Here's more wrestling news for June 4th 2021
And your headlines for today include
Aleister Black Reveals The Planned Direction For His New Character While In WWE; Shocking Details About The Line Of Wrestlers He Was
Wrestlers He Was Supposed To Feud Against; How He Was Treated? Mental Health Issues And More!
Recently Released WWE Superstars Possible For AEW All Out!
Are There More WWE Releases? How Differently WWE Treated Handling Their Releases! Leaked TEXT Messages & More!
Released WWE Wrestler Hints At Facing Jon Moxley In AEW!
WWE Officials Scouting Talent At The Performance Center Today!
Recently Released WWE Wrestler Makes Impact Wrestling Debut!
Tony Khan Set To Appear In The Impact Zone Next Week And more!
We’re starting today with WWE’s most recent releases, as Braun Strowman was perhaps the most surprising name to be cut.
A former Universal Champion and Greatest Royal Rumble winner, Strowman’s last match was the WWE Title match at WrestleMania-
Backlash, making his release all the more shocking. During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer
release, saying that Strowman’s $1 million contract hurt him, and that had he been paid a smaller amount, WWE would’ve had more for
him to do, such as the 24/7 title chase, but that’s not viable for someone on a million- dollar deal.
It was also explained how Strowman didn’t have a no-cut clause in his contract, as Meltzer explained:
“He’s got a huge paycheck, a big contract. One of the things he made a big mistake on, and only the top guys can pull this off, but he was a top
guy when he signed that contract. Do not assume that Vince loves you and he will always take care of you. I’m sure he thought that
when he signed his contract. There are top guys, there aren’t many of them, but there are top guys when they sign these multi-year
contract for big money they have been able to get no-cut deals and a couple of people told me ‘these top guys sign whatever’ and Vince
guarantees you 7-figures a year, but he can cut you at any time he wants. When you’re a middle guy you’re not gonna get away with that.
When you’re a top guy you can get it, but you’re gonna have to push for it.” Meltzer also explained how many people in
WWE felt Braun was past his prime, saying: “It was expressed to me that he was two years past his peak and he was getting a
high salary and that was the issue with him.” It seems that Commander Azeez and Omos may have replaced Strowman as the main
roster’s new monsters, a sensible move for WWE, as both men are younger than Braun, and receiving a much smaller pay-check.
Meltzer referred to Omos as Vince McMahon’s ‘ new toy’ and said that Strowman couldn’t continue being WWE’s giant, when he’s so
much smaller than the RAW Tag Team Champion. Now, the 37-year-old Strowman will have to forge his own path outside WWE, though we
imagine there’s plenty of promotions already looking to sign the former Universal Champion.
Mick Foley has said that Strowman is a can’t miss signing for AEW, but don’t expect to see him, or any recent release in the Daily’s
Place anytime soon. PW Insider reports that all six released Superstars are subject to a 90-day
non-compete clause, which means that none of this week’s releases will be available until August 31st.
If that’s the case, it does mean that they’ll all be available to sign with AEW in time for the company’s All Out event on September 5th.
With that said, PW Insider reports that as part of their releases, these Superstars won’t be available until September 5th, one-day
after All Out. What we do know is that these Superstars won’t be at Impact’s Slammiversary on July 17th
though they’ve been promoting stars from the April 15th 2021 releases. No official date has been given for when the
latest wave of releases can work again, but we imagine they’ll be signed quick as soon as they’re on the market.
This week’s releases are just the latest series of cuts throughout 2021, and things aren’t over just yet.
Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast has warned that more releases are expected, and they’ll be happening in the coming
weeks. Like all releases over the past year, WWE described the latest cuts as due to budget cuts,
a strange excuse giving their record profits, and time will tell who will be leaving WWE in the next few weeks.
After a year of massive cuts, WWE is clearly comfortable with releasing Superstars to save money, but this week’s cuts were handled
in a much different way. During Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer explained that all six releases, Braun Strowman,
Aleister Black, Murphy, Lana, Ruby Riott and Santana Garrett were contacted by WWE to learn of their releases, but they weren’t the
only ones WWE told: “Usually when they cut people, they cut people, but you know this time they sent a text message
to all the talent informing them of these cuts? No, not the released talent. There was a mass text from John Laurinaitis informing them of the
six people cut which they’ve never done before.” PW Insider were even able to get hold of the text, which was direct and to the point. It read
Due to Budget cuts the following talent were released today. Braun Strowman, Lana, Buddy Murphy, Santana Garrett, Ruby Riott, and Aleister
black– John Laurinaitis In the last month, over 80 people in WWE have been cut from WWE, and we can’t imagine
what the latest releases were feeling, knowing everyone in the company found out they’d been fired at the same time they did.
Aleister Black was one of the most surprising cuts from WWE this past Wednesday, and he hasn’t wasted time in discussing his tenure in
the company. Just one day after his release, the former NXT Champion took to Twitch to discuss the plans
for his new character, as he’d only recently returned, that fans never got to see. Black explained that he was creating something
akin to a James Bond villain that was also something of an occultist: a character with supernatural beliefs that didn’t fit into typical
religion or science. This character was also meant to be somewhat vein, hiding their insecurities, and Black explained
that he was going to wear a mask to the ring that represented the character’s insecurities.
