Which superstars do you feel WWE shouldn't have released?

[bulldog76]

The WWE has royally screwed themselves with letting guys go via release. All they do is give them media/tv exposure and then release them. Once they get released (If they havent already been to TNA) they go there and draw more media attention to TNA...Totally hurting the WWE fanbase. Yes they have up and comers such as Legacy and the Hardy's and other young talent, but would it really hurt the WWE THAT much to have 3 solid shows? Spread your young talent out equally. But again..what do i know?

I have no problem with the guys you mentioned. But who other than Angle has benefitted for more than 5 minutes by going to TNA? I guess Matt Morgan is doing okay. But Foley, Rhino, Dudleyz, New Age Outlaws, Scott Steiner, Test, Christian... these guys saw initial pushes and then fell quickly off of the main-event map. Even Jeff Hardy saw the grass is greener on Vince's side of the fence. Matt never signed with TNA. Christian apparently felt it better to be mid-carder in WWE than upper mid-carder/former world champ in TNA. Some have faltered for different reasons than others. TNA is still running consistently in the 1's if Im not mistaken. WWE has had reasons for letting most go that quite frankly, I probably would have done the same. There are a few that shocked me because I didn't get why but overall, these guys asked to be let go, didnt follow policy, or just didnt fit what they were trying to accomplish.

 

[rolltide_pisco]

There's a good list of people they shoulda never let go.

1. Christian (before he left for TNA) that guy was on a major role in his career and the fans were turning him face before they killed him and sent him to Smackdown.

2. Muhammad Hassan- they could have done wonders with that guy. Personally they fucked him over bad and this really pisses me off. Mark could have been the heel Sgt. Slaughter of his day with the whole war in Afghanistan/Iraq and he's a sympathizer. Would you not pay money to see him get his ass kicked? Another main eventer wasted because they wanted him on Smackdown (the career killer show) and they do a terrorist angle that pisses parents and the network. Well no fucking shit WWE, your program is on UPN, WB or whatever the fuck it is now, where they run TV-G rating shows all day long. What do they do? Instead of apologizing for it, they just say, "Hey we're letting you go and we're gonna let Taker kill you at the ppv" nice one guys

Booker T- a great guy with a obnoxious heel gimmick "king bookaaaa" and how fitting, they use him for Triple H's 457th comeback from tearing his quad and he squashes Booker at Summerslam.


Note to WWE: If you don't want your talent to quit and go to TNA, if they're hot don't send them to Smackdown or that Tuesday show.

 

[Scott Free]

Obviously, Burke, but also most of the New Breed, Thorne had something, Monty Brown had it too, they kept Striker, but not as a wrestler. They built up the New Breed as the future of pro wrestling, then dropped them. If you listen to Kevin Thorne's shoot interview, between the lines you can understand that politics had more to do with that than talent or popularity, and it's a shame.

 

[kenvin100]

There's a good list of people they shoulda never let go.

1. Christian (before he left for TNA) that guy was on a major role in his career and the fans were turning him face before they killed him and sent him to Smackdown.

2. Muhammad Hassan- they could have done wonders with that guy. Personally they fucked him over bad and this really pisses me off. Mark could have been the heel Sgt. Slaughter of his day with the whole war in Afghanistan/Iraq and he's a sympathizer. Would you not pay money to see him get his ass kicked? Another main eventer wasted because they wanted him on Smackdown (the career killer show) and they do a terrorist angle that pisses parents and the network. Well no fucking shit WWE, your program is on UPN, WB or whatever the fuck it is now, where they run TV-G rating shows all day long. What do they do? Instead of apologizing for it, they just say, "Hey we're letting you go and we're gonna let Taker kill you at the ppv" nice one guys

Booker T- a great guy with a obnoxious heel gimmick "king bookaaaa" and how fitting, they use him for Triple H's 457th comeback from tearing his quad and he squashes Booker at Summerslam.


Note to WWE: If you don't want your talent to quit and go to TNA, if they're hot don't send them to Smackdown or that Tuesday show.

I do agree with Hassan, honestly it was WWEs idea to create a guy like this, and it was another example of wasting talent. It was incredibly stupid to create this gimmick, especially at the time! (If you really think about it, its also another way to waste Divari..I wasnt a big fan of him but they could've used him a little better too!)

