The WWE releases have started, and the only surprising names so far for me are Dolph Ziggler and Shelton Benjamin. Sadly, I always felt like both men were underappreciated talents, but the rosters are too stacked at the moment for either man to make a significant impact. The rest of the releases aren’t surprising to me. Elias, Rick Boogs, Shanky, and others haven’t made a dent on any show.

Mansoor and Mace were a dead-on-arrival idea, Dana Brooks hasn’t done anything in years, Dabba-Kato was the product of bad creative, and Quency Elliott….come on. Did they really think that gimmick was gonna work? Riddick Moss was a surprise but not unexpected. He hasn’t had a meaningful feud in a year.

I do wonder what major stars are on the chopping block. I find it hard to believe that the WWE has 5 shows (Raw, Smackdown, NXT, Main Event, and Level Up) and still can’t make many of these diamond-in-the-rough stars into something bigger. Ultimately, this comes down to money, and the WWE doesn’t see a need to pay for a wrestler who isn’t making a significant impact or selling merchandise.

World War Joe