WWE Roster Cuts, Should Be Released, and "Future Endeavored" Discussion

[trendkiller]

Go to TNA Mickie. Do Playboy!

Shelton Benjamin could possibly sign with TNA and I for one would love to see him team up with Angle again, this time as face (good time to bring Haas on board, too) for some nostalgic reunion stuff. Then have Anderson ruin the party

 

[GenMe]

I'm actually shocked that both Mickie and Shelton got release from the WWE. Micke was a solid diva and she actually help out the Divas division quit a bit, she was the top diva since Trish was gone. Now the divas division will need more top divas to help them out.

Shelton was kind of a surprise for me, he didn't had any thing going on right now no feuds and he hardly got any t.v time, I guess that the E didn't had anything planned for him. I will have to say that he did an awesome job when he was in ECW.

Could Team Angle reunited.

 

[SuicideDive]

-Mickie James
-Shelton Benjamin
-Kung Fu Naki
-Jimmy Wang Yang
-Slam Master J
-Katie Lea Burchill


Please forgive me if this is supposed to be posted in a different location. If so please move to correct area. This is my first time attempting to post a new thread so I ask that you cut a little slack and please bare with me.

Although 4 of the 6 do not come as a surprise to me. Two of the latest 'superstars' that the WWE released came as quite of a surprise to me. Of course those two being Mickie James, and Shelton Benjamin.

What I would like to discuss is personal ideas behind why YOU think the WWE released these individuals and the what do you think is next for them? I listed all 6 of the people who were confirmed released. If you have comments as to why you think they should NOT have been released I would like to head them also but nothing more because they are of little importance.

I have always liked Shelton Benjamin and Mickie James, and have been scratching my head as to their release, unless they asked for it or their contracts were just up. I think SB is decent on the mic (certainly better than some), has good in-ring ability but at the very least is probably one of the most athletic people the WWE has on their roster. But IMO he comes off as a guy that is fine where he is as long as he gets a paycheck and has no desire to become better or push him to reach the next level. He has put on some fantastic ladder matches in the past, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it is just because he half-asses a lot of it.
Mickie James on the other hand, I am kind of at a loss why she would go. I don't know if it's something like Maria and her wanted to do music and "The Apprentice" deal where she couldn't be on any other show as part of the contract. Because I know Mickie wants to work on music also. But is it just as simple as that? Could it be because that whole ridiculous 'weight' angle thing just got to her? Or what are you opinions. Please discuss.

 

[WJDwjdWJDwjd]

Today is basically the start of the 90 day countdown until we see Shelton Benjamin & Jimmy Wang Yang in TNA. WWE is foolish to release Shelton. He was an AMAZING talent and most gifted athelete in WWE since Kurt graced the ring in that company. Sure he had his trouble on the mic but they could have given him a mouth piece. Jimmy Wang Yang should have a decent place in the X-Division waiting for him. WWE just keeps dropping the ball on these talents.

Heres to a bright future in TNA for Shelton and JWY!

 

[tasha16213]

I cant believe they fired James and Benjamin i think we will see them in tna though and to you saying you didnt no why James was let go James was released because she more than once on the European tour arrived late for the bus, holding up travel. That was considered the straw that broke the camel's back dating back to her being disciplined by being sent to Smackdown

 

[The Ram]

Yeah 4 out of the 6 I wasn't surprised. 1 out of the 6 I was like about time. Then 1 out of the sick I was like. Slam Master J I didn't see him getting any where. Kung Funaki like so many others is nothing without there being a cruiserweight championship. Like every time Jimmy Wang Yang came to the ring he got beat up. Just like Paul I saw Katie Lea getting released. So those are the 4 out of the 6 I was referring to.

Now the one I said about time on was Shelton Benjamin. Nothing against shelton it was just the WWE not using him right what so ever. He worked his ass off and it didn't get him no where. I mean when he was in his prime he was facing guys like triple h and shawn michaels and we are and then later on it was all down hill except for that bullshit US title reign he had where he didn't make an apperance every week like he should've. Shelton should've asked for his release before the WWE released him and he show go to TNA where he could ake a name for his self.

