Opinion
DeMarco: Did Age Impact Recent WWE Releases?
Greg DeMarco engages in crack research to identify