WWE ROSTER PURGE - 9/21/23

[Dolfan in NYC]

1 minute ago, zendragon said:

Do you really think they would want him?

A guy who can talk, can go in the ring, has an A-Tier level charisma, and is an easily recognizable name?   

Do you really think they wouldn't?  

[Curt McGirt]

I would hope they have better sense than to touch a hot stove. 

Meanwhile, I'll be happy to be wrong for a change, at least for now

[porksweats]

9 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

Assuming there's isn't a no compete, I'm expecting a Bro-fest by tomorrow evening over in A E Dub. 

I'd be incredibly unhappy if he showed up at a show I was going to be at (so hyped for Collision tomorrow), or with them in general. Hopefully he fades away from the sport.

[Raziel]

3 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

I would hope they have better sense than to touch a hot stove. 

Meanwhile, I'll be happy to be wrong for a change, at least for now

They hired Punk in the first place.  

[RIPPA]

12 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

Assuming there's isn't a no compete, I'm expecting a Bro-fest by tomorrow evening over in A E Dub. 

All main roster contracts have a 90 day no compete

[Curt McGirt]

Man, nobody knew he was a ticking time bomb, or at least how much of one he was. WWE had fucked him over and almost got him killed, he had all the sympathy in the world. A feud with a fellow wrestler/former friend pales in comparison to the allegations made against Riddle.

[Dog]

15 minutes ago, Raziel said:

They hired Punk in the first place.  

And they're incapable of learning from history?

[Craig H]

I think Riddle’s “charisma” sucks and is completely hollow. Every time that guy opens his mouth he sounds like a fucking moron. And as far as substance abuse and other headaches go, he’s a the top of the list. What kind of an idiot do you have to be to smoke synthetic weed when regular weed in WWE is only a fine? And AEW already has a walking substance abuse problem with Jeff Hardy. I can’t imagine TK being keen on having another one of those guys, especially when they don’t even move the dial.

If he didn’t come with all of the headaches I could see it happening. At the very least I think it all depends on him keeping his nose clean for the next 3 to 6 months. 

[Kevin Wilson]

The only wrestler I'd immediately go get if I was AEW is Mustafa Ali. I think he could be a mistake like Swerve, in that he is a talented wrestler that WWE had no interest in using correctly. All the others I'd probably let simmer, while Benjamin and Dolph could give some value I don't know if it would move the needle and I can't say definitely that they'd make AEW more fun to watch. But definitely Ali.

Riddle has the in-ring ability but he just has too many red flags in his personal life, I don't think they'd take the risk.

[hammerva]

In a company with very little control over their top talent until it is too late, AEW would be the absolute worst place for Riddle to go to

[Kang]

Meltzer on the cuts 

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1401818/reported-reasons-behind-recent-wwe-cuts-talent-releases/

[Cobra Commander]

surprised that Matt Riddle isn't from a place where there's surfing because he comes off like someone who would live on the beach

[Elsalvajeloco]

3 minutes ago, Cobra Commander said:

surprised that Matt Riddle isn't from a place where there's surfing because he comes off like someone who would live on the beach

Time to bring back 50th State Wrestling and the Pensacola end of the Southeastern territory.

[zendragon]

1 hour ago, Kevin Wilson said:

The only wrestler I'd immediately go get if I was AEW is Mustafa Ali. I think he could be a mistake like Swerve, in that he is a talented wrestler that WWE had no interest in using correctly. All the others I'd probably let simmer, while Benjamin and Dolph could give some value I don't know if it would move the needle and I can't say definitely that they'd make AEW more fun to watch. But definitely Ali.

Riddle has the in-ring ability but he just has too many red flags in his personal life, I don't think they'd take the risk.

The only issue would be Ali would be someone you want to push and AEW feels crowded as is

[username]

20 hours ago, Belgian_Waffle said:

I like that breakdown of the roster from Mace and Monsoor. Is Rollins generally known as antisocial backstage? He always seemed like a weird annoying dude even before the dumb Jared Leto character but I've never really heard of anyone within the company having issues with him.

FWIW I had most of their Twitch stream on in the background and the roster breakdown bit from the reddit post is 100% fiction, they said zero of it. They then got annoyed with reddit making up stuff they were saying so they told everyone watching to go post even more ridiculous BS there. They also then called SRS on stream to have him refute the particularly stupid Riddle/Gunther bit from it, which was pretty funny.

