Last night, WWE continued their 2021 trend of releasing talent, breaking their previous
record and managing two days of mass releases in one month.
New high score WWE, well done, very proud.
We covered the releases as they were happening last night, but since then even more releases
have come in.
At the time of Oli’s video last night, the releases that were confirmed were Ariya Daivari,
Tony Nese, Chase Parker & Matt Martel, AKA Ever-Rise, August Grey, Tyler Breeze, Fandango
and the Raw writer that made the news headlines this week, Kenice Mobely.
The releases then continued, as Samir and Sunil Singh, Arturo Ruas, Curt Stallion, Marina
Shafir, Tino Sabotelli and Killian Dain were all also confirmed to be released from the
company.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful originally reported that WWE President Nick Khan was one of the
lead people behind these releases, with there being a meeting held earlier in the day within
WWE.
However, this was then clarified later by Sapp, saying that WWE sources had reached
out to him to confirm that Khan was in fact not one of the driving forces behind these
decisions.
But the releases might not be quite done yet, as a report on Fightful Select says that there
were other releases planned that have not happened yet:
“As of publication, multiple names that we've heard were set to be released have not
yet.
However, there were several names that ended up getting released that we hadn't heard about
prior, and at times this year wrestlers have been ‘saved’ from the chopping block.”
The report also states that a number of the 205Live talent that were released were on
higher-paying contracts than the company had been giving out to new performers on the brand
of late.
Several of the 205Live wrestlers have varying lengths of their no-compete clauses.
Former Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese is under a 90-day no-compete clause, which is
typically in line with that of his main roster counterparts, while August Grey is under a
30-day no compete clause.
The reason for the 205 Live releases has seemingly been revealed, as Dave Meltzer mentioned on
Wrestling Observer Radio that: “They gutted the 205 Live guys that have been around for
a while...they were mostly older guys.
I know that there’s a movement to bring in younger and bigger guys, that’s the big
thing right now.
26 and under, over 220.”
Tyler Breeze posted a heartwarming appreciation post of his close friend Xavier Woods on Instagram,
while Killian Dain posted about a new determination and drive.
Meanwhile August Grey had a sense of humour about the whole thing, saying that his scheduled
match that was taking place on 205 Live that night had turned into a Loser Leaves Town
match.
That’s actually very funny.
It’s an incredibly sad situation to see so many people lose their jobs, but as myself,
Luke and Oli discussed on the WrestleTalk Podcast reactions yesterday evening, this
feels like it was inevitable.
WWE’s strategy of signing too much talent, hoarding them so they don’t sign elsewhere,
had to expire at some point.
And now, these last few months seem to be when the bubble is finally bursting.
205 Live now has a total of 5 people on its roster.
5.
And one of them is Brian Kendrick who’s a producer for SmackDown.
Surely that’s got to mean that show’s time is up.
And speaking of time, tick tock and all that, after Karrion Kross made his very sad debut
on Main Event this week, it’s been reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider that Kross once
again was backstage at SmackDown, and wrestled a dark match against Slapjack.
Scarlett also had a dark match against fellow NXT talent Shotzi Blackheart.
With reports of more NXT call-ups coming soon, all of these, as well as Bronson Reed who
wrestled on Main Event this week as well, have got to be favourites to be high on the
list.
And now it’s time for a review of last night’s episode of SmackDown, in about 5 minutes.
The show opened up with Jimmy Uso and Roman Reigns backstage, with Jimmy telling Roman
that Jey once again was a no-show this week, but that he shouldn’t worry because he can
do whatever Jey does.
Roman scoffs and repeats, that he wants to be the right hand man?
Then he should prove it.
I love that Roman is building tension between Jimmy and Jey while Jey isn’t even around,
and that Roman still doesn’t trust Jimmy fully.
After this came a mixed tag team match of Bianca Belair & Cesaro vs Bayley & Rollins.
Why did we have this match?
These feuds must continue, I guess.
SmackDown: The Land of Rematches.
But first of course, Bianca Belair had to cut a promo about bullies, because WWE is
Groundhog Day.
Seth Rollins interrupts, and was actually quite funny with his promo, saying that it
was time to celebrate as both of them overcame adversity at Hell in a Cell, which brought
out Bayley, and they got into a brawl, which brought out Cesaro, and then Bayley said that
all of this is Cesaro’s fault?
What is?
It was a pretty long segment to get to a match we already knew was coming.
The match itself though, was pretty good and lasted quite a while.
These are four of SmackDown’s top stars, and it felt like it, so that was nice.
What was less nice was the finish, because after some shenanigans involving Cesaro and
Rollins brawling and knocking into Belair, Bayley manages to hit her finisher and pin
Bianca.
