In this WrestleTalk News, a backstage firing in WWE, a huge NXT title change, a legit knock
out on TV and more.
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In the just over two and a half months since WrestleMania, WWE have released 42 onscreen
talents - ranging from main roster stars as big as Braun Strowman, Lana and Aleister Black,
to NXT wrestlers like Killian Dain, Fandango and Tyler Breeze, to pretty much all of 205
Live, and announcers like Tom Phillips and Adnan ‘we’re going to need a bigger boat’
Virk.
Thank you for helping me calculate that, Every WWE Star Released in 2021 page on WrestleTalk.com.
What a resource.
On top of that, WWE also let go over 35 corporate staff in May, restructuring several big departments
in the company.
This is all thought to be headed up by a man who only joined WWE last August, its President
and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khaaaaan!
And it seems after the most recent batch of releases last Friday, at least one more name
has departed backstage.
Fightful Select is reporting former TNA X Division champion Sonjay Dutt, who has been
working with WWE since January 2019 as a producer, is now gone from the company.
But, in a change from everything this year, the decision was reportedly his - with Fightful
speculating he could be returning to in-ring wrestling after he’s been unable to compete
since an Achilles injury he suffered four years ago.
According to Bryan Alvarez, Dutt “quit about two weeks ago.
He has not been released.
He left.”
Dutt was brought into WWE at the same time as fellow TNA alumni Abyss, where they joined
Jeremy Borash as Team Triple H down in NXT.
Dutt’s wasn’t the only name that was written about leaving WWE yesterday, though, with
F4WOnline also reporting longtime Senior Vice President of Talent Development Canyon Ceman…
heh… had left the company too.
WWE themselves then refuted that story, with Dave Meltzer updating his report with the
tweet: “WWE says Ceman still with company.
Crazy story.”
It appears while there might not be a full-blown fire at the centre, there sure is a lot of
smoke, as Sean Ross Sapp then added: “There have been rumors circulating within
WWE and the wrestling world over the last two days.”
“We're told Ceman even asked WWE how to go about handling the inquiries of his status
with WWE, but we didn't get a specific response from him.”
“We've been contacted by at least two dozen people in the industry speculating about Canyon
Ceman in the last 24 hours, across all major companies.
Ceman still scouts for WWE and is in charge of handling a lot of contract negotiations
as well.”
Sapp then replied to someone who said ‘everyone got it wrong’, teasing “There’s a whole
lot more to this.”
During all of this, former WWE doctor Tom Prichard, who’s also the real-life brother
of Bruce Prichard, the guy currently in control of Raw and SmackDown creative and one of the
most powerful people in the company, tweeted: “Sometimes it doesn't take much to make
my day.
A little bird text me some interesting news this morning.
I find it true more and more that NO ONE escapes Karma.
Good luck in your future endeavors a$$hole…”
To which the best wrestling commentator in the world Kevin Kelly replied: “Birds can’t
text, Tom”.
But Fightful’s report also notes this isn’t the last shake-up backstage…
Apparently Fightful has been told to “keep expecting changes within WWE, including some
potentially big ones in the coming days and weeks backstage.”
What do you think WWE is planning?
Is Triple H finally getting control of a main roster show?
Who the hell was Tom Prichard talking about?
Let me know in the comments down below because I’ll be replying to people for the first
30 minutes after this video goes live FROM OUTTA NOWHERE.
But it’s not just behind-the-scenes changes that are happening.
It looks like we’re getting a lot of onscreen shake-ups too.
On last night’s episode of NXT, Bronson Reed lost his North American Championship
to Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott in the main event, thanks to interference from Scott’s Hit
Row faction.
Reed only won the title back last month from Johnny Gargano, and has tweeted since his
loss: “My fans, my friends, my family.
My wife.
I failed you.
I'm sorry.
Now what?
@WWENXT” Most likely, three weeks of matches with John
Morrison, and then several years in Raw’s midcard before getting randomly released on
a Wednesday.
Along with Scarlett Bordeaux, Shotzi Blackheart and NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Reed has appeared
backstage at the last several weeks of main roster shows, where he’s reportedly been
getting tryout matches for Raw and SmackDown.
According to PWInsider, Kross, Bordeaux and Blackheart were backstage at Raw on Monday
again to either wrestle in dark matches or on Main Event.
And both Reed and Kross’ names are reportedly internally listed as available wrestlers for
the post-SummerSlam main roster draft.
Reed has been feuding with Hit Row for a few weeks, but also has an unresolved program
with Santos Escobar.