And of course the one I was reffering to win I said was Mickie James. I didn't understand that at all. That's like releasingsomeone like I don't know chris jericho. Mickie James was one of the WWE's top diva and I just don't understand.

 

[sicmcnasti]

Curt Hawkins has to go before Zack Ryder, but the sad thing is he probably will. Neither of these guys have done much, last I remember Zack Ryder was in a match with Christian early this year.

Ryder is on Superstars tonight.

Hawkins has been a big part of FCW and in a storyline with The Dudebusters Croft and Baretta.

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

I think there are several reasons why James may have been fired. 1) The European Tour mishaps. Notice people end up getting fired after going to Europe. What's up with that? 2) The Piggy James storyline may have bothered her a little too much, which I can't blame her. She's not a supermodel, which means she's actually a real human being. So, to be demeaned over and over even in a storyline like that, I would probably have a bit of an issue with that. 3) The Smackdown Tapings for the Diva Segment were reportedly horrible in terms of the match and the eternity to set up the after-match beatdown. I definitely see Mickie James heading to TNA.

Shelton Benjamin has a lot to offer a company, especially in terms of tag-team wrestling. I think he was fired because he honestly isn't going to put butts in the seat. Plus, Vince McMahon is in an extreme entertainment phase right now with his company where everything seems to revolve more around entertainment than wrestling. And Benjamin doesn't exactly fit that mold. In TNA, they can put him in a tag team or place him in the X-Division where mic skills are nice but not exactly a must.

The other four releases really don't surprise me because if you saw them, you knew their opponent was about to be put over. I'm sure one or two of them will get tryouts in TNA.

 

[Vitto79]

Poor Shelton. They guys is a fantastic wrestler. Haas and Bemjamin to TNA for sure now. Mickie James maybe if she wants

The others are bumbs so good house cleaning for the Draft coming up. Had to be done. Atleast they still have Yoshi as the one Japanese Wrestler

 

[Beards17]

everytime wwe releases superstars they dropped your always in for a good surprise.mickie and shelton were very fun to watch but i have to argue they were getting a little stale. Shelton was barley used in the money in the bank match at this last wresltemania, which to me seemed weird. He always brings good talent to the ring and could have been used in a larger aspect if u ask me. Hes been a veteran for some time now and has always put on good matches with major superstars ex hhh and the undertaker
mickie james however was being used weird ways and was given the title for week or so and was becoming used less as the weeks went on. Sometimes its easy to tell when a superstar will be let go and this release comes as no shock. its sad that they would let such a popular talent go like that because its just a matter of time before tna is in talk with her. she would be a great addition to their pathetic and stale lineup already.
As for the others that left good luck with the future u werent anything special...although kung fu naki will be sadly missed

rko for life

 

[NXTrookie2013]

-Mickie James
-Shelton Benjamin
-Kung Fu Naki
-Jimmy Wang Yang
-Slam Master J
-Katie Lea Burchill

slam master j and katie lea burchill i can understand, the other 4, wow vince your a freaking idiot.
Shelton Benjamin? I'm kinda happy for him because wwe wasnt giving him the opportunity he deserved. I think charlie haas said he should go to roh? i think that would be great for him. But anyways, he is a great performer and i'll miss seeing him

mickie james? wtf? shes like your best diva, shes actually the only diva i like seeing, not that i really liked watching the divas wrestle but still

jimmy wang yang and kung fu naki, i love those guys, whats next yoshi tatsu? they beter not! (xP)

yeah thats my thoughts

 

[SuicideDive]

To respond to a few of the posts so far, I truly appreciate the feedback so far. It kind of encourages someone new at this like myself to maybe start another thread sometime.