[John E. Dynamite]

2 hours ago, zendragon said:

The only issue would be Ali would be someone you want to push and AEW feels crowded as is

I would imagine him being a "Danielson Guy". There's more room on Collision. I don't know what the long game with him would be, though.

[Kevin Wilson]

2 hours ago, zendragon said:

The only issue would be Ali would be someone you want to push and AEW feels crowded as is

I get what you are saying, but I think if AEW seems someone at a certain level (or potential to be at that level) come free they have to sign them. I think with the right opening storyline that Ali is "upper mid-card" ready, with 2.5 TV shows they should be able to find a spot for him. Plus they may soon be losing wrestlers, I am sure some contacts come due the end of this year/early next year so it helps to already have the next wrestler ready to step in.

But that's why I said only Ali. I don't see a spot for them to sign three, four wrestlers all at once. Would be a bit much.

[zendragon]

6 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

A guy who can talk, can go in the ring, has an A-Tier level charisma, and is an easily recognizable name?   

Do you really think they wouldn't?  

seems like way to much baggage 

[Casey]

6 hours ago, Kevin Wilson said:

The only wrestler I'd immediately go get if I was AEW is Mustafa Ali. I think he could be a mistake like Swerve, in that he is a talented wrestler that WWE had no interest in using correctly. All the others I'd probably let simmer, while Benjamin and Dolph could give some value I don't know if it would move the needle and I can't say definitely that they'd make AEW more fun to watch. But definitely Ali.

Riddle has the in-ring ability but he just has too many red flags in his personal life, I don't think they'd take the risk.

I will continue to scream “HIRE TENILLE” from the rooftops until she’s on national TV again. She is fantastic, and deserves it.

But yeah if I had to pick a male wrestler that AEW picks up, it’d be Ali. Put him on Collision and let Danielson do some magic with him. I want to say he did some stuff for Ali in WWE, didn’t he?

[The Natural]

12 minutes ago, Casey said:

I will continue to scream “HIRE TENILLE” from the rooftops until she’s on national TV again. She is fantastic, and deserves it.

But yeah if I had to pick a male wrestler that AEW picks up, it’d be Ali. Put him on Collision and let Danielson do some magic with him. I want to say he did some stuff for Ali in WWE, didn’t he?

Yes. The New Daniel Bryan vs. Mustafa Ali, Smackdown, 11th December 2018 and The New Daniel Bryan defending the WWE Championship vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Kevin Owens at Fastlane 2019. KofiMania came about as Mustafa Ali got hurt and Kofi Kingston took his place with his momentum building and building to winning the WWE Championship from The New Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXXV.

Agree on Tenille Dashwood/Emma also.

Edited September 23 by The Natural

[The Natural]

On 9/21/2023 at 7:56 PM, Matt D said:

1. I haven’t seen a Dolph match in years.

2. There’s a reason for that.

3. The only thing that kept him from being completely unwatchable prior to that was WWE reining in some of his worst instincts. 

I'd recommend even knowing how you feel about Dolph Ziggler in chronological order:

Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan. Bragging Rights 2020.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio. Post WrestleMania XXIX RAW.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio. Payback 2013.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan. Post WrestleMania XXXI RAW.

Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz. No Mercy 2006.

[Just Dave]

Dolph was fantastic in that Survivor Series match where Sting debuted. I can't remember the year. It also makes no sense that it wasn't Dean Ambrose in that spot, given what was generally happening in WWE, but Dolph was fantastic.

[The Natural]

18 minutes ago, just drew said:

Dolph was fantastic in that Survivor Series match where Sting debuted. I can't remember the year. It also makes no sense that it wasn't Dean Ambrose in that spot, given what was generally happening in WWE, but Dolph was fantastic.

Survivor Series 2014. Team Cena vs. Team Authority.

Edited September 23 by The Natural

[(BP)]

Nemeth’s debut match as Ziggler against Batista was a really good sprint where Dave gave a lot. It kind of reminds me of Danielson’s NXT debut match with Jericho where someone is put directly in the deep end with a top star and comes out looking great. 

 

[Raziel]

15 hours ago, Dog said:

And they're incapable of learning from history?

Given their continued poor handling of head injuries during matches, I'd say they've so far proven that they are, in fact, incapable of learning from history.