Pro Wrestling! (For Everything WWE, Impact, Indies, AEW, & Japan !) 2021

[Noodle]

Even if he accepts it, as the Braun deal showed they can still fire you after you sign it.

[Username taken]

Even if he accepts it, as the Braun deal showed they can still fire you after you sign it.

Exactly.

He could just be let go at any time.

No point in working with that kind of uncertainty.

[titanfan]

150 talent firings in the past two years. I took a closer look at their financials--operating expenses are a little high'ish of what you would expect a company of that revenue to have, but nothing outrageous. The problem was them trying to hoard talent in the first place--something like this was pretty much inevitable.

Also sounds like there's a bunch of contracts expiring in the next 3 months that will likely not be renewed. (Not worth to fire them since they'd have to pay for severance etc)

[wjowski]

...At this point who does WWE even have left?

[JBatmanFan05]

...At this point who does WWE even have left?

Gobbledy Gooker?

[titanfan]

...At this point who does WWE even have left?

There are still over 100 people on their roster.

Which is still a heck of a lot. (But then it's spread between RAW, Smackdown, NXT, NXT UK, then there's Main Event, 205 Live etc)

[wjowski]

There are still over 100 people on their roster.

Which is still a heck of a lot. (But then it's spread between RAW, Smackdown, NXT, NXT UK, then there's Main Event, 205 Live etc)

I was more thinking 'Who do they have left that people will want want to pay to see?'

[SUPERECWFAN1]

So it seems WWE's plan is to release as many wrestlers as they can in hopes that AEW will pick them up until they over spend and falls apart? Also, I feel sorry for the WWE 2K 22 video game developers, it must be hell trying to keep track of which wrestlers can be in the game and which they have to remove due to all the releases SMH.

That killed WCW if we remember and how they were signing EVERYONE thinking each one was gonna put down the WWF. I mean at one point WCW had over 240+ wrestlers on contracts.

...At this point who does WWE even have left?

Gobbledy Gooker?

There are still over 100 people on their roster.

Which is still a heck of a lot. (But then it's spread between RAW, Smackdown, NXT, NXT UK, then there's Main Event, 205 Live etc)

Bischoff brought up 300 wrestlers at one point. If this is true the company as I brought up was hoarding and signing talent with few releases as that link showed in the 2010's. It was sign Japan , Ring of Honor , Indie and Impact talent every year. Release a couple people. Sign more .....sign more ...

[Username taken]

150 talent firings in the past two years. I took a closer look at their financials--operating expenses are a little high'ish of what you would expect a company of that revenue to have, but nothing outrageous. The problem was them trying to hoard talent in the first place--something like this was pretty much inevitable.

Also sounds like there's a bunch of contracts expiring in the next 3 months that will likely not be renewed. (Not worth to fire them since they'd have to pay for severance etc)

WWE trimming it's line-up is fair. I've actually said it in the past that they have too many guys that they could realistically manage.

However, WWE calling up guys from NXT, place them on TV and fire them days after is needlessly cruel.

That's 100% a toxic work environment. If it were a regular office and I had a loved one working there, I'd ask them to start flying their resumes around to look for a better work place.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

This was a company that fired 2 , TNA guys after bringing them up and sabotaging them within time on TV to fire them. If no one remembers Chris Harris was in developmental back in the 2000s and was brought up. Harris had from what some claimed stopped dropping HGH and was more or less still a big guy. He was pulled up by the company so his work had to be good enough for ECW brand.

Its been detailed that before he walked out he was given the name Brandon Walker. Then he was told ....your entire offense is too similar to ___ , CHANGE IT NOW. This is minutes before walking out on stage. Harris was in a spot as his entire offense was told he had to change up. So he basically worked a sloppy match as a result trying to change up how he worked. He got 2-3 matches and was released.

Then Low-Ki got MASSIVELY over and ticked off everyone backstage because he got over with internet crowd. The company allowed internet voting and Low-Ki won from it. The WWE didn't want to push Low-Ki and made him go on a losing streak and basically took an over star they had and forced him into asking for his release finally.


So this is a company that has a history of sabotage on guys after pulling them up.

[titanfan]

Then Low-Ki got MASSIVELY over and ticked off everyone backstage because he got over with internet crowd. The company allowed internet voting and Low-Ki won from it. The WWE didn't want to push Low-Ki and made him go on a losing streak and basically took an over star they had and forced him into asking for his release finally.


So this is a company that has a history of sabotage on guys after pulling them up.

I'd argue the silly storyline with Low-Ki and Laycool got him over. They put him with them knowing he would be over from it, just like they knew what they were doing when they put Bryan with Miz. Low-Ki didn't want to do the comedy stuff that's on him, in no way was he sabotaged. Like you said he was over.