I was incredibly suprised when Burke was released, completely shocked to be honest. They keep guys like Hornswoggle, and the Bella twins, but they release Burke! Gimme a break! I hope Burke finds success and I hope WWE bites their cheeks once he becomes main event material!

 

[Saeros]

Hassan is a definate yes

Rhyno - great build, he needed to be pushed as he was when he came in. Just goring the crap out of everyone in sight.

Paul London - Great athlete, could of easily been a new hardy boy type character

Sean O'Haire - Great look, better in the ring than most big men, agile, and an overall badass, his fault was he came from WCW power plant, and he was going to be big in WCW, so Vince just didnt want it.

i also agree with someone who said Nathan Jones

Molly Holly - Best female wrestler ive ever seen.

Kevin Thorn - Has Charisma, Has the look, Has Good ring skills for a big man. Just needed to be given the right character. Can someone tell me why Mordecai was taken off TV after a month and a half? All ive heard is a load of bollocks that he wasnt getting over with fans....But what does anyone expect after a month of fueds against Hardcore Holly and beating up cruiserweights. Have him destroy the Undertaker and then tell me he wouldnt of gotten over.

Mexicools - wasted wasted wasted. Perfect tag team combo until they split them up. Sent Psicosis packing and Super Crazy got fat. Nice move E

 

[itbewilly]

Hassan hands down.I've said it before and ill say it here too.Hassan was a victim of circumstance and bad writing.The set up with the masked men and Taker was a little too soon and probably a little less thought out and with the attack that happened around that taping the WWE got too much pressure from the network Smackdown was on to remove the character.Rather then risk having the same issue happen again on Raw or totally dropping Hassan and making a new character i think they took the cowardly way out and just released him.

Angle was released because he refused help for what they thought was a potentially fatal drug addiction.They didnt drop the ball here.Angle if anything should have taken time off and came back when his priorities were clear but instead he just went to TNA like Booker T who also left after Drug related issues.

There is one other guy who comes to mind that i think had potential but also fell victim to circumstance and timing.It was the character that looks and wrestled a lot like Beniot style and appearance wise.I cant for the life of me remember his name now but he truthfully looked promising.Gunner Scott was his name.Guy had a good technical ability and a great physique.Anyways im leaning more to Hassan but the one i just mentioned could have had a great run as I.c or U.s champ if not for being released for being too much like Beniot

 

[latinoheat8979]

I wish they wouldn't have released Marty Jannetty. After reforming the Rockers with HBK against La Resistance on Raw, he had a great match against Kurt Angle on SD. I'm sure had they not let him go he would be in the mid card on SD or Raw and quite possibly reteaming with HBK again or having a program with him.

 

[Savage1]

I am gonna agree and say Muhammad Hassan, Matt Morgan, Sean O'Haire and I'm going out on limb and will probably catch heat for this but I gotta say Nathan Jones. I know that Jones had that legal issue with saying something about a bomb in an airport or some shit and he wasnt the greatest technically but he definitely had a huge upside and great look. I think they give up on guys too early sometimes and miss out on some potential big future talent.

Now what exactly was the final reason they let Hassan go? I heard it was something to do with the terrorist aspects of his gimmick but what was the official reason? Can someone fill me in cuz that guy was gonna be a great heel.

Sean O'Haire was an athletic guy with a good look and build. He is another guy with a huge upside who got fucked, probably cuz he was a WCW guy. He got his start with WCW at the power plant and was gonna be a big name over there and we all know how Vince is when it comes to guys he didnt create! He was around 6'6" or so and was built like a brick shit house. He had legitimate MMA skills and good in ring work. I was excited about this guy but like many others he never got the attention and push he deserved and needed to propel him to the next level.

I think Matt Morgan is one of the better big guys in the biz right now and I am actually one of the people who like solid technical wrestling over a big guy with the muscular look and brawling style but I do think its important to have a good balance of styles on the roster. With Taker closing in on retirement and Kane being a mid-carder and Big Show just sucking and being so boring, there is a lack of talented big guys in WWE. I would love to see them bring Morgan back to add depth.