I completely agree that Shelton would/should end up in TNA, the guys got talent. And that is new information to me. I didn't know that about Mickie and her multiple tardiness' during their Europe tour. The non pronounceable volcano erupting twice and the threat of the other bigger volcano that they are worrying about seemed to dominate the news. So thank you for that bit of knowledge about Mickie. I figured after she was reprimanded, got sent to Smackdown and with the whole Piggy James angle, she paid her dues, but apparently Vince just wanted her gone.... I would have to guess the both of them are TNA bound. Who knows.... Thank you everyone for participating.

 

[triple_b2k]

what? james and benjamin?
yet they keep, Carlito, Zack Ryder, Alicia Fox, Layla, Mike Knox, and most of the NXT Roster... give me a break WWE. I know they need to 'cut some fat' from the roster but those 2 were people that will put 'butts in the seats.' The people I mentioned above WON'T.

WWE FOR THE FAIL

 

[rayisawesomeness]

Shelton is no surprise to me. He is one of the most overrated wrestlers out there. While he was definitely a tremendous athlete, he had no charisma and not once did I ever see him do anything to fix that.

 

[chriscage]

This is the WORST round of "future endeavored" superstars WWE has ever made, IMO!
1. Mickie James- Was their go-to Diva. She was on the very short list of Divas that could actually do her job.....wrestle! It's become VERY obvious that WWE brass did this to show her who's in control and that they'd show her for signing with a music label that wasn't theirs.

2. Katie Lea- This one doesn't surprise me but she was the second on the short list of those Divas who could actually wrestle. She was never given a proper chance to shine from day one. I met her at the WM XXV fan axxess and I have to say that she is one gorgeous lady....I made sure I told her that. Her sexy British accent will make her a star elsewhere.

3. Shelton B- I'm surprised WWE let him go as he has had the talent for years to shine for them, but for whatever reason, was always held back/didn't show initiative...I don't know for sure. This is a bad move for WWE and shows that they clearly aren't interested in wrestlers with technical abilities anymore.

4. Funaki- Ok, the guy hasn't done anything productive for years, but for no other reason but loyalty, why not keep him around and give him a backstage job or something? The guy gave 10yrs or more (it's been a long time anyways) of his career to Vince and now he's been shot and taken out to the rotten carrot pile out back. Nice one!

5. Wang Yang/Slam Master J- These two I didn't expect to be kept around for much longer so maybe they will get jobs elsewhere. Jimmy Yang has some great abilities so he'll be fine....Slam Master J just might be done.....

So IMO, TNA is gonna be beefing up their Knockouts division with at least Mickie, but I'd prefer to see both head South, Shelton is TNA bound for sure, Jimmy Yang ROH bound(?) and I think Funaki will head home to Japan. Slam Master J, sorry but I think it's time to find a new career....we'll see I guess.

 

[Malkore2]

- Mickie James

Mickie comes as a HUGE surprise to me cause she is talented in the ring. Personally i think she might of asked for her release as well cause she might want to focus more on her singing career. and the piggy james storyline probely got a bit much as well.

-Shelton Benjamin

Also comes as a big surprise to me. Once again Shelton probely asked for it cause i remember reading on wrestlezone that Haas told him to ask for it so they can go to TNA or ROH together.

-Kung Fu Naki
-Jimmy Wang Yang
-Slam Master J
-Katie Lea Burchill

All these people come as no surprise to me as they are rarely used. i mean when was the last time we saw Kung Fu Naki used on TV. and Jimmy and slam master J only appear briefly in backstage segments

 

[Viola Moonlight]

I can see why all six can be released, but one I'm particularly annoyed about which shouldn't be too hard considering my avatar. Katie-Lea Burchill didn't have a chance in hell to sustain with Paul Burchill being released previously, but she could have done something on RAW. They need heel wrestlers for the Diva's just to even things out and someone with an interesting character or look at least. But no, WWE likes their girls blonde and skinny.

