).

Well thats it' I can't really think of any more, I have to say that I agree with all the names listed for the other posters though.
 
OK so everybody on here wants to release a bunch of superstars due to the way creative is using them. I agree some of the superstars on the roster need to go away from on television and work behind the scenes instead to make room for new blood.
but this thread is about who should be released so I will go along:

RAW
MARK HENRY
MICHAEL COLE
MICHAEL TARVER
ZACH RYDER
SMACKDOWN
HORNSWOGGLE
TODD GRISHAM
DIVAS
BELLA TWINS
EVE TORRES
ROSA MENDEZ
Now with the rest of the rosters the following need to be repackaged so they can be better used
RAW
DARREN YOUNG
EVAN BOURNE
USO's
PRIMO
SANTINO & VLADIMIR
SKIP SHEFFIELD
TED DIBIASE
TYSONN KIDD
SMACKDOWN
CHAVO GUERRERO
CHRIS MASTERS
CURT HAWKINS
JTG
TRENT BARRETA
TYLER REKKS
DIVAS
GAIL KIM
TAMINA
LAYLA
 
TJWWE, i was just wondering what your thought process and check system is for your reason that you chose these wwe superstars to get the ax? Just Please explain yourself a little more.

As for me a few names stand out to me that look like there going down the future endeavors road.

Darren Young........He's not Nexus...he's not Corre...he is lower card fodder now and will always be known as black Cena...I hope He goes Indy and runs with The Black Cena gimmick.

Ranjin Singh....lets face it it is common knowledge that The Great Khali is done in 2011...his knees are shot and he is a huge rich celeb in India...with out him Singh is done...

JTG....no push likley in sight...other lower card talent with way more up side than him, also i think the CrymeTyme gimmick sort of put him in a bad spot character wise.

No one else really sticks out..wwe is gona cut an anouncer too...i dont know what one goes.

With that said i do feel wwe roster will shrink more than three or four spots..
2011 will see the retirement of Rey, HHH, BigShow, Khali, even Goldust.
This does not mean that the list is not bigger who is next to get the pink slip! Primo, Yoshi, Masters, Zack Ryder, Tyler Reks, Alicia Fox, Curt Hawkins ect...all could get there walking papers!
 
Guys who I think will be gone

Curt Hawkins: hasn't been used; and I don't see potential in him

Primo: again; superstars fodder that doesn't serve a place on the main roster

that's pretty much it.
 
Lets see:

Zack Ryder- how he is even still on tv confuses me. this guy has no talent, and people cant get behind him.
curt hawkins- hasnt done anything worth while. on his way out
primo- once carlito left its only a matter of time till primo is out
dibiase- the guy couldnt get over to save his life. he was given maryse, the million dollar belt, virgil, his dad for a bit, and started off in legacy. all of this, and no once cares about him
the usos- the wwe does not care about tag teams. the usos' days are numbered
the original nexus minus barrett, gabriel, otunga and db. skip's look is awfule, and reminds me a lot of snitsky. heath is the funniest looking guy in the wwe, but cant do anything spectacular. tarver-lol. darren young- good look, nothing else.
divas- gail kim, alicia fox, rosa mendez. the rest are probably ok
jtg: need i say more

for people not getting released.

rhodes- how is the guy injury prone? his nose being broken is part of the storyline that will see him work a match with freaking rey mysterio. lets see his mania appearances these past two years. last year with orton, this year with rey. rhodes has a bright future.
yoshi- entertaining in the ring. kids like him. he reminds me of funaki. people find him to be funny because he is japanese (not tryint to be racist, its true, thats why they played off funaki's accent). not to mention he is the wwe's asian market. loose him, loose a big market in asia
khali- you know why he is still in the wwe? the over 1 billion people in india that he could appeal to
mark henry- good worker. who cares if he doesnt m.e. the mid card suits him
tyler rekks- maybe the reason they dont have anything for him is it is around wrestlemania and they have to focus on other things. he has a great look, and until recently, they were pushing him pretty well
koslov- good look. and working with santino will save his life.
 