Which sort of renders the entire Hell in a Cell match, pointless.
This feud must continue.
I guess.
Also a minor criticism, if you’re gonna have a Hell in a Cell match, maybe sell the
effects of it on the next one.
Just a little wrapping or tape or I don’t know, selling an injury that you picked up
in the match.
Anywho, Jimmy Uso backstage is pacing outside Roman’s locker room and he speaks to Heyman,
saying he doesn’t know what Roman wants him to do.
Heyman makes a match for him and says he needs to win.
And that match is against...Dolph Ziggler?!
But why?
After this came the coronation of Shinsuke Nakamura as the new King on SmackDown.
It was really bad.
I don’t like any of this.
Baron Corbin, he’s back to Baron now, cuts a promo you can barely hear because Shinsuke’s
music was playing, but nearly on the verge of tears, he says what’s the point and walks
away.
He’s the babyface, and you can’t tell me otherwise.
Rollins backstage with Pearce and Deville says he wants to be Roman’s next challenger,
and you know what, I think that’d be quite fun.
Big E had a Money in the Bank qualifying match next against...Apollo Crews because WWE is
the most repetitive show I’ve ever seen in my life.
Sean Ross Sapp on Twitter confirmed that this was the 14th match these two have had together
this year, with this being the 7th one on one match together.
Why did you put these two together?
You could have anyone, a Money in the Bank qualifier automatically has stakes built into
it, you don’t need it to be between people that are feuding, in fact it’s better when
it isn’t.
And especially when it’s people that have been feuding since Big E won the title, which
was in December, lest we forget.
In this match, Commander Azeez gets involved, but somehow doesn’t get DQ’d and instead
gets ejected, and then Big E hits the Big Ending and wins.
So not only have you put these two in a singles match, AGAIN, you then either would have had
Big E getting pinned, or your Intercontinental Champion getting pinned.
What a terrible booking choice.
At least Big E won.
Sami Zayn backstage celebrates his win over Kevin Owens before being told that the two
of them will be having ANOTHER MATCH next week as a Money in the Bank qualifier.
Which later in the show is confirmed to be a Last Man Standing match.
What is happening on this show?
Why these two together?
Again?
Why a Last Man Standing, it’s already a Money in the Bank qualifier.
I think I’m losing my mind.
And then, Sonya Deville comes out to reveal the first competitor in the women’s Money
in the Bank match, because in the women’s one, you just get put in.
Christ on a bike, this company.
She reveals it to be Carmella, who, lest we forget, lost last week to Liv Morgan.
Before Morgan comes out and says exactly that.
And she’s right.
So Deville makes ANOTHER match between Carmella and Morgan, but it’s not a qualifier, because
Carmella’s already in the match.
So it’s a qualifier, but only for Morgan.
Who’s already beaten Carmella last week.
Makes perfect sense.
Morgan won after a few minutes.
Cool.
Jimmy Uso then faced Dolph Ziggler to prove he’s the right hand man, and the two had
a much better match than they had any right to.
Ziggler hit a brutal looking Zig Zag on to the corner of the ring steps, and the two
went back and forth for a while after before Jimmy won with a superkick.
Cool.
Backstage Jimmy is hyped that he won with Roman, but Roman enters for his State of The
Universal Championship address, and Heyman keeps Jimmy in the back.
In the ring, Heyman says that there’s no one left for Roman to fight.
They’ve beaten everyone.
Apart from Rollins, who said he wanted to fight earlier in the night.
And Big E. Before Roman can say anything else though, Edge returns for the first time since
WrestleMania, and beats up Roman.
Jimmy comes out to try and stop Edge, which prevents Roman from being Conchairto’d,
but Edge Spears him through the barricade.
Edge then screams at the camera “Where you at Roman?
You want me, I’m right here” He’s...on the ramp right now Edge, just
turn to your right a little bit and you’ll see him.
Also he doesn’t want you, that was the point of them saying there’s no one left.
Bit weird.
Look, I’m all for Edge coming back and breaking up this monotony we’ve been in since WrestleMania,
but he’s coming back to fight Roman, which is something we’ve already seen, and he
lost at WrestleMania, and now is going for that title again.
Hmmmm- So that was the show, let me know what you
thought in the comments below and by voting on our POLL ON A POLL MATCH on our Community
tab where 73% of you voted for Edge is an Iconoclast...who else had to google what that
meant?
Not me, that’s for sure.
This was a weird show, top to bottom, and so much of it made me roll my eyes, didn’t
make sense or was a feud we’ve seen for months now.
This SmackDown gets
a 2/5 SmackDowner.