On a night that featured many returning superstars, the most surprising element of this week's Raw was that they mentioned the elephant in the room... twice! Two weeks ago, WWE released yet another batch of wrestlers. The company has been making this as routine as their monthly pay-per-views. In 2021 alone, WWE has released a total of eighty wrestlers.
The releases have not excluded major stars; Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Ruby Riott, and John Morrison have all fallen victim to WWE's "budget cuts." As notable as the releases have been, the company has ignored the situation on its television programs. That is until this week's episode of Monday Night Raw.
Liv Morgan and Edge Openly Mention The Releases In Separate Angles
The number one contender for the Raw Women's Championship had a fire in her eyes during the contract signing with Becky Lynch. Liv took a shot at the reigning champ, "You're the reason why your friend is gone, just like your big fat, greedy contract is the reason why MY friends are gone." Liv's "friend" is referencing Ruby Riott (now AEW star Ruby Soho). The delivery was met with a fair amount of "oohs" from the crowd at UBS Arena.
It was not an hour later that the returning Edge was in the ring, sniffing around for his next opponent. He got a suitor in another returning superstar, The Miz. Two of the biggest stars in the company went hard in a verbal bout (which was not dissimilar to the CM Punk and MJF promo battle from last week's Dynamite). Edge went after The Miz, "You use this to get notoriety. For your next endeavor. For your next reality show. For your next dance competition, while you leave your friends high and dry to get fired."
Once again, the crowd reacted - both in the arena and throughout the online wrestling community.
Using WWE Releases For Heat Is In Bad Taste
Imagine being one of the wrestlers who has recently lost their job. Imagine seeing the company that just fired you use your plight as a means of getting cheap heat. Liv Morgan's former tag team partner, Ruby Soho, is well established in AEW and is better off. But dozens of former WWE superstars are still without a job.
Vince McMahon's company has a history of making a habit out of distasteful actions. "Budget cut" releases are the most egregious and recent example of this. The releases being mentioned twice on one show leads fans to believe this won't be the last time. The more this storytelling device is used, the more numb to it their fanbase will become. People losing their jobs isn't something fans should become numb to.
Will Mentioning The Releases Backfire on WWE?
Liv Morgan's line about Lynch's "contract being the reason why MY friends are gone" probably looked good on paper. However, most fans are very much aware that WWE is turning record profits. Liv Morgan blaming releases on Lynch, rather than the suits at the head of a billion-dollar company, does not make her look like a strong challenger. It makes her look dumb, which is the last thing you want in a babyface challenger, especially against a heel who is still cheered often like The Man.
The same can be said for WWE legend Edge. Miz's absence and run on Dancing With The Stars is not why John Morrison is out of a job. The more times the company brings its releases into the public, the more it will remind the audience of the exceptional talent that is now gone. This is a very dangerous game to play. WWE reminding their fans of talent from the past may backfire. For fans who were big fans of Ruby Riott but were unaware of her signing with AEW may be inclined to look her up and check out her new and improved character in the competition.
We've already seen examples with this in the Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss storyline. On the heels of the Bray Wyatt release, many fans were understandably upset. The WWE Universe was not shy about letting the company know about their displeasure. During several of Alexa Bliss' matches, audible chants of "We want Wyatt" would fill the arena.
WWE did their best to sweep their mass releases under the rug for over two years, but in one hour - they laid it out for the world to see. After years of ignoring the world outside the WWE Universe, the company has boldly broken its mold.