Why WWE Released Rich Swann: The Best Theories

It was announced today that former Cruiserweight Champion and high-flying WWE Superstar with a "Can You Handle This?" personality, Rich Swann and WWE have parted ways. The news doesn't come as a complete shock considering Swann was recently in the news for a domestic abuse charge and while he was acquitted of the charges, it was 50/50, at best, that he might rejoin the Cruiserweight Division on 205 Live. As of Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, it became a certainty he would not be coming back.

So, after being cleared of the charges against him and free and clear to rejoin the roster, what made the two sides believe the best solution was one where they didn't work together?

When the news came out that Swann was being charged with false imprisonment and misdemeanor domestic battery, WWE suspended Swann indefinitely. Due to a lack of evidence, all charges were dropped. That's the good news.

The bad news is that Swann has, and may forever, have a stigma attached to his name whether he did what he was being accused of or not. That may not be fair, but that's the reality and for WWE, when a wrestler like Swann isn't a huge star, he becomes disposable. When there's a potentially negative aura floating around him, a disposable wrestler becomes a distraction and a distraction becomes a poor investment.

WWE is a business and they may have decided it was simply not good business to keep Swann, who, up to that point, had been pushed as a bigger-than-life, dancing bundle of energy. That character may have become less believable and WWE may have believed some fans might not have been able "to handle that."

Again, even though he was cleared of all charges, sometimes it becomes clear the company you're working for doesn't have a plan for you, know what to do with you or want to be associated with you. If that happens, it's best to simply move on.

Swann toured the independent scene before making his way to NXT and eventually WWE. He's no stranger to working the circuit and he'll find bookings right away. If there's any truth to the stories of former WWE Superstars like Austin Aries, Cody Rhodes, and others making good money outside WWE, Swann should be fine and he probably knows it.

So too, Swann may believe that some time apart, a fresh start with no baggage and a chance to prove himself to any potential doubters in WWE was the smart way to go. While things are somewhat cordial, move on, reestablish your rep and make a comeback down the road when things have cooled a bit.

Besides that, 205 Live and the Cruiserweight division are going through a reboot of sorts recently. With speculation that Triple H has taken over control of that brand, a focus on in-ring wrestling has moved to the forefront. Swann was a wonderful in-ring performer but WWE has a variety of guys who can go in the ring and with a new start for 205 Live, some names were bound to come and go.

For Swann and WWE, this reboot seems like two paths crossing at the same time. 205 Live is shuffling the decks and Swann is looking for a reboot of his own. The thinking may have been, why not do both things at the same time? Try and tackle two problems at once, so to speak.

In WWE, nothing is forever. Swann has the potential to make a return one day and in a 205 Live that will be more focused on wrestling than character, his return would be a welcome one, especially if Triple H decides to shake up how the WWE presents him.

As unfortunate as it is that all of this took place on Swann's birthday, this could be a birthday present in disguise. It's a business decision for WWE but it could be a welcome gift for Swann to have the freedom to start again. He's got a name now having served some time in WWE, he can clearly wrestle and if he becomes a popular name on the independents, WWE will likely welcome him back.

NEXT: TRIPLE H & STEPHANIE MCMAHON SPEAK ON RICH SWANN'S WWE FUTURE