I could see Mark Henry and Darren Young easily being dropped. Not big on Heath Slater myself, I think only the association with Barrett's crews are saving him. Hornswoggle goes without saying. The Usos can DEFINITELY go. Without Santino, yeah, Vladimir Koslov goes.

I don't see him being fired, but I don't know that Rey Misterio will make it through 2011. He seems to always be hurt in one form or another. This could be his last year, whether he wants it to be or not.

Divas-wise? Rosa from SmackDown and Eve from Raw. I'm not AGAINST these two, persay, I have just never cared about them. Not once. Alicia Fox can be dropped easily. Never was a big fan of hers and she seemed to botch more than succeed.
 
I've always said it, WWE is waaaaay over staffed, Superstars is a joke. seriously. They need to do a major roster evaluation. The term "less is more" comes to mind when I think of the WWE roster. I have high hopes for the divas division if only they were taught to wrestle, and the others who just don't learn should be fired. I agree with most of you on who should go. Those ppl are waisting airtime and money. I'm hoping Mysterio can get one decent feud with mistico before he goes. One other guy i didn't see mentioned in this thread was Chavo Guerrero. Sorry to say it, but, since Eddie's passing, he hasn't done anything, is he being punished for something? or whats the deal? If he ain't gonna be used for anything but jobbing, then he should def go, who knows, maybe TNA can make use of him.
 
Of all those that have already been mentioned:

Mark Henry - Couldn't agree more. His character offers so much more but he always fails to deliver and is fast becoming oh so repetative. i liked his pairing with MVP as a tag team and thought that could have had some legs, but for whatever reason it didn't. He can't cut it as a singles performer in my opinion.

R-Truth - Yep, got to agree there too. I've never liked him as a performer. His showing during his match with Mason Ryan was horrendous, although that could equally be blamed on the Welshman's lack of in ring experience. However, with WWE being high on pushing newer talent at the moment, I think the more experienced Truth will suffer as a result, and rightly so in my opinion. As the more experienced performer it should have been his responsibility to look after Mason Ryan during his in ring debut.

JTG - No, don't agree there. I like his character. He has maintained what made Cryme Tyme so entertaining and carried it over into singles competition quite effectively. He is also showing a more competitive edge in recent weeks (well, the few bouts that I've managed to watch) and believe he will make the mid-card title challenger eventually, whether he wins a singles title or not will depend on his progress and fan following.

The Great Khali - A freak show and representative in the company for the Indian fan following. Nothing more. He is horrible in the ring. Period. Recent events in India may be used as an excuse to offload him and I won't be sad to see him go. Ranjin Singh will follow him out the door.

Ted Dibiase Jr and Cody Rhodes - I will be surprised to see either of these two go, but as someone else said there is normally one or two surprises in the clear out. They have failed to shine as singles stars, but collectively the could either re-invigorate a dissapearing tag division. Failing that, I think Cody will be the safer of the two. If that is the case then DiBiase needs to head a faction a la The Million Dollar Corporation.

David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd - Again, both have stuttered in singles competition. Both are talented in ring performers, but have no personality. Collectively they are dynamite. A no nonsense, all about business in the ring, type of team. Come on WWE, admit you messed up and do the right thing.

Darren Young - I'm undecided here, but will say he will go. I think he has the want and desire to eventually make something of himself (shock!). But with the impatience of the WWE in making stars, I wonder whether they will persevere or just get rid, let him go elsewhere and develop, then bring him back in at a later date. Maybe that's what he needs. Look at The Rock, he wasn't initially well received when he was shoved down our throats as Rocky Maivia.

Yoshi Tatsu - The only link with the Japanese market at the moment. So I'll bet he is safe. Might not progress any further on the card, but he is safe nonetheless.

The Nexus/The Corre - Otunga, Slater, Harris, McGillicutty, Jackson (yes, I said Ezekiel Jackson), could all be under scrutiny and are my favourites for the chop if the members of these two factions are considered. It all depends on the progression of this and the mystery GM storylines methinks. Although I would like to see Trevor Murdoch return and team with Husky Harris!