Chris Harris was a disaster on ECW. It's not like he lit it up anywhere after he left WWE. TNA chose not to re-sign him after he did some work for them.

[godisawesome]

Yeah, it looks far too chaotic.

Regardless of what is happening (sale or not), this doesn't look like an organized company at all.

WWE's licensing partners must be pulling their hair out because the company simply does not have a stable roster.

WWE has remained an overgrown carnie company in many respects even as its become a massive modern corporation. Their understanding of PR is still skewed, myopic, and limited - they get marketing and how to do some basic positive PR (they live having goodwill form charities), but they don’t care about people’s perception of the company, when arguably that’s their biggest active liability. They also seem stunningly lacking in the basic Human Resources bureaucracy designed to keep narrative things like this from getting out of control - which fits with his WWE has always treated talent like commodities rather than employees.

I think the most accurate - if depressing - way to look at what Vince’s “the brand is the star, not the talent” goal has actually emerged into is that Vince is basically the world’s craziest and most OP “influencer.” He’s got a dedicated fanbase tuning in twice weekly and a boatload of content backlogged, and a proven successful merchandise wing… and that’s all he really needs to get bigger companies to pay him money to host his content.

He’s a more carny Logan Paul rather than a wrestling manager.

[skyvolt2000]

I was more thinking 'Who do they have left that people will want want to pay to see?'

A better question is how does this hurt DLC sales for WWE 2K22?

You can only toss in so many version of Taker, HHH and Cena-that most folks don't play with. Those CAWS is going to be packed.

Also, I feel sorry for the WWE 2K 22 video game developers, it must be hell trying to keep track of which wrestlers can be in the game and which they have to remove due to all the releases SMH.

How do you think the TOY company feels- Isaiah Swerve has a figure coming out (or already out with a CHASE version). Mia has one and Keith Lee just had a new one. And they don't cancel those figures-I remember seeing Elijah Burke figures still coming out for almost 2 years after they let him go.

[BigLbo]

I'd argue the silly storyline with Low-Ki and Laycool got him over. They put him with them knowing he would be over from it, just like they knew what they were doing when they put Bryan with Miz. Low-Ki didn't want to do the comedy stuff that's on him, in no way was he sabotaged. Like you said he was over.

Chris Harris was a disaster on ECW. It's not like he lit it up anywhere after he left WWE. TNA chose not to re-sign him after he did some work for them.

1)they had no clue the thing with laycool was going to get over and he deserves as much credit as they do for making it work.
2)

Following his NXT victory, Kaval was moved to the SmackDown brand, making his debut during the September 7 tapings in a lost to Drew McIntyre, which aired on September 10.[63][64] On the September 24 episode of SmackDown, Kaval lost to Chavo Guerrero, Jr.. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Kaval and Kofi Kingston lost to Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes when Rhodes pinned Kaval. On the October 15 episode of SmackDown Kaval lasted five minutes in the ring with Big Show and in doing so earned a spot on Team SmackDown at Bragging Rights. However, after the match, Kaval was challenged by Tyler Reks, who ultimately went on to defeat him for his spot at the pay-per-view.[65] On the October 18 episode of Raw, Kaval competed in a SmackDown vs. Raw Battle Royal where he was eliminated by Mark Henry. On the October 29 episode of Smackdown, Kaval lost to Jack Swagger. Kaval then lost a rematch on the November 4 episode of WWE Superstars. On the November 11 episode of Superstars, Kaval lost to Drew McIntyre.

losing clean to complete jobber at the time chavo and then losing his survivor series spot to tyler rekks KILLED him. if that 1st month wasn't sabotage it was totally incompetent booking, either way he had no chance.

wwe makes it soooo hard to be a fan. it's a company run by horrible people that seem to hate their fans and puts out a pretty bad product most of the time. the only saving grace is the talent, whom you almost wish to see leave and nostalgia.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The funniest aspect is....the WWE didn't want Low-ki to win season 2 of NXT. The entire deal was they needed someone not seen on tv and had this dude in developmental that no one liked because he had a weird ring style.

They didn't even tell him he was in it from what he claimed. They just said watch tonight and he was surprised.

The whole idea was the company was high on Brian Henning. He was in this and they wanted Henning to win and get the big push from fans online. The WWE thought the internet fans would go....ooh myyy its Mr. Perfect son. So we gotta vote him.

They didn't realize Low-Ki had more of a name and fans just kept voting him to win. Even with lots of losses and Lay Cool deal. The idea was to make him lame and fail. And it backfired til the end.

Once he won they were PIIIISSED backstage. This guy ruined the plan push they had. So in sure crazy...they buried Low-Ki after letting him win NXT. Guy had to be punished because he was over.

Its beyond silly and stupid. If this was HHH mid 2010s era of NXT...maybe he isn't buried by a petty group there.