You’d assume if Reed’s call-up was a more long-term plan, he’d have had a longer reign
and/or storyline before losing it, and maybe would’ve had a showcase match at the TakeOver
earlier this month, rather than competing in a six man tag with all the titles on the
line.
Do you think this is another example of the main roster suddenly deciding to grab NXT
talent?
Let me know in the comments.
It’s been widely reported that Vince McMahon will be taking the rare move of actually visiting
the Performance Center this Thursday to scout new talent, and the current focus is on big,
young guys - with Reed and Kross certainly fitting that bill.
Hopefully, one day, they’ll be just as successful as the best NXT call-up ever…
Baron Corbin.
While fans might hate Corbin’s Midcard Vortex being pushed in the main event, the dog food
feud with Roman Reigns, and his never ending series of matches with Shinsuke Nakamura,
Andrew Zarian has revealed everyone backstage loves the guy, calling him “beloved in that
company” on the latest We’re Live Pal podcast.
“A former writer one time told me that he is one of the most pleasant people to work
with because he will not be combative and he works with you on stuff.”
Well maybe he should be a little more combative, because after WWE officially dropped the King
Corbin gimmick he’s had since August 2019 by updating their website roster page, it
seems he’s got a new name incoming…
WWE have filed for several new trademarks this week - including Nikki ASH, Nikki Cross’
new Almost A Superhero acronym surname because you can’t have two Crosses on the main roster,
and potentially the latest gimmick for Baron Corbin…
Happy Corbin.
This could signal a babyface turn for Corbz, who, to be fair, has been persistently bullied
for weeks by Nakamura and Rick Boogs.
Because what better way to show people he’s a good guy now, than by changing his first
name to Happy.
I can’t wait for other upcoming better fitting names like Grumpy Reigns, Drew PersistantTyre,
Cedric Shouts A Lot, Tallmos, Bray Whereatt?, Twin Jey and Twin Jimmy, and, of course, Seriously,
What Is Your Character, Rhea Ripley.
But wrestling name change of the week goes to this guy.
23 year old Lewis Oldfield has revealed to the sun he got so drunk recently, he legally
changed his name to John Cena, despite not being a wrestling fan.
Which is sure better than when I last got really drunk and sent Megan a 4,000 word email
at 3 in the morning explaining how I’m doing really well without her, thanks, because I
feel like Hangman Page just gets me, and we’re going to be really good friends when lockdown
is lifted.
That’s the only thing standing in our way.
Rather scarily, last night’s NXT didn’t just see Reed lose his title, it also seemingly
saw Mercedes Martinez lose consciousness, when Xia Li appeared to strike her in the
head hard with a roundhouse kick.
The referee quickly ended the match via stoppage.
Sean Ross Sapp followed this up, tweeting: “Mercedes Martinez was checked in the back
and talent/staff were told she's headed to the hospital for further evaluation”
In wrestling ratings this week, it’s been a tale of two promotions.
Raw got its lowest non-holiday rating of the year on Monday, pulling in just 1.57 million
viewers despite putting on a pretty good show.
It’s going to take a lot of pretty good shows, though, to bring people back after
half a year of terrible TV.
Saturday’s episode of AEW Dynamite, meanwhile, pulled in the show’s best figures since
being bumped off its usual Wednesday night time slot in June, drawing 649,000 viewers,
and also a huge 18-49 demographic spike for the excellent Kenny Omega vs Jungle Boy main
event.
While impressive, this is still hundreds of thousands fewer than Dynamite was getting
in its usual timeslot.
Thankfully, it returns to Wednesdays today - and Luke and I will be back with the AEW
review tomorrow on the WrestleTalk Podcast channel, so please do subscribe over there
to know when it goes live.
Perhaps we’ll be seeing Zelina Vega turn up there soon, as Andrade has told Lucha Libre
Online he would love it if she came in to manage him, but “I cannot speak about it
that extendedly due to multiple stuff going on.”
CM Punk to AEW confirmed.
And not to be outdone by the hottest new wrestling couple Jungle Boy and Anna Jay - who announced
their relationship paying homage to now departed UK health secretary Matt Hancock - WWE have
announced Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch have officially become a tag team in the eyes of
the lord.
After Seth posted ‘Seems like a fine day to (finally) get married’ on Instagram,
WWE themselves congratulated the couple for tying the knot.
Mixed Match Challenge WWE return confirmed.
Now here’s Tempest with a review of last night’s NXT in about five minutes.
I HATE YOU TEMPEST.