Slam Master J, Kung Fu Naki and Jimmy Wang Yang were very foreseeable. All of them have been essentially jobbers and most haven't been seen for a while. With Cryme Tyme dead, what's the point of SMJ hanging around? The WWE may have missed an opportunity to team up Naki and Yang as a jobber team for their tag division, but they wouldn't have done much there anyways. A waste of money. Shelton Benjamin is a little interesting considering the guy has some talent in the ring, but after so many attempts to get over with the crowd and failing, I don't think the WWE wants to invest their time in someone who is only "just content."

Now for Mickie James. Vince has never liked her as soon as she started to gain a bit more weight around the stomach, despite the fact she is the top drawing diva and outdraws alot of the male superstars. Mickie was somebody to hold on to for merchandise sales (with her country cd and such) and was great for getting other girls over. But, with her refusal of dropping the weight and getting sent to Smackdown for a while, as well as all the other shit, Mickie wrestling for WWE just wasn't the best idea. There was no passion left for her, only a paycheck.

I guess it isn't that bad she's left the WWE, because she can go to other places. I'm guessing TNA would love to sign her due to her previous endeavours with the company and can make a difference. Can you imagine matches between her and Sarita? Or her and Hamada? There is always ROH and the occasional SHIMMER appearances too if she decides to wrestle. But, Mickie had a great run and now can focus on her music career. You will be missed Mickie.

 

[wushady]

I've always liked Benjamen he's a hell of a wrestler, but I can't say I'm to surprised he was let go. He's had many chances to get over he pretty much peeked back in '04. He'll probably end up in TNA, and he'll do ok.

Mickie I was a little more surprised she's over and one of the best women wrestlers they had. I guess her attitude got her fired. She'll probably be feuding with the beautiful people before long.

The rest shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Yang tweeted "3 strike and your out i hear florida is a nice place to visit". So I guess he was referring to drug tests and going to TNA. If he did that would look bad if TNA hired him.

 

[bobsagetfan]

I saw slam master j and Jimmy Wang yang work the hart dynasty at a house show shortly after Christmas in a match three times longer than we have ever seen from either of them on tv in the last year, and I was not impressed by Jimmy Wang yang at all, but slam master j if given the opportunity can truly go in the x-division. I was at wm26, so I was at what will likely be Kung Fu Naki's final match. Kung Fu Naki is no surprise as that battle royal featuring everyone but big zeke and those already on the wm card was his first tv/DVD match in over a year. Katie Lea is the one I am saddest to see go, I actually think that she was the sexiest diva, but hopefully she will come to tna, so I can see her at the impact zone. Shelton Benjamin listened to Shannon Moore with his d.I.l.l.I.G.a.f. Philosophy, and it cost him, but I want to see the worlds greatest tag team reform in tna, as the suplex has become underutilized and tna needs a technical tag team. Mickie James has run her course, she hasn't been good since she tried to switch out of her high-flying role, and after that she was kissing the other divas before the pin, and I never forgave her for stopping to do that. I think that everyone in wwe belongs there now, except chavo, primo, kozlov, khali, and finlay (he seems to have lost his spot on the roster, but he should stay on as an agent)

 

[darren]

Personally I think Vince should really watch the quality talent that he releases now, because it could come back to bite him. Just because he think's they have nothing to offer doesn't mean TNA can't benefit huge from picking some of them up.
Look at "THE POPE " since he has come to TNA. He is excellent. WWE did nothing to build him up.

Now Shelton Benjamin is a incredible athlete and super talented in the ring. TNA will most definately have him on their roster when is no compete clause is up.

Jimmy Wang Yang is another incredibly talentd wrestler who will fit into the x division perfectly.

Mickie James will fit the female roster great, and she will actually have some wrestling competetion, and not have to worry about being a barbie doll, by WWE standards.

I think Vince is only helping TNA get more of a solid roster of great Wrestlers, and that can only mean better rating's. Every fan of any of these wrestlers that WWE let's go will follow the wrestler when ever possible.

Look at Jim Ross being in talk's with TNA. He's Mr. WWE really, and no matter what he say's right now about that being false(probably because he's still in negotiations with Vince), but undoubtledly if he goes to TNA it's only going to get better. JR is a anchor, and he's a wrestling fan just like the rest of us.

