Tommy Dreamer Reportedly Requests WWE Release

[Turd Ferguson]

MODERATOR COMMENTS (Lord Sidious)


UPDATE

Tommy Dreamer has been confirmed by Mickie James to have worked his last day with WWE and is now gone. Please carry all discussion on Dreamer into the WWE Future Endeavored Thread as he is no longer an active talent for WWE.

http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?p=1612845


Thank you.

Goddammit

The following comes from PWInsider:

PWInsider.com has heard from numerous WWE sources that the last standing ECW Original, Tommy Dreamer, is apparently departing World Wrestling Entertainment.

The word began making its way among the talent at last night's Smackdown/ECW taping that Dreamer (who had just signed a new deal this past summer) has requested a release from the company.

Dreamer, who has been with the company since July 2001 working a number of different responsibilities at times beyond wrestling, did work last night's ECW taping, facing Zack Ryder.

We are working to confirm the story, but have heard it from enough sources that we wanted to make note of it.

This sucks, but it was coming with him sort of disappearing after he lost the ECW Title back to Christian. Tommy's been a favorite of mine since the mid 90s, and I've always enjoyed his ring work. In addition to being a terrific brawler, he's also got some real damn good wrestling ability and from everything I've read about him, he's a genuinely nice guy who loves the fans, always having time for them. I'm really surprised that he's not taking another backstage job with the company at the very least.

I sort of hope he doesn't go to TNA, only because he'd probably get lost in the mix or wind up playing a supporting role to Raven and Dr. Stevie. With him being under WWE contract for quite some time, not only as a performer but behind the scenes as well, I hope he can retire peacefully with Beulah and his kids. If anyone's been smart with their money over these years, I would have to think that Dreamer is one of the smart ones.

But still, it's a real shame to see him go. He's always been underappreciated for most of his career despite being one of the hardest workers on the roster. At least he got to have a run with the ECW Title this year, which was one of my favorite storylines.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Who knows, maybe he won't leave after all. Wasn't he suppose to leave earlier this year and he signed a new contract? Then he became the ECW Champion. It was nice to see, but the ECW title has been tarnished so much in the past, that even Christian and Tommy Dreamer can't make it relevant again.

I think it's good that Dreamer does leave, because I think personally he could be used better in TNA. Dreamer hasn't been on television that much and he is usually a jobber. I think Dreamer wants to be an active competitor once again. If that's true, then Vince can finally get their wish and terminated all the ECW Originals.

I would like to see Dreamer be involved with elevating the young talent in TNA or even a hardcore stable with Foley and Abyss. He could even ignite his old feud with Raven. There isn't really much he can do in WWE anymore, unless he is an agent backstage. He has been in WWE long enough IMO.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Good. It's long overdue.

Look around you, Tommy! Notice anyone from the "real" ECW left? You're the only fool who didn't move on when your respect was still on the line. Instead, you chose to work for Vince, and ended up jobbing out a major portion of the end of your career. Wise selection, friend. I'm sure the extra ten grand (or whatever the bonus was for sticking around) was really worth the humiliation of carrying around that repugnant hunk of recycled steel they call a championship, eh?

This is numerous years too late.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Tommy Dreamer has been a nonfactor for me since.....well I guess Dreamer has never been a factor for me as far as wrestling goes. All the old ECW marks will probably be spraying their shorts if he winds up going to TNA and hooks up with all the old ECW guys.

Once upon a time, Tommy Dreamer was someone that commanded a certain degree of respect due to his passion for the business and for what he helped accomplish in ECW. However, Dreamer stayed in the WWE when all the other old ECW guys went away when they realized that ECW was alive in name only. Dreamer chose financial and job security and, on one hand, I can't say I blame him for that. The guy's gotta family and real life responsibilities so I can't blame him for considering them above the whims of wrestling fans which have been known to sometimes change like the wind.

As of now, however, any legacy that Dreamer may have once had is all but gone. The guy spent most of his career in the WWE as a jobber that came from a once prominent wrestling background and fame. However, I think a lot of that has been erased.

 

[Ty Burna]

So wait, because Tommy has been a loyal company man to the WWE ever since ECW died (which by the way he was very loyal to them as well), he's getting bashed because of this? He didn't cause any problems backstage or drew the ire of any of the higher ups like Sandman, Sabu, etc. did, but he should leave just because WWE's version of ECW isn't the old ECW anymore? What the fuck? Honestly, the man quietly went about his business, gained his paycheck, and that's about it. When he wont he ECW title, it was a feel good moment, even to the newer fans who hadn't a clue the kind of blood sweat and tears Tommy has put into this business.

And that's the ultimate thing, Tommy has such a huge passion for wrestling, that he stuck around, did whatever was necessary backstage and in the ring to better the business and to help young guys out. He's put a lot of work in during his time in the WWE, however most of it wasn't seen by the fans. It's a shame that his hard work backstage won't be recognized.

If/When Tommy does leave the WWE, I could see him going to TNA, but I'd rather he not. He won't fit in there unless he becomes an agent backstage and continues doing work of that nature. Otherwise he may be able to go back to his hardcore roots with matches against other ECW Alumni Raven and Stevie. I wouldn't mind seeing one more epic hardcore battle between Raven and Tommy, even if they're both out of their primes. What I think may happen is Tommy has enough money saved up and taken care of to the point he can do projects he would otherwise never have time for. He may take an approach like RVD and do sporadic appearances here and there for different promotions.

I am a Tommy Dreamer mark, I will admit it proudly. He wasn't athletically gifted but he was like your average every day person, and that really is inspirational to me that an average person could do the things he did. He adapted by adding a few more technical elements to his otherwise brawling style.

Best of luck to you Tommy, you deserve a break.

