WWE Officials Discussing Potential Talent Cuts

[Ellye]

I don't think that wrestlers that are regularly appearing on TV, even if just as jobbers, are in trouble, perhaps with just a few exceptions. So I'd say that Drew McIntyre is, thankfully, safe.
So is Jinder Mahal, Health Slater, Justin Gabriel and a few others that appear every now and then.

Guys like JTG and Evan Bourne are the ones that are most likely to be affected by this. Depending on how things are going backstage, this might be trouble for Brodus Clay too. Many of the Divas could probably be cut also.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

JTG needs to go, when was the last time he did anything of note. A complete waste of a wage slip in my opinion.

Heath Slater offers nothing, looks terrible and will never be anything other than a jobber, so again seeing him future endevoured is something I expect.

There are a few others like Darren Young, Aksana, and Jonny Curtis who are also a complete waste of space.

I would like to see DiBiase repackaged, rumours are McIntyre IS getting a new gimmick which is a good thing. I would also like to see something done with Tyson Kidd too, McGillicutty to make a TV return as Joe Henning (maybe team with DiBiase as the "Fortunate Sons" and maybe repackage Alex Riley as he seems to be going nowhere fast right now.

There is no way Khali will be released- even though he should be. He is too valuable a source of income in India. Same with Yoshi Tatsu- its always good to have a token Japanese wrestler on the roster for when WWE tour over there, why do you think Funaki was kept on so long? It's a shame, when there are so many more talented Japanese wrestlers out there.

 

[Nada]

Slater has to be cut, he serves no purpose and has absolutely no future, litterally none.

They are basically flushing money down the toilet by even paying him.

 

[tomthebodz]

Just as long as Drew McIntyre is not released I'll be happy. I've always been a big fan. I think he's been punished enough for the Tiffany debacle. He has a great ring presents and he shows great aggression in the ring. The Future Shock is a devastating finisher, one of the best in WWE. I wouldn't mind if he was taken off TV for a while so he can be re-packaged.

I'd get rid of 90% of NXT because it's just a waste of time, most the guys on that show don't feature else and well what happens on NXT stays on NXT. The whole concept of the programme has been forgotten, when was the last elimination.

I wouldn't want Gabriel to be released. I quite like him to be honest, he just doesn't seem to work well with bigger guys.

 

[#hamler]

Slater has to be cut, he serves no purpose and has absolutely no future, litterally none.

They are basically flushing money down the toilet by even paying him.

Except that he sells better than half of the roster.

So just about every undercarder has been mentioned in this thread; Superstars regulars if you will. While I do agree that some are pointless to keep, half the names in this thread are phenomenal jobbers so they should have a spot on the roster. For example, the guy above mentioned Heath Slater. He isn't much to look at and is really nothing to write home about, but he does do something better than most of the current WWE roster - sells like a motherfucker. He's great for his role as a jobber because you can pair him up with the likes of Mason Ryan, Brodus Clay, Ezekiel Jackson or whoever else the WWE wants to push and make them look like gold because he can sell so well. Jobbers within the WWE are needed, just like their undercard. Releasing Superstars with backstage problems are understandable but releasing a Superstar just because they aren't being regularly used on Raw or Smackdown isn't the answer.

There are a handful of guys who don't even job well. Jinder Mahal possesses nothing that should make the WWE want to keep him other than he's from a popular country. Even so, they have Khali for that. Jinder is the epitome of mediocre - there's no reason he should stay. Darren Young is shit, and can't even job well and has had his fair share of backstage problems. Evan Bourne had numerous of problems backstage and it's likely he just wants free from his contract. JTG is an excellent wrestler who is and a solid seller but brings absolutely nothing to the table that isn’t already there. It's not that these guys will be missed if their contracts are terminated, because no one will give two shits if they're gone, but jobbers are needed within the WWE no matter how low on the card they are.

 

[RatedDTM]

As for Repacking I assume Ziggler as he hasn't gotten over at all,

Do you even watch WWE!?

Dolph Ziggler may not have the push but he certainly has the reaction from the audience which is really all you need when your a heel!

His new Show Off character is dynamite, pull ups in the chamber and using his opponents to do sit-ups! Ziggler would be my choice to hold MITB this year, he at least is deserving of a WWE/World title run in 2012!

No way will he be repackaged or released!

 

[jrichardson25]

Instead of releasing the lower card... They honestly need to pair them up and put them as tag teams... That would get more guys onto the show each night. That could revive the tag team division but it won't happen apparently...

People that need to go:

JTG: Only reason why I say him is I haven't seen him in months. He's never on TV. He needs a tag team partner... Big Shad won't be back anytime soon...

Tyson Kidd: The guy is wasted talent right now. Let him go to Japan with his best friend Harry Smith and step up his game internationally. He's young and talented. He's being wasted.

Curt Hawkins: Unless he gets a partner soon or somehow reunites with Zack Ryder, I see nothing. Great worker and deserves better.

Tyler Reks: Dude was a beast... I've seen him 2-3 times in the past year. He could be a credible threat... won't happen apparently. Don't know who he pissed off...