 

[BeansOnToastUK]

I thought Mohammed Hassan left the WWE to pursue an acting acreer, i didn't realised he was released?

Same for Nathan Jones... I thought he left the WWE due to the demands of travelling on the road all the time?

Can anybody clear up what actually happened with these guys?

 

[kenvin100]

According to wiki:

Copani was quoted as being eager to pursue a career in acting and is currently a writer with Writers Guild of America. Copani has no intention to return to Professional Wrestling.

The main reason was fan backlash against his gimmick. Honestly, if he had a better gimmick, I wouldnt be too suprised if he became World Champion at this point, cause he had talent!

I always wondered why Orlando Jordan was released, I thought he had he great when he trained with the Undertaker. Its too bad he joined JBLs stable, cause I think thas where we saw Orlando in a weaker form..I dont think we can compare him to Hassan, but he was a decent performer!

 

[ericnb64]

Hassan and Burke no doubt about it. 2 good heels with in ring ability and good mic skills. Also I might catch some heat for this but whatever happened to Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak? I remeber them working with Kurt Angle, but i dont remember what happened to them. They were kind of building up Luther as a decent heel and before WM 21 he fueded with both Eddie Guerrero and The Undertaker and then after WM 21 i dont remember either of them at all.

 

[Black Snow]

Definitely Elijah Burke. I look at a guy like Shelton Benjamin who has all the atheticism in the world but he lacks the mic work and the look needed to get a massive push. It's clear the WWE would love to push him but without the mic work and the perfect look they're apprehensive to do so.

They had Burke who had almost the same level of skills as Benjamin BUT he also had the mic work and a great look. So instead of pushing him they just ignored him and finally gave him a quiet release.

It boogles my mind when the WWE has a perfect, sure fire talent and creative just says that they have nothing for him and he's gone.

 

[PysChoViSiOuS]

I dont think Hassan or Nathan Jones should be mentioned, they both requested to be let go. Neither one were just released, Nathan Jones didnt like being on the road so much and Hassan deceided he'd rather pursue acting. As far as releases that disagree with would be The Dudley Boys just because they have so much history and are arguably the greatest tag team of all time and I kinda wish they would have given Kevin Throne and Kizarny a little more time. I thought Kevin Throne was decent and I didnt really even have time to figure out if I liked Kizarny but the one match I saw of his wasnt that bad at all

 

[kenvin100]

I dont think Hassan or Nathan Jones should be mentioned, they both requested to be let go. Neither one were just released, Nathan Jones didnt like being on the road so much and Hassan deceided he'd rather pursue acting. As far as releases that disagree with would be The Dudley Boys just because they have so much history and are arguably the greatest tag team of all time and I kinda wish they would have given Kevin Throne and Kizarny a little more time. I thought Kevin Throne was decent and I didnt really even have time to figure out if I liked Kizarny but the one match I saw of his wasnt that bad at all

I dont think you really studied the character of Hassan properly. His character basically supported Terrorism, and it was an incredible bad time to do it, especially days after trains blew up in London, and the smackdown show was in London! This is the defining point that ruined Hassan's career..you may be right about him wanthing to act, who doesnt..i mean everyone sees the rock doing it and their like.."damn i can do that, I wrestle too" lol but jokes aside this is the true reason why Taker decimated Hassan to a bloody Pulp at GAB, and the GM of SD (theodore long) told him to get the hell outta here..I watched too much wrestling back then =P

 

[itbewilly]

If a company i worked so hard and risked ruining the rest of my life for totally dicked( and by dicked i mean left hanging for those that dont know) me like WWE did Hassan i would have left to pursue other options too.The issue wasn't that he was a bad wrestler.It was after all the time they put into pushing him as a top heel and giving him that middle eastern terrorist gimmick if you will they turned around and under the pressure of UPN(Smackdowns network who no longer wanted Hassan featured on the show)buckled and ended the character.

Sure the guy could have went back to square 1 and repacked himself but would any of you?If i played a certain character like that that was over the top and then something like that went down and they totally let me take the fall for it i wouldn't waste any more time with that company either.Not to mention how some of the crazy fans might have actually taken his character seriously and sent him death threats and what not for the role he played.They did Slaughter back when he was feuding with Hogan and even went as far as burning a flag during his Iraqi Sympathizer gimmick or whatever it was.

