Hello and welcome to the WrestleTalk News, I am Luke Owen.
Headline: WWE Release Several Wrestlers
Since the announcement of All Elite Wrestling on January 1st 2019, there have been a lot
of stories about contracted WWE talent unhappy with their positions and pushes, with several
names even reportedly asking for their release.
We’ve heard names like The Revival and Mike & Maria Kanellis requesting their releases
which were reportedly denied, while it was revealed that Dean Ambrose would be leaving
WWE when his contract expires in April and there are even rumours that The Usos could
be leaving when their contracts end around the same time.
It was also reported that the reasons The Revival and The Kannellisi were denied their
release is because WWE did not want their talent going to competitors like All Elite
Wrestling, Ring of Honor or New Japan Pro Wrestling - who are all currently in a contract
war to sign up free agents.
Headline: WWE Release Tye Dillinger And Hideo Itami
But that isn’t the case for Tye Dillinger and Hideo Itami, with WWE announcing on Friday
that they had both been granted their releases from the company.
Dillinger posted on Twitter last Wednesday that he had requested his release, and it
was reported that Itami had asked for his release following the Royal Rumble.
Following the announcement of his release, Itami posted on Twitter that he would be wrestling
under the name KENTA once again, and is reportedly heading back to Japan to work with NOAH.
But those names were almost expected given Tye’s public request and Itami’s desires
to go back to Japan.
The next one seemingly came out of nowhere.
Headline: WWE Release TJP
On the same day they released Tye Dillinger and Hideo Itami, WWE announced they had come
to terms with the release of TJP, better known as TJ Perkins.
Perkins has been with WWE for a few years now, debuting as part of the Cruiserweight
Classic [11] where he made it to the final and won the tournament - becoming the new
Cruiserweight Champion in the process.
And despite not having any form of a push for quite some time, TJP just last week posted
on Twitter about not wanting to work for AEW as he was already on the team he wanted to
play for - and was hopeful that one day he would be taken off the bench.
It has since been reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio that TJP did not
ask for his release, and was instead fired for disciplinary reasons.
Headline: WWE Release Arn Anderson
One other name that came as a bit of a surprise for WWE’s pre-Spring clean is backstage
agent and producer Arn Anderson.
The story was first reported by Pro Wrestling Sheet and later corroborated by PWInsider,
who added that with Anderson leaving and WWE bringing in a load of new producers - like
Abyss, Shane Helms and Jeff Jarrett - that this “has led to discussion within the company
about whether some of the other "old guard" producers may also be on the way out.”
And according to Dave Meltzer, there was some heat between Anderson and Vince McMahon which
escalated when McMahon was not happy with a house show that Double A was running leading
to a reported altercation between the two that led to Anderson’s firing.
It’s being reported that Anderson was well-liked backstage in WWE by a lot of the talent who
would often go to him when they were not happy with their creative.
And with Anderson always going to bat for the wrestlers and not the writers, this also
reportedly caused some issues between him and Vince McMahon.
It’s being reported that a lot of the talent backstage in WWE think he’ll be a perfect
fit for AEW, which is now a possibility, and that Anderson was not too upset about his
firing.
Headline: WWE Re-Hire Bruce Prichard
In his report of Anderson’s firing, Mike Johnson of PWInsider says that the company
is “seeking to bring a younger, fresher vibe to their in-ring content.”
Well as if combating that idea, PWInsider also reported that WWE have re-hired Bruce
Prichard in what they’re saying is a top creative role, noting, “he will be one of
the top point people in the creative team going forward.”
Johnson adds that Prichard’s position will be similar to his old one; “working directly
with Vince McMahon on all things creative”.
Prichard first joined the then WWF in the late 1980s, and aside from a period in 1991,
he was with the company until his release 2008 and has since become a favourite among
wrestling fans for his Something To Wrestling With podcast with Conrad Thompson.
What this means for the podcast going forward is currently unknown - considering that Prichard
is now back with WWE and Thompson is affiliated with All Elite Wrestling.
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And what’s next for this NXT call-ups?
Oli Davis and I discuss in the latest edition of WrestleRamble.
I’ve been Luke Owen, and that was wrestling.