Trent Baretta: This guy is a bit on the small side... They could launch an X-Division rival with this guy being the forefront with a few others (JTG, Kidd, Tatsu), they could steal the show... Cruiserweight rebirth?

Yoshi Tatsu: Again, a bit small but could be a pinnacle of a rebirth... so much talent... he's going down the road of Funaki and would be better off in Japan or somewhere else...

Mason Ryan: Dude's been MIA for a while. I know he's a big guy but he's still very green in the ring. A lot of moves look forced. Don't blame it on size... He needs to go back to FCW and pick up a few bits before he comes back. Then he needs a Goldberg-esque push. Give him the stick or a manager for flair (possible one of these other endangered superstars..)

Ranjin Singh: Works as a WWE writer... release him from his talent contract since he's been MIA for sometime...

Alex Riley: Got heat for something stupid is what I've read. So send him back to FCW. Get him more ring time to improve his game. Get him repackaged (slightly) push him back to the main roster, working up slowly.

Joe Hennig: Dude should get some international exposure while he's young. He needs work. Bring him back, bring the family legacy with him. Everyone knows it already. He doesn't want to tarnish the name... Not using it tarnishes it farther... Bad case of timing...

Great Khali: Dude will be around on his terms. He needs a mouthpiece and someone else to be with him. He needs to be strictly there for his size. He's not getting around real well so keeping him out of the ring is only the best for him... He won't get released... ever... too much stake in India.

Jinder Mahal: Same as Khali... too much at stake in India. The guy has the look and can talk. He needs to be paired with Khali again, but he needs a face turn. The angry Indian is not a good fit with this guy...

Ezekiel Jackson: I like the guy. He's very humble. He can bring it when it needs to be. He's a bit complacent on the roster. He needs to get more ring time. Do a slow burn with him (aka slow build... just start assembling a streak after he's gotten buried a bit) If not, the guy will be gone before the end of the year.

Sin Cara: He's the next Mysterio... I'd much rather have the current Hunico under the mask yet again... He did a much better job. The real Cara isn't adapting well which is really unfortunate. I'd like to see him excel but it won't happen if he can't learn English and he'll be a casualty because of it...

Even Bourne: Dude's done. Had a lot of potential... blew it.

Drew McIntyre: He's not going anywhere. He needs to start a slow build. Start assembling wins. Start talking. Get a bit snarky... do something to make us care about him... A face turn couldn't hurt either.

Divas: I'm lumping them together. They either need to improve or go... With the help of Goldust they've really stepped up. The guy's work can really be seen. They need to either be in stables with some of the guys, tag teams together or really step up to be there alone. Most of them can hack it... I don't see any of them being cut any time soon.

 

[ITrippedTheShockmaster]

This is easy. The people you don't see on TV (minus the ones out injured), the talent that you see on NXT or that you see on TV consistently getting squashed (and not just because of storyline, like Drew McIntyre) are all on the chopping block. Gotta trim the unnecessary fat.

These are the talent that I feel have "future endeavors" in their... well, future:

Hawkins
Slater
Mahal
Ezekiel Jackson (good talent, but no direction)
JTG
Reks
Mason Ryan (maybe just send back to FCW for tweaking)
Baretta
Kidd (they're wasting him, IMO. Let him go somewhere he's appreciated)
Gabriel (same as Kidd)
Curtis
Bateman
Maxine
Tatsu (TNA would love him. Maybe Ring Ka King?)
Young
Evan Bourne (sorry, kid. You did this to yourself.)
Ranjin Singh (pretty much nonexistent. Maybe go to Ring Ka King as a manager)

Now, as for the others that have been mentioned:
- There's rumors that Drew McIntyre will be repackaged, so I doubt he'll be cut.
- Sin Cara needs work. Botching spots nightly. Can't get in tune with US wrestling style. He's near the end of the rope, but still salvageable.
- Joe Hennig (PLEASE let him use his real name) can be a good mid-card talent. If not, back to FCW with him.
- Alex Riley isn't going anywhere... except maybe back to FCW. Nothing for him right now, but he's got talent. Just needs a little tweaking.
- What's up with Ted DiBiase? They're wasting him with this idiotic "DiBiase Posse" thing. I don't see him getting let go, but please use him better than this.

 

[LeadSailsPaperAnchor]

I agree with pretty much everyone but, Drew.

If you all remember clearly, MVP when he was with WWE, had a crazy stupid losing streak in i think late 08-early 09 where he'd lose squash matches to people like Khali, just like Drew is doing now. They're probably planning something huge for Drew, well not huge, but you know, some sort of push.

But yeah, Hawkins, Reks, JTG, yadayada.
Oh, and get rid of Hornswoggle.

 

[H33LTurn]

Heath Slater- Hes floating around doing nothing and is probably not going to do anything relevant in the future.

Alex Riley- Same as Heath. He has huge potential but is in the doghouse so its probably over for him.

Yoshi Tatsu- Come on now, when has he ever been relevant?

Tyler Rekks-- Another wasted talent due to WWE's inability to capitalize on his buzz when they had the chance.