The only one i blame for Hassan not being a main event wrestler today is creative for first writing those insane scenarios then totally letting him take the fall for what they created.I hope he does well in acting and that role they made him play doesn't give others a negative image of him.After all it was all WWE creative who made that stupid Taker attack plot.Who knows maybe well see him join TNA or something in the future.He honestly deserve a chance to become big in the business as he was full of talent both in ring and on the mic.

Just my opinion

 

[Pimpin]

My 2 obvious choices are Muhammad Hassan & Elijah Burke.

Muhammad Hassan: Hassan was built up pretty nicely & from my knowledge he was all set to defeat Undertaker at GAB & also defeat Batista at SS the following month for the World Heavyweight Championship but unfortunately Hassan had to take all the blame for that controversial storyline that creative came up with & that pretty much signaled the end of the Hassan character.

Elijah Burke: Burke is like Shelton Benjamin but with actual mic skills. WWE totally ignored him after the New Breed storyline. Sure he was on TV every now & then but Burke definitely deserved better than the bullshit that he got. His in-ring skills are either just as good or just a bit below Benjamin's & his mic skills were fantastic. I hope we see Burke in TNA cause he deserves a chance to shine as he was just a great all around talent.

 

[JGalaxtic]

Im really glad to read that people are supporters of Burke - we all know that he had the right stuff, and for some bizzare reason WWE didn't pay attention to it. I was super excited when he got the push and lead the New Breed (not to mention they totally screwed up with the members from there as well). I thought for sure they were gonna give him the ECW Title soon after but no - he was tooken off tv and after awhile of waiting - he was just released - complete garbage! I wouldn't be surprised to see Burke back in the WWE in the future - as for now though, it seems TNA is his best bet.

and of course I gotta agree with lots in this thread about Big Daddy V - hands down his best gimmick given to him - his tattoos and his raw power - damn! could of had a genius ECW title run - or could of even destroyed the tag team divison with Mark Henry - remember they teamed them up against Kane & CM Punk? I thought they were gonna work something out of that - but heuhhh! WWE drops the ball as always. I mean Big Daddy V won the king of the ring as Mable - you'd think they'd keep around a guy like that. They have Hacksaw still running around - the first winner of the Royal Rumble, and I bet its because of that - that they keep him around.

 

[JuviJuiceIsLoose]

Elijah Burke- He was amazing on the mic, and great in the ring. He even got Vince's approval during the whole "New Breed" angle. I don't know WHAT the fuck happened!!!

Shannon Moore- I thought he was a great high flyer. I thought if they brought him back together with Helms, they could've been a really good tag team in the WWE. It's a shame he never really found a home after WCW closed down. He was constantly bouncing between WWE and TNA. Now, he doesn't really have a home at all.

Paul London- This guy was an amazing athlete. He and Kendrick made a great team. Now, I kinda think the WWE released the wrong member of that team. I'm not a fan of "The" Brian Kendrick

Kid Kash- The Matches he and Jamie Noble had against Londrick were great. I thought the Pitbulls was a really cool gimmick to bring back with the dog collars and whatnot.

Juventud Guerrera and Psychosis- OBVIOUSLY from my screen name, I'm a big Juvi fan. He, Psychosis, and Super Crazy were a great unit. Even though they're gimmick was filled with sterotypes. What wrestling gimmick ISN'T? Even though Juvi was an ass backstage, he was great in the ring.

I think the thing that links all these guys together is they're cruiserweights, and Vince loves big guys. These guys didn't really have a chance.

 

[Jersey Wannabe]

Sean Ohaire- This was a big guy that could move, he was just filled with Raw potential.
And his Im not telling you anything you dont already know character was awesome.
The dude just looked EVIL.

Burke is amazing and kind of gave an apollo creed type feel.
The loud mouthed black dude who could back it up.

Brian Christopher, I was always of fan of his back in the USWA and i think he could have been a decent IC champion.