Primo - Unless their is a resurrection in the Cruiserweight division and he is needed to make up the numbers in the short term, I see no future for this man.

Trent Baretta - I struggle to see where he fits into the bigger picture since the release of Caylen Croft and can only see him surviving under one of two circumstances. The resurrection of the Cruiserweight division as detailed under Primo...and a new tag team pairing of him and Joey Mercury. I see Joey Mercury going too, unless they have something lined up for him.

Curt Hawkins - I like his new attitude, but think he better suited at the moment as a tag team wrestler. Needs Zack Ryder back. They could keep their current personas. The relationship between the two is already documented, so would need no further explanation for their pairing. Would add a new dimension to the team, and strengthen that tag division again!

Jackson Andrews - Missed his short lived appearance on the main programming. But they must be high on him for them to try and push him so soon. But he could be on the list if he fails to improve.

Randy Orton - An interesting point raised by THTRobTaylor. But c'mon, really? No chance in Hell.

Christian - I can't see it to be honest. But never say never. I think with Edge's recent hint at retirement (was it a hint or just a mis-interpretation?) i think Christian will be heavily involved with Edge's last run and is therefore safe.

Jimmy and Jey Uso - Yep, I can see one or both of these young men being chopped. Unfortunately through no fault of their own.

Michael Cole - Safe and will become increasingly more annoying as a result! Shows he is doing a good job with his new direction.

Michael Tarver - Not yet established so could be on the wooden chopping block. However, there are rumours of a push for him. I think he stinks in the ring so lets just get rid.

Hornswoggle - In my personal wrestling preference biased opinion, he has long overstayed his welcome.

Tyler Reks - Has yet to step up from his attempted push and could be chopped unless the writers have anything for him. Shame, has some potential.

Chris Masters - I really his new persona. Needs to become more of a monster in the ring though. Would hate to see him go as I believe he has mid card title holder potential.

Vladimir Kozlov - It all depends on his team with Santino. Should that come to an abrupt end then I don't see where he would go in the grander scheme of things.

Chavo Guerrero - I can't see it. He will be retained, perhaps due to his affiliation with Eddie. He could be better used in my opinion, but if the company has nothing for him then who knows. Would shine in TNA if he was released.

Skip Sheffield - Nah, I'm thinking he's coming back into the Nexus fold as a replacement for Husky Harris.

My personal pics outside those mentioned:

Alex Riley - Good on the mic, but lacking in the ring in my opinion. Just a lackey to support Miz at the moment. Miz needs someone stronger behind him, like HBK with Sid or Diesel (I'm by no way making any comparison to Miz or HBK by saying that!)

Drew McIntyre - I know he is the chosen one or something like that. But he could be the surprise name on the chopping list.

Jack Swagger - Another shock candidate. Former World Heavyweight Champion to Superstars in a matter of months. A talented wrestler no doubt, but pish on the mic and has added no new dimensions to his in ring performance. Perhaps a wasted investment?

Divas - Just get rid of...The Bellas and Rosa Mendes. Perhaps alicia Fox too. The rest are relatively sound in the ring.
 
It seems that most of my picks (namely Kozlov, Dibiase Jr., and Rhodes) for likely release candidates have sparked some apprehension and doubt. Fair enough. Allow me to explain things a little deeper with these three, Kozlov and TD Jr. in particular.

Kozlov came in with a lot of fanfare initially. I remember some of the "impressive" squashes he had, as well as his feud with the Undertaker in which he looked pretty good. Since then though it has been all downhill. He was eventually relegated to WWECW (ie; last chance boulevard) and the only reason he was brought up to RAW was due to the closing of the brand. To be clear, the character was floundering on ECW... not exactly a good thing when WWE creative are looking for potential names to cut. To Vince and companies credit, he was given a chance to do something on RAW.

If I remember correctly, Koslov was "re-introduced" to the RAW audience with a similar series of squashes that just weren't as "impressive" as before, before being thrust into a makeshift tag-team with Santino. He struck gold (both figuratively and literally) in that pairing and is currently the sub-comedy act to Marella's marquee billing. When you're playing second fiddle to the comic relief though, once again you're not in a very good position as far as staying power goes.