 

[King Douche]

If Tommy goes to TNA I do not mind, as long as he is a midcarder atleast and becomes Legend Champion. He can still put over the young talent and be apart of good, maybe classic matches aswell. If not then Dreamer could just retire and sit back and chill the rest of his life. He deserved it since he worked so hard for over a decade now. But I would not mind Dreamer going to TNA. Might actually be interesting and fun to see on TNA Impact and how the fans treat him and TNA.

 

[MoneyMack]

I agree with Ty, above me. Just cuz the guy didnt do what YOU wanted him to do at the time, doesnt mean he didnt bust his ASS for this business! No matter what organization it was for.

Im actually suprised by this tho- cuz I thought he had jobs behind the scenes also. I assumed that after Tommy was done "on-air" he would just move onto things "backstage". But that apparently is no longer the case.

Which has me thinking: I read earlier today that one Paul Heyman is the free-agent that TNA is after the hardest. Now: I dont know what Heymans relationships with Hogan & Bichoff are like...so I could be totally wrong here. What if Paul has decided to "go for it" one more time? Paul calls RVD- tells him what he wants to do (storyline-wise) & RVD agrees. Paul then calls Tommy & tells him "the plans" & Tommy goes for it too.

Bringing in Heyman would be huge for TNA if you ask me. Altho- I dont see it being plausible. But if he does: it cant be just to renite all the ECW Originals. It may work at teh start, but not too long, I wouldnt think. But Heymans wrestling mind is 2nd to none in my opinion.

Sad to see you leave Tommy. You've busted your ass for this business. If wanting to be home with your wife & kids is the reason your leaving....then so be it.

 

[X]

Yeah I read this earlier today at another forum I frequent, and I'm not shocked in the slightest bit by this. The WWE has basically been toying with Dreamer all year long. He was about to leave the company in the middle of the year, probably because he was sick of jobbing to every new asshole out of FCW, and what does the WWE do? Why they get his hopes up by pushing him, giving him a World Title and keeping him around the main event scene in ECW just long enough to resign him. And as soon as they resigned him, what do they do? Why send him right back to jobbing to every fucking person on the roster of course! That's just such a dickish move by the WWE, and one I don't understand. It's like, they don't want Dreamer, but they don't want anyone else to have him either. They'd rather just have him waste away and lose to whatever bland babyface that's coming up out of FCW this week. I imagine Dreamer finally realized he has no future in the company and decided he was sick of traveling around the globe to lose all the time.

Whatever makes Dreamer happy, that's what I'm for. So if he'll be happier out of the WWE, more power to him and I hope he gets his release. I was thinking about a TNA run for him the other day and I think that would be very, very interesting to see if it were to happen. I'd absolutely love to see a Raven-Dreamer feud again after all these years, that would make my inner mark orgasm all over the place.

 

[klunderbunker]

This isn't shocking. Dreamer had one goal in his WWE run: win the ECW Title again. He did that and he held it for a month or two. What more could he do? Honestly, he would be nothing more than a jobber anymore and after winning the title he can go off into the sunset and be forgotten like he apparently wants to be. Dreamer was never going to be a top star in the company and if the ECW Brand is going away, Dreamer will be gone soon enough anyway, so here he gets to go out on his own terms. He seems like he's one of the truly nice guys in wrestling, so I'm fine with this. Happy trails Tommy. I hope everything goes well with whatever you do.

 

[johnbragg]

I understand that Dreamer was great in ECW, because I can read wikipedia.

But I've never seen him as much of a performer in WWE. He's a guy that ate hair. And he used to be the heart and soul of ECW. That's his resume in WWE, pretty much. He's been around WWE since the Invasion, that's eight and a half years now. He's retiring, and I guess not becoming a road agent. There are a lot of guys we figured would become backstage guys--Billy Gunn, Bill DeMott, Al Snow, Lance Storm, maybe Val Venis.

On a human level, I wish him the best and everything, and hope he didn't pick up too much brain damage in the 1990s, but he never got my attention past the Hardcore Holly/Steven Richards/William Regal/Finlay veteran-jobber spot. (Finlay and Regal have had runs where they were more than that, and I know Richards has ECW history too and is playing out the string in TNA, but I just don't care. Wait--I liked Richards' run as self-proclaimed GM of Heat)

 

[AGS123]

Its a sad thought but I dont think hes going to TNA. I think the man is tired and wants to have time off, for good. It may be a bit much for him to go to TNA. I would love to see it, but I truely belive that he isn't up to it.
Heres for the most, if not one of the most, hardcore wrestler on the face of wrestling. May Dreamer live in respect and accomplishment for the rest of his life. We will truely miss him.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

I don't care if the man goes to TNA or not. He is absolutely useless in the WWE. He had his time in WWE. He isn't over a lick because WWE alienated the ECW audience by not giving them "ECW" actually back. So essentially, all we have left is a man who is thrown to a bunch of fans not really familiar with the old ECW ... are told to cheer for him and that he is an "ECW Original", which they aren't really familiar with, to begin with.

And people wonder why he isn't over a lick?

Wrong audience for Tommy Dreamer. This release is a good thing, because he isn't accomplishing anything in WWE, and the fans seem like they could care less.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Ever since his "If I don't win the ECW title again I'll retire" storyline, I figured something like this would happen soon. Dreamer's awesome and all.... but he accomplished his goal of holding the ECW title and has put over a lot of guys. If he feels like it's time to call it quits, then that's fine. He's had a decent run and I'll miss his character because ECW is nothing like the original and it will have zero reasons to have that name anymore without Dreamer.

I don't think he'll go to TNA, there wouldn't be much for him to do there because the roster is already too big for one show. I wish him the best though because he was one of my favorites even though he jobbed by choice for so long.