WWE Cuts

It's the summertime and the WWE is doing their usual belated Spring Cleaning of the roster. As well as Nunzio, Big Daddy V, longtime referee Nick Patrick, and Shannon Moore last week, they have now released Cherry, Colin Delaney, the Highlanders, Stevie Richards and referee Wes Adams.

I'm not going to speak to the Adams release as I feel ref releases have more to do with stuff that goes on behind the scenes than on; the best refs are not exactly characters in themselves but an invisible guide who makes matches run all the smoother and communicates with and between the wrestlers to facilitate that smoothness.

However, I will say a few of these releases surprise me. Perhaps the release of Colin Delaney shouldn't be surprising, given he certainly doesn't fit the WWE look, they recently fumbled a heel turn (face/heel turns usually indicate a push, which they never really gave Delaney to capitalize on), etc. But the fact they gave him a Mikey Whipwreck/1-2-3 Kid esque storyline of the underdog who succeeded against all odds, had him fight for his contract, championed by ECW original Tommy Dreamer, and then turn heel on Dreamer, providing him a storyline, it's surprising it went downhill so quickly.

Likewise the Highlanders - since WM the writing has been on the wall for this team, as one of them (can't remember which - gee don't know how I could confuse them) appeared at a TNA event the weekend of Wrestlemania, and they haven't teamed up since as the culprit has been kept off TV. A lack of screen time usually presages a release, and tells the wrestler that phonecalls from Stamford CT should be unwelcomed; but these two just reunited and fought the most over babyface tag team on Raw - Cryme Tyme - just four days ago. So given that, I'm surprised at this release, even though I perhaps shouldn't be.

I am definitely surprised at Cherry - right now they have two very capable heel wrestlers over on Raw in Natalya and Victoria. Michelle McCool is learning and growing by leaps and bounds and a credible face champ; Cherry wasn't even that polished, but probably the second most popular Smackdown diva to McCool. With her gone, similarly to Mickie James on Raw, you have only one credible face diva, amidst a few credible heels. Cherry was very visible on SD, a popular and sympathetic character with a storyline and a gimmick that set her apart from the rest of the "T&A"; why they would release her is beyond me - make way for Maria Kanellis as the secondary challenger to Victoria and Natalya when one of them wins the Diva's Title ... unless they start fighting each other (oh please God ...).

In (not-so-)short, it is always sad to hear of people losing their jobs, and I feel for those released in these past two weeks. I wish them luck perhaps more sincerely than the WWE in their future, and hope in the case of this round anyway that they get signed elsewhere, and fairly quickly. Or that, much like Matt Hardy, or the Highlanders already, or Charlie Haas, that they are back soon. Good luck, everyone - and remember to stay tuned on Sunday if no sooner for my Summerslam feedback (no predix this weekend as I already made them on the radio show). Be well everyone!