Sooner rather than later (ie; 3-6 months), I surmise that the Marella/Kozlov combination will meet its end. In Marella's case, his performance in the Royal Rumble showed that people will get behind him even if he conceivably has no chance to win. That is, Santino can still do what he does now as a singles wrestler, WWE's preference to be sure. So where does that leave Kozlov after the inevitable split? The gentle "giant?" He is big, but not that big. Another comedy act? Marella and Hornswoggle have those bases covered. Squashing jobbers on Superstars? Been there, seen that. I honestly feel the end is near for his WWE tenure.

As for Ted Dibiase Jr... after three failed gimmick attempts, one of which included a direct capitalization on his fathers greatness, not to mention getting "beat up" by Lawler... where exactly can he go from there? The Legacy association with Orton was supposed to propel TD Jr. (as well as Rhodes) into superstardom, much like Evolution did for Orton (and Batista) beforehand. I can't see any evidence of that having happened with either of those two, particularly Dibiase. As a face he grew stale WAY too quickly. As a heel he just hasn't been able to convince the audience.

As for Rhodes, I do believe "dashing" is an overall good gimmick as I said in my prior post. The thing is, is it enough though? As with Dibiase Jr., Legacy was supposed to propel Rhodes into a big time heel role after being a forgettable face. It's hard to argue that this has actually happened in any real capacity. He was dropped down to the B-show where he really hasn't done anything of note, save for a series of very convincing vignettes and supporting promos that helped get the character over.

As for the broken nose, I guess that's an area where I was mistaken. Based on the dirt sheets, I was under the impression that it was legit, he took his ball, and went home for a few weeks. Admittedly, I didn't see the match where it occured, so I had no first-hand indicator that it might've been a work to put over a feud with Mysterio. If Creative can run with this and Rhodes can shine, it may be the single storyline that solidifies the Dashing character. Still... Rhodes has had a few chances to "get over" already and it just hasn't happened. In my opinion, overall he's not in a much better position than Dibiase at this point in time. The potential for a cut is there, but it could certainly go either way. His return and feud with Rey will probably go a long way in determining exactly how much staying power Rhodes ultimately has.
 
Khali isn't going to be released seeing as he's HUGE in India.

Dibiase is where Swagger was a year ago, he could bloom after WM, you never know.

Mark Henry is on great terms with WWE and gets a solid reaction.

As to who I see actually being released...

The Uso Brothers, they don't do anything
Tyson Kidd, he reminds me of The Brian Kendrick
Vance Archer, when was the last time he was used?
Michael Tarver, same
Darren Young, who?

And this year's surprise release (there's always one)...

Hornswoggle. He hasn't been used as much lately, and doesn't sell as much. His time is unfortunately up.
 
As for Ted Dibiase Jr... after three failed gimmick attempts, one of which included a direct capitalization on his fathers greatness, not to mention getting "beat up" by Lawler... where exactly can he go from there? The Legacy association with Orton was supposed to propel TD Jr. (as well as Rhodes) into superstardom, much like Evolution did for Orton (and Batista) beforehand. I can't see any evidence of that having happened with either of those two, particularly Dibiase. As a face he grew stale WAY too quickly. As a heel he just hasn't been able to convince the audience.

As for Rhodes, I do believe "dashing" is an overall good gimmick as I said in my prior post. The thing is, is it enough though? As with Dibiase Jr., Legacy was supposed to propel Rhodes into a big time heel role after being a forgettable face. It's hard to argue that this has actually happened in any real capacity. He was dropped down to the B-show where he really hasn't done anything of note, save for a series of very convincing vignettes and supporting promos that helped get the character over.

As for the broken nose, I guess that's an area where I was mistaken. Based on the dirt sheets, I was under the impression that it was legit, he took his ball, and went home for a few weeks. Admittedly, I didn't see the match where it occured, so I had no first-hand indicator that it might've been a work to put over a feud with Mysterio. If Creative can run with this and Rhodes can shine, it may be the single storyline that solidifies the Dashing character. Still... Rhodes has had a few chances to "get over" already and it just hasn't happened. In my opinion, overall he's not in a much better position than Dibiase at this point in time. The potential for a cut is there, but it could certainly go either way. His return and feud with Rey will probably go a long way in determining exactly how much staying power Rhodes ultimately has.

