Today, the dust is starting to settle on what was a shocking and tumultuous day for the wrestling world earlier this week. Rumors were circulating that WWE was preparing to release another batch of Superstars. Those rumors turned out to be true, but no one could have foreseen some of the names that made the list. Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Buddy Murphy, Santana Garrett, and Lana were the six names released from their contracts on Wednesday afternoon.
From Unsurprising To Downright Shocking
No offense to some of the names on that list, but their WWE contracts coming to an end wasn't much of a shock. The Superstars themselves will likely admit that. Murphy, for example. Despite being an incredibly talented wrestler, WWE appears to have been at a loss when it comes to how to use him for a while. The same goes for Garrett, although apparently the former NXT Superstar was told she would be making her full debut on SmackDown this Friday before being released.
Other names on the list are a lot more shocking. Superstars who were actively being used in ongoing angles as recently as the last Raw and SmackDown. Black has been building his new Dark Father character and kicked Big E in the face less than two weeks ago. We will now never know where that angle would have gone. Both Riott and Lana were heavily involved in the tag division before being let go. Liv Morgan and Naomi will now presumably return to singles competition, or bond over their respective losses and form a new team.
None of the releases this week were more shocking than Strowman. The Monster Among Men was competing for the WWE Championship as recently as WrestleMania Backlash. Not only did that match happen less than three weeks ago, but it was praised by most who expected the match to be a low point of the show. Along with Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley, Strowman delivered a three-way match featuring very big wrestlers that was much better than it had any right to be.
Budget Cuts
Early reports suggest Strowman and the rest of this latest batch of releases were told the same as the ten Superstars let go in April when they asked for a reason. Budget cuts. A suitably vague explanation that doesn't make much sense when you drill just a little bit below the surface. WWE is in the middle of billion-dollar deals for Raw and SmackDown and sold the US rights to the WWE Network to Peacock for a similar amount.
Yes, money will have been lost from having to stay put all year. No ticket sales will have hurt. However, you'd have thought the money lost from the lack of ticket sales would have been helped by WWE not needing to travel. No carting sets around the country. No paying for hundreds of plane tickets and hotel stays. Apparently, the money saved in those areas hasn't been enough to save everybody's jobs.
No One Is Safe
The release of Strowman, in particular, indicates that WWE can't just cut the lesser-known, unused stars at the bottom of its roster. This isn't a last one in, first one out situation. That isn't going to save the money WWE is clearly intent on saving. It needs to weigh up how much it is paying its stars against what it sees for them in the future. Odds are Strowman was on a pretty hefty contract, and apparently, WWE deemed it heftier than he was worth, likely saving a significant chunk of change by getting that contract offA its books.
It also serves as evidence that no one is safe. Well, almost no one. Regardless of how shocking Strowman's release is, it's still hard to imagine a world where the next batch of WWE Superstars to lose their jobs will include Roman Reigns. However, most others on the roster might be a little worried right now. Especially those who are earning a lot of money but not doing much on TV. Or even those who are getting a big pay cheque but wrestled on Raw as recently as Monday, because apparently, even that doesn't render you safe anymore.
The rumors regarding why such big names were unceremoniously let go this week will continue, and there's even talk that the cuts aren't done. The size of your contract means nothing, and what WWE supposedly has planned for you doesn't necessarily mean you're safe. Even if you wrestled for a major title on the last PPV, or recently re-debuted after a lengthy stay on the sidelines.