Kemo
09-22-2023, 09:08 PM
WWE recently made a series of talent releases that left fans speculating about the company's motivations. Now, it appears that a significant factor in these decisions has come to light.
Dave Meltzer delved into the details of these releases in this week's edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The report sheds light on WWE's thought process behind letting go of several talents who had not been prominently featured on main roster programming.
According to Meltzer, the main criteria for these releases revolved around the inactivity of these stars on the main roster and the company's perception that they would not have significant future roles. It essentially boiled down to a balance between the time spent in the company, the financial investment in these talents, and the expected return on that investment.
"One WWE official," Meltzer reported, "explained it as 'time in vs. how much money you are paid vs. return on investment.'"
While some of the released talent, like Mustafa Ali and Dana Brooke, had recently been appearing on WWE television, they had been shifted to NXT, effectively justifying their inclusion in the cuts based on the company's logic. However, the picture was more complex for others. Superstars like Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin and Elias found themselves in a state of limbo, not being utilized on the main roster. This inactivity likely played a significant role in their release.
Here’s the updated list of releases:
Dolph Ziggler
Mustafa Ali
Shelton Benjamin
Top Dolla
Elias
Riddick Moss
Rick Boogs
Dana Brooke
Emma
Aaliyah
Mace
Mansoor
Quincy Elliot (NXT)
Bryson Montana (NXT)
Dabba-Kato
Shanky
Yulisa León
Daniel McArthur
Bryson Montana
Kevin Ventura-Cortez
Dave Meltzer delved into the details of these releases in this week's edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The report sheds light on WWE's thought process behind letting go of several talents who had not been prominently featured on main roster programming.
According to Meltzer, the main criteria for these releases revolved around the inactivity of these stars on the main roster and the company's perception that they would not have significant future roles. It essentially boiled down to a balance between the time spent in the company, the financial investment in these talents, and the expected return on that investment.
"One WWE official," Meltzer reported, "explained it as 'time in vs. how much money you are paid vs. return on investment.'"
While some of the released talent, like Mustafa Ali and Dana Brooke, had recently been appearing on WWE television, they had been shifted to NXT, effectively justifying their inclusion in the cuts based on the company's logic. However, the picture was more complex for others. Superstars like Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin and Elias found themselves in a state of limbo, not being utilized on the main roster. This inactivity likely played a significant role in their release.
Here’s the updated list of releases:
Dolph Ziggler
Mustafa Ali
Shelton Benjamin
Top Dolla
Elias
Riddick Moss
Rick Boogs
Dana Brooke
Emma
Aaliyah
Mace
Mansoor
Quincy Elliot (NXT)
Bryson Montana (NXT)
Dabba-Kato
Shanky
Yulisa León
Daniel McArthur
Bryson Montana
Kevin Ventura-Cortez