You seem to forget who Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase ARE. They're the sons of the friggin Million Dollar Man and the American Dream! Even if they were absolute crap, they'd still be kept around because not only are their father's LEGENDS, but they're so young at this point in their lives that they could change at any moment.

And come on, why do they have to have done something of note at this point? Legacy hasn't even been "Officially" split up for a full year! Cody went to Smackdown and developed one of the best personas I've seen in quite a while, and would be much higher up the card if the WWE wasn't Nexus/Corre for the past 6...7...8 months!

Ted DiBiase is even more lost in the shuffle than Rhodes is. Unless you're the Miz, getting over as a heel during all this Nexus shit is damn near impossible simply because no matter what you do, it's heavily overshadowed by the Nexus storyline, and often times that one angle will take up an entire show! I enjoy his losing streak storyline, and expect him to grow into one of WWE's top heels in a few years. I see more in this guy than I do any other performer of the youth movement, simply because of his similarities to Randy Orton. Ted is going to be huge one day. Just wait and see.
 
Just wanted to say that there is no way that chavo will be released. he still has the guerrero name, and vickie is a huge asset for the heat she gets, the wwe wouldnt want to piss her off by firing her family.
 
As far as I'm concerned, the WWE has far too many lower card performers who offer no entertainment. Creative seems to spend the majority of it's time focusing on the main players and so the rest of the rosters lack any ingenuity.

Curt Hawkins, Trent Barreta, DH Smith etc are just names with no gimmick or unique feature.

Back in the day, even guys who were nowhere near the top of the roster could entertain and warm up the crowd for the big matches (thinking off the top of my head of guys like the godfather)

I can see a huge trimming of the roster soon, especially with some of the up and coming talent, with signings such as mistico.

the only thing which I think may save some of the current lower performers is the fact that the current main event guys (HHH, Undertaker, Big show, Edge, Mysterio, Kane) are all reaching the twilight of their careers, but even so, major character changes are needed if any of these guys wish to step up.
 
the superstars who i think are getting released are:
Darren Young-Isn't doing anthing right now and in my opinion isn't very good anyways
Goldust-He really doesn't have much left to do now
Great Khali-He can't wrestle and is boring do i need anymore of a reason
The Usos-They are boring wrestlers.
Primo-He just isn't good without Carlito
Chavo Guerrero-If WWE would use him right he wouldn't be on this list
JTG-Boring and has terrible character
Trent Berreta-Also Boring
 
You seem to forget who Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase ARE. They're the sons of the friggin Million Dollar Man and the American Dream! Even if they were absolute crap, they'd still be kept around because not only are their father's LEGENDS, but they're so young at this point in their lives that they could change at any moment.

Tell that to Manu and Sim Snuka.

As for this year's releases, i can see:

Zack Ryder (no matter how much some people may love him)
Curt Hawkins
Yoshi Tatsu
Darren Young
Tyson Kidd (when you get AA'd by Hornswoggle during the Rumble, you know creative don't have anything for you)
Primo
JTG
BOTH the Uso's.
Matt Striker

These are the people who either haven't been on either main brand in god knows how long, or if they have, they've purely been used as fodder for guys with an actual future.

As for Striker he got bumped down significantly lately, and is said to be in Vince's bad books for whatever reason.

And Mark Henry ISN'T going to get released. He signed a new several year deal not too long ago, so you're likely to have to put up him with a while longer.

If he hasn't been released now when he's at his lowest level of relevance to the company, then he isn't going to get released anytime soon over the guys i've mentioned above.

I mean how long did they wait to get rid of Hardcore Holly despite being a waste of space his entire career?

Another one that just came to mind is Maryse. The girl's done literally nothing since hooking up with Ted, and apparently creative don't think she's helping him get over in the slightest, so i can see her getting the axe as well.
 

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