Barretta & Hawkins- Not going anywhere and are past the stage of relevancy.

JTG- Irrelevant since Cryme Tyme broke up.

Jinder Mahal- Wasting time pushing a gimmick that wont work, will probably get under people's skin in a bad way, and will probably have to be scrapped for something more generic in the future.

 

[Ryberg]

Did you really just say that Dolph Ziggler hasnt gotten over at all? Do you even watch the WWE programming? The man is gold. Definately one of the best heel wrestlers that has come along in quite some time and will have a major title run this year (maybe within the next few months).


Khali should be gone but probably wont.

Bourne is 90% out the door.

Joe Hennig and Ted jr. will get repackaged somehow along with McIntyre.

Riley is safe as well as Mason Ryan.

Tyler Reks, Baretta, Hawkins, Yoshi Tatsu, Tyson Kidd and JTG are probably on the list for 'Future Endeavored'

Alot of talent in FCW right now means the fat will get trimmed. WWE can easily call up 5 or 6 guys to replace the above mentioned people. KOW and Seth Rollins are too talented to keep off tv for long.

Do you watch WWE programming? Do you imagine he gets reactions from fans? Vicky does not Ziggler. Just because his trunks say #1 heel doesn't make him that. I am not saying his ring work is lacking, it's just everything else is lacking. Either cut ties with Vickie and try him out without or repackage him. He couldn't even get a reaction on the live SD the other night. It's sad when you have the US Champ and supposed #1 heel beat people and get no reaction UNTIL Vicky opens here mouth. I highly doubt he will get a major championship. JR isn't god and isn't always right. I don't like Cody but I think he is a LOT closer to have a run as champ then Ziggler is.

 

[Ryberg]

Do you even watch WWE!?

Dolph Ziggler may not have the push but he certainly has the reaction from the audience which is really all you need when your a heel!

His new Show Off character is dynamite, pull ups in the chamber and using his opponents to do sit-ups! Ziggler would be my choice to hold MITB this year, he at least is deserving of a WWE/World title run in 2012!

No way will he be repackaged or released!

Nothing personal but I think you're lumping in Vickie's reaction with the lack of one Ziggler or Swagger get. Even pinning Truth and Kofi on the live SD event they got NO REACTION! Its only the online world who's enamored with Ziggler. He can wrestle yes but lacks mic skills and heat. I just think they have to cut Vicki and see if he can hold his own. That's what I mean by repackage.

 

[Rcole83]

Ranjin Singh is one of the head writers. Not really a "talent" so it's not like he needs to be released. He's not taking up a roster spot.

As far as who should be cut, the correct answer is...NOBODY. You see how shallow the rosters are right now? Hunico wrestles Dibiase every week, The Usos face The Colons every week, etc. Did you see how short on star power the Royal Rumble was? Unless they got a ton of guys in FCW ready for the main shows...they need all the talent they can get.

I'm aware that Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Antonio Cesaro, Kassius Ohno, Husky Harris, Ryback, Xavier Woods and Richie Steamboat are all in line to move up, but you can't really introduce them all at once unless it's a new season of NXT. (Though the real money is in Eli Cottonwood...you know you'd buy a "Mustache" shirt)

They still have international TV contracts with NXT and Superstars, even if it's not showing in the states, they've got to fill those roles, and they can examine all these undercard guys for their potential that way.

Not only that - they're doing themselves no favors with the every week SuperShows. So we see Barrett, Rhodes, Orton, Big Show, Henry, Sheamus, Ziggler, Santino, Bryan and Kofi on every show, every week. Maybe if they split the rosters back up (probably will after the draft), they can get more names out there.

Reading that back, it sounds really negative. I don't mean for it to sound that way, I'm actually enjoying the product at the moment - just stating my opinion.

 

[Savage1]

I think they should really take a good look at repackaging Drew McIntyre, Curt Hawkins, Michael McGillicuty, and Ted Dibiase Jr. and possibly giving a shot with Tyler Reks.
I know some of these names might draw a little heat but it's my opinion so give it a chance and hear me out. McGilliicuty or whatever his name is should really be given a better gimmick and given back his real name. The kid got here on his own accord so changing his name so he isn't living in his father's shadow is stupid. He is a real talent and they should let him be himself or fuck it, even let him reinvent the whole Perfect thing.
Dibiase is another one...he is a good talent and this whole corny Dibiase Posse kiddie shit is ridiculous. Coming out all smiley and goofy just don't cut the cake. He needs a little more edgeiness. (sp?)
As for the others, Drew is a good talent and has proven that he has the ring ability but needs an overhaul. Tyler Reks has a great look and seems to be decent enough in the ring. Hawkins could be a pretty good mid carder if they actually gave him a chance and didn't use him as a squash match for every new push that anyone gets. I read someone say something about letting his character use that cane to whoop anyones ass he gets in the ring with...i kinda like that idea. Those are just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[zephyrs]

I think WWE will keep some of the smaller low card guys for the rumored cruiserweight show that WWE wants to put on it's network.