NXT Cuts - 4/30

[Thriller Ant]

I put the date in there just in case this is only the beginning. 4 names were released from NXT, according to the article on the main page.

Mason Ryan - He had a cup of coffee on the main roster, but had nothing going for him besides his look.

Raquel Diaz - The daughter of Eddie and Vickie Guerrero had just returned not too long ago from choosing to leave NXT/FCW herself. I haven't seen her work since she was never on NXT TV, but I've heard nothing but good things. This one surprised me.

Oliver Grey - This one also surprised me. He just returned to NXT TV a week or two ago after being sidelined for nearly a year with a major knee injury. He seemed talented and, along with Adrian Neville, was an original NXT Tag Team Champion.

Danny Burch - He was just a jobber on NXT, but seemed to be capable. Don't know enough about him to comment.

Here's the news story, for those who care: http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/473299-wwe-releases-4-nxt-talents

 

[closet_fan]

Ryan doesn't surprise me. Many were hoping he'd be the next Batista, but he just didn't have the "it" factor. If he had been decent on the mic, he would have had a good chance. I'm sure Vince and HHH were hoping he'd improve since his original main roster run. He has the look that those guys love.

 

[three count bout]

Diaz had just been repackaged so this is a little surprising. She left once so perhaps the door is always open but I really wanted a chance to see what she could bring to the table.

Ryan was in limbo so I'm not entirely shocked, he had the "look" but WWE seemed soured after his Main Roster run and barely did anything with him in NXT.

This just shows they have a lot of talent in the pipeline and are willing to trim the fat.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I read about it just now. I was a little surprised about one or two of the releases.

Mason Ryan looks like he's slimmed down since he was on the main roster. He's still a muscular hulk, but he doesn't seem to be nearly as bulky as he was during his brief sting on the main roster.

Raquel Diaz, AKA Shaul Guerrero, strikes me as a young woman that either doesn't know what she wants or has been trying different things. She asked for her release in September 2012 from NXT and left Orlando. I don't know what she was into during that time, but she came back a year later and signed another deal. She's also a singer & model, so I'm guessing, and that's all it is, that she wanted to pursue one or both of those avenues in a more professional way, had no success in breaking in and decided to return to wrestling.

I don't believe I'd ever heard of Danny Burch but, based on what I've read about him, he was pretty much an NXT jobber.

Oliver Grey was a bit of a surprise given that he was one half of the inaugural NXT Tag Team Champions. He's been on the shelf due to a torn ACL for about a year, he's only 27years old, he's 6'2'', weighs about 220-225 pounds and has a generally good look about him. Maybe he's really, really lost several steps since he was injured and just can't deliver in the ring anymore.

According to PWTorch.com, Sarah Backman is also gone from NXT after requesting to be released from her contract. She's Swedish, 23 years old and is apparently a huge name in the arm wrestling world where she's one 8 World Championships, 11 European Championships and 11 Swedish Championships. There's nothing mentioned as to why she was granted her release but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's revealed that she discovered that being a pro wrestler isn't nearly the easy money cake walk she figured it would be.

At any rate, not really a big loss for the NXT roster.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Those releases are for the most part do not seem like they are going to do a whole lot of damage to the roster. I will not miss Mason Ryan. I used to see potential in him but then realized I was wrong and that he is awful. He was living proof that it takes more than an intimidating appearance to become successful in WWE. He sucked on the mic, especially as a face, and he was even worse in the ring. So long, Mason! I don't know enough about Grey or Burch to comment much on them. The one that surprises me is Raquel Diaz. I had heard a lot of good things about her such as being the daughter of Eddie and it would have been cool to see her work with other descendants of legends like Natalya or Charlotte.