Lawler’s sense of humor is stuck in the 70’s. Seems like if they’d want to attract younger viewers, they’d need to cut the age limit of commentators to half Lawler’s.
The no audience shows are growing on me. It’s like they’re doing shows personally for me.
Maybe that’s how they’ll book in the future. They effectively have two simultaneous shows and the viewers get to use an app to choose which match they’d rather watch.
Bad day to be an un- or semi-used WWE talent.
OC vs. Revival (with new names) in AEW in 2021? I wonder what the buyout was on OC contracts, as they had resigned for good money recently. I thought Hawkins and Ryder were attached at the hip? (only semi-joking). EC3 is probably smiling just like the Revival did. He can be a top player when and if the industry returns. How’s Heath going to feed his kids now?
I know for a fact that Drake Maverick was supposed to be in the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament, and I think Lio Rush was, too. What now?
And Heath’s got kids to feed!
The releases keep coming - Rusev, No Way Jose, Zack Ryder, Mike and Maria Kanellis, Primo and Epico, Erik Rowan, Sarah Logan, and Mike Chioda have been cut.
Child is the biggest surprise to me, seeing as he’s been on the job for over 30 years. It sounds like anyone who isn’t a potential main eventer is being shown the door.
Updated list
WRESTLERS:
PRODUCERS (Furloughed or released):
ANNOUNCERS:
REFEREES:
CREATIVE:
Anybody for predictions to where they’ll wind up?
I’m thinking AEW will grab EC3, Maverick, Rowan (to reunite with Brodie Lee), and Revival. Maybe Gallows & Anderson if they don’t return to New Japan.
Perazzo and Rush will return to RoH.
Impact will welcome back the Kanellises and Young, and recruit Slater, Rusev and Logan. Ryder and Hawkins would fit in.
I honestly feel for everyone who got released, but none of them were really being used and the ones that were (OC and…Rusev? I guess?) were being severely underutilized.
This sucks, but it’s not like anyone of any real business consequence was released.
I knew Hawkins and Ryder were connected at the hip! For the immediate future, no one is going anywhere. For most, it will be awhile after live shows restart before there will be any new signings.
So The Fiend’s father s let go. Only 2 of the original Nexus left now. Vince wasted that stable, simply feeding them to Cena. At least both Rusev’s and Logan’s spouses are still under contract.
We’ll have to see what the wrestling landscape looks like post-COVID, but AEW already has a substantive roster for the amount of matches it’s producing, and I think really wants not to be “home for WWE cast-offs” that TNA used to be. They’ll pick up a couple, but not many.
Impact has managed to stick around largely because Anthem has been good at keeping costs way down, so I’m not sure how many they’ll pick up.
ROH, NWA, MLW? Who knows. MLW just lost MJF as the head of the rich jerk faction “The Dynasty,” so EC3 could certainly slot right in.
Rusev, Ryder, Anderson, and Gallows will certainly have a job somewhere when the dust settles.
I can easily see Gallows and Anderson going back to New Japan and re-joining Bullet Club, and Primo and Epico almost definitely have a job waiting for them back in Puerto Rico.
The others I don’t know where they’ll end up, but Lio Rush was a regular in my local indy before coming to WWE and I wouldn’t mind seeing him there again.
I seem to recall reading (fuzzy memory and all that) Gallows and/or Anderson wanted to lay down roots in the US. While they would probably have jobs if they wanted to return, one or both of them may not wish to. Sad fact is, even after live shows return, it is unlikely anyone is taking on much new talent until next year at the earliest.
another piece of childhood gone: Howard Finkel, WWE Hall of Fame Ring Announcer, Dies at 69
another piece of childhood gone: Howard Finkel, WWE Hall of Fame Ring Announcer, Dies at 69
dupe
“The Fink” was an icon. I often imagine his voice when one of the current announcers is speaking. He was as good as it gets at his job.
Just came in here to post that. I’m a huge old school wrestling fan and I’ve watched a ton of classic wrestling during the lockdown. Finkel definitely kept Kayfabe by being a professional ring announcer like you’d expect for a championship prize fight.
RIP Howard Finkel
So how is it that Baron Corbin keeps his job while Rusev and Zack Ryder get fired? Does anybody watch the show to see Baron Corbin?
Baron Corbin is, IMO, a really good heel. He was overexposed as a heel in much the same way Roman Reigns was overexposed as a face, but that’s not his fault.