By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE announced the releases of Samoa Joe, Chelsea Green, Tucker, Kalisto, Bo Dallas, and Wesley Blake on Thursday. Read the official announcement at WWE.com.
Powell’s POV: Samoa Joe is the most shocking of the cuts. He had been working as a color commentator on Raw as of last week, and I was hopeful that he was going to be medically cleared when they announced broadcast team changes and listed him as a member of the roster. In case you missed it, they previously announced the cuts of Mickie James and Billie Kay.
Update: WWE has also released Peyton Royce and Mojo Rawley.
No one likes to see anyone lose their job but let’s be really honest here none of these people move the needle other than Joe (who is older and oft injured)
I give WWE a lot of credit for keeping so many of the talent on who they simply don’t need with no house shows in a year and many more months in the future. They could probably let go another 20 people and not impact the product at all.
Joe is 42 and injured with concussions. Mickie will be 42 this August; she can easily go to NWA and work with her husband Nick Aldis.
It’s a shock to me; I expected a big push for Joe; I can only surmise that whatever he’s injured from (and do we even know what that is – I mean he was sidelined for a LONG time) in the end tipped the scales. HE+ll be great wherever he goes next, though.
Not wishing for anyone to lose their jobs, but it definitely feels like there were more expendable talent (for one reason or another) who could have been on the block that appear to have been spared during this wave.
Regardless of whether the reasoning was financial, medical, or creative differences (or “nothing for you”) in the event that he was actually cleared, I’m really disappointed with Joe being released. I really liked him on commentary and hoped that he would have a future in that role, even if he were to get back in the ring for another run.
It was a steep, steep drop-off with the new announce team on Monday. Coupled with the change to a smaller venue for the Thunderdome, it just felt like a completely different show and not in a good way.