Posting a vignette on Instagram, the Dutchman said Vince McMahon loved it, as did creative, and that everything was moving forward, with
the company sparing no expense. Saying the character would stand alone, much like purgatory, Black described the character as
someone who’d helped others, but not received any help in return, even when he lost an eye. This would all boil over into a cruel character,
shaped by the cruel experiences he’d endured, and would take his anger out on the SmackDown locker-room.
Seeing the SmackDown roster like chess-board, Black explained that his character would blame everyone, and after feuds with Kevin Owens
and the Mysterios, would turn his attention to Murphy, who injured his eye. Next on Black’s hit-list would be Seth Rollins,
who made Murphy injure his eye, and then Bray Wyatt, for making Rollins evil after their 2019 feud.
This would’ve culminated in Black targeting Vince McMahon, blaming the Chairman for creating everything that was against him,
and would continue blaming others until realising it was himself who was to blame.
Black noted in the stream that he wasn’t sure the character would ever materialise, and whilst he wanted it to, his release cut any hopes
short. Instead of this dark, macabre character that’d even target Vince McMahon, Black returned to
WWE TV mere weeks before his release, targeting Big E. When asked by a fan on the stream about the
plans for him and Big E, Black said that there were no plans other for them to go at it, and that they were actually meant to open tonight’s
edition of SmackDown. Black isn’t the only source to say there were no long-term plans for him and Big E, but at this
point in his career, the Dutch Superstar was used to not being used properly, as he explained: “You know, I think the last two years were a slow
death for me. I think that it was very hard to get the creative approved despite numerous conversations that I’ve had with Vince.”
He also explained that the last two years also played havoc with his mental health, as he wasn’t used much despite remaining popular
with fans and his merchandise selling well. Black compared his final year in WWE to when he debuted, and explained how he pitched
himself to Triple H in NXT: “I remember all these things. I said to Hunter, I said ‘look, I just want to be all the metal bands
that kids use to rebel against the system, against their parents.’ As cliched as that sounds, it’s relatable, right? Because everybody, especially
nowadays, especially when you’re young, it’s so difficult to be understood by a different generation.”
The former NXT Champion also confirmed that he has a new shirt for pre-sale, which uses his pre-WWE name Tommy End, and added that he
might be working on a documentary, after he started documenting his WWE tenure.
Black had only recently returned to TV before he was released, and the former NXT Champion has hinted at his plans outside Vince McMahon’s company.
On Twitter, a fan recently suggested that Black should follow a similar route to Jon Moxley and wrestle whoever he wants, as soon as he’s free
non-compete is over. This got a reaction from Black himself, who said that’s the plan, and alluded to wanting to face
Moxley when he can. It’s safe to say that the former Dean Ambrose has had one of the best-post WWE careers of all
time, becoming AEW’s second World Champion, and now it appears Black will be following him to Tony Khan’s promotion.
More release news now, as with six Superstars being cut, that leaves a large gap on WWE’s main-roster.
With fewer Superstars around, both main-roster shows will now have to work with less names to use, which’ll be difficult with important
Pay Per Views like Money in the Bank and Summerslam on the horizon. Those gaps in the roster may be filled quickly
though, as yesterday, Fightful reported that several of WWE’s top officials have been visiting the Performance Center and watching
some training matches. This team of officials consisted of Bruce Prichard, Canyon Ceman, John Lauriniatis,
Jamie Noble, and Matt Bloom, as the company is looking to call-up several NXT Superstars to RAW and SmackDown.
As to who’ll be making the move, that’s anyone’s guess, though Finn Balor has recently said how he’s wanting to make a return to the main roster.
It’s the general consensus that Balor has done everything he needed to do in NXT, and is no longer required now that the war with AEW
Dynamite is over. Of course, taking names like Balor, Io Shirai, Roderick Strong amongst others to the main
roster would mean fewer big names on NXT, and needless to say, the next few weeks of WWE Television will be very interesting to watch.
Earlier this year, Steve Cutler was released from WWE after a positive test, and now the former Forgotten Son has found a new home
in Impact Wrestling. During a video vignette, Cutler, who now goes by Steve Maclin, showed up, and It’s possible
that he even filmed matches during the most recent set of TV tapings. Maclin is in a relationship with Knockouts
Champion Deonna Purrazzo, which probably got his foot in the door, but his years of experience with WWE is also a big selling point.
Vince McMahon was reportedly furious about Maclin testing positive, after promising Superstars a safe work environment,
and scrapped Baron Corbin’s Knights of the Lone Wolf over it, and now the former SmackDown Superstar has found a new
home in Impact Wrestling.
And we’re ending with more from Impact, as AEW President Tony Khan will be making a live appearance inside the Impact Zone next week.
This appearance comes after several video vignettes from Khan, and the AEW president will be on hand next week to help Scott D’
D’Amore and Don Callis settle the issues between Moose, Sami Callihan and reigning AEW and Impact World Champion Kenny Omega.