 

[Doctor_What]

Sean O'Haire- He had the look of a top heel and had a great character. A Taker/O'Haire feud would have worked well.

Matt Morgan- I really think wwe drpped the ball I have always thought this guy could be a huge star but wwe gave him a stupid gimmick and released him. With the right gimmick and possibley a manager Morgan could have been another Lesnar.

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

Well, I guess now I can say Mr. Kennedy. The guy had a ton of potential and could have gone very far in the WWE. So what if he's too injury-prone. Injuries and sports, any sport and injuries go hand and hand. I really wished that WWE would have kept Kennedy around and hopefully he can make a return.

 

[Tenta]

Hmm.... I've said it before, and I'll say it again; I feel that the WWE's system for releasing people works very well, and that there's a reasoning behind why certain people do get released. It's not like these guys get released for no reason. The WWE has it's intentions for releasing wrestlers when they do, and 99.9 % of the time, it rarely bites them on the ass. Most of the time, because the wrestler usually would love to go back to WWE, and the WWE can sign them back whenever they want.

However, I'd have to go with Muhammed Hassan. I feel that he got released because of the whole sketch that creative came up with before the bombing incident. And any time that someone gets cut because creative fucks up, there's usually something that should be said for that wrestler. Alas, no one spoke up for Hassan, and he was released. He was a pretty good heel. I feel that much of his heat was cheap heat, but then again, he tapped the personality of a radical Middle East man very well. It actually shocked me when I learned that he was Italian,and had no ties to the Middle East whatsoever. He had good in ring stuff, and was able to work a good match with anyone. Not only that, but he was put into a main event feud with Taker. That should tell you how valued he was by WWE brass. It's somewhat shocking, actually. Usually, WWE brings anyone back. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, they never brought Mark Copani back. It wouldn't be that difficult to give him a different gimmick, and it wasn't like he was a very old man. It leads to wonder just exactly what did happen for him to receive his release.

 

[MyselfTheThird]

I totally agree that Hassan was definitely a bad release. Tons of potential and a bad storyline is a recipe for a wasted talent. Well done, WWE!

However, No one release pissed me off more than that of Paul London. My fave wrestler getting his moveset cut down and put on a lower card with an amateur background and twice the athleticism of at least half the main eventers? Something seems awry. But I like Kendrick a lot, I hope they use him better and find him a tag partner.

 

[Sean Valjean]

Elijah Burke: I wanted to strangle someone when I heard he was released. I loved this guy; he was basically a mix between Shelton and MVP. I thought he'd be pushed to the moon, especially after Vince personally endorsed him as the new face of ECW. His Elijah Express to Sabu through the table is still one of the sickest looking things I've ever seen.

Sean O'Haire: Not the best big man I've ever seen, but definitely one of the better ones. He had a really cool, creepy look/gimmick and his promos were awesome. He was worth investing time in.

Hade Vansen: Even though he never got to debut, the one promo I saw from him got my full attention and I couldn't wait to see what he'd be all about.

Paul London: A fantastic performer who could've been a great mid-card talent. I thought he'd join up with Jericho and Cade to form some Anti-HBK stable (since he and Cade trained at Michaels' school) but it was not to be. A wasted talent for sure.

Mr. Kennedy: I know, I know. He hurt his wrist and almost injured Orton, but couldn't they have cut him a LITTLE slack? The guy just got back after a nine-month absence, he's going to have some ring rust. He was pretty good in his last match, honestly. We all know he was a great talker and his ring skills were good enough. He could've been huge, but the WWE just ran out of patience with the guy.

 

[Kip The Fury]

Paul London - an all round good worker, could have been a solid mid card performer. Him and Brian Kendrick were a great tag team, whats Kendrick done since? Kendrick new gimmick really gets on my tits and the cocky cowardly heel is played much better by the Miz

Getting back on topic, Umaga - If it was a wellness policy issue then fair enough cant really argue but he was a good "big guy" and solid upper midcard talent. With the right feud he could have even been pushed back into the main event.

Kizarny - This guy was used wrong IMO, if they had cut the izzle speak out and made him a heel and debuted against a jobber like Jamie noble he could have developed into an interesting character. Wasn't given enough time IMO