 

[chipandcheese58]

Say hello to TNA's newest Knockout Mickie James and newest star Shelton Benjamin.

 

[Brahma Bull]

I can't believe that so many of u are suprised about Shelton. Besides the iwc, no one gives a flying crap about shelton. The guy had NO mic skills or charisma. I'm suprised so many others were released before him. Hell, I'm more suprised over Kung Fu naki than shelton since people actually liked the guys.

The only one that makes me scratch my head is mj. She was one of the best workers and probably the best actual wrestling woman. They kept that discusting mess of botox Jillian over Mickie? You guys are probably right when u said discipline issues, or her music. I didn't like Maria, but she went from diva of the year to fired in a month. I guess Vince has a different idea for the divas.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Shelton Benjamin- This was by far the most shocking release. It was clear Shelton was never going to capture world championship gold in WWE, but I thought he would at least be kept around as a solid mid card guy on Smackdown, and have a couple more IC title reigns. I always liked Benjamin, but this guy could never break through, and the WWE did give him a fair amount of chances to do so.

Mickie James- While I was sort of surprised by this, it didn't shock me as much as Benjamin's release. After the very long and personal feud with McCool, Mickie won the championship, and you thought she would be back on track to being a major player in the women's division. She had a bump in the road when she got injured, but still, I thought she would go back to being a major player, and I was curious to see where the alliance between her and Beth Phoenix would go. Mickie's best days where when she was playing the physco fan of Trish Stratus. Ever since then, she never really was able to re gain that spark.

Kung Fu Naki- Fu Naki was most entertaining when he was doing backstage interviews. I thought the whole Kung Fu character was completely stupid, and it just made him look like a fool. There was nothing entertaining about the character, and it didn't do anything for him. I believe his last televised match was against Edge, and that was a LONG time ago. Still, this release was also kind of surprising because Funaki has been with WWF/WWE for a long time.

Jimmy Wang Yang- I liked watching him wrestle, but Yang also had a stupid character. This one really doesn't surprise me because he was never going to go anywhere on Smackdown.

Slam Master J- I forgot this guy was still in WWE. When Festus transformed into Luke Gallows, I knew Jesse would probably fade away into obscurity, and he did. It looked like he might join Cryme Tyme a while back, but nothing ever came of it. The Slam master J character was never going to go anywhere on Smackdown, and this release doesn't surprise me at all.

Katie Lea Burchill- While this one doesn't surprise me, I hate to see Katie Lea go. She was one of my favorite female wrestlers in WWE, but she never had "the diva look", and I think that's one of things that hurt her during her time in WWE. I was hoping she would win the title from Mickie James a while back, but it never happened. Lea could've been another major player in the women's division in WWE if she was used right. I'm very upset she's gone.

 

[trinerigelado]

The only one thats surprising is Funaki he actually did a lot of backstage stuff and unlike the vast majority of backstage guys could wrestle in a pinch.

Shelton Benjamin is so overated its pathetic, he's the textbook example of a legit athelete(way more legit as an athelete than HHH, Cena, Batista, Orton, Edge, Jericho etc..) who lacks promo abilities, doesn't connect with the audience well, and hasn't figuered out the nuances in match neccessary to be a main eventer.

Micky James was surprising that she was still in the company. Didn't have the look Vince likes, has legit outside interests, and her in ring work never came close to her indy hype.

Wang is an example of someone who might be brought back for a lower price, probably around what he started out last time the company brought him back.

The other two not familar with them so that shows how familar I'm with the current product.

 

[Derrtown]

I bet Shelton rejected a contract extension or asked for his release. Charlie Haas i believe told Benjamin not to extend that contract with the WWE and to go to TNA. IMO that will probably be a good fit for him. He can reach his true potential like Christian did.

Mickie James is a shocker too but i wouldnt be surprised if she went back to TNA where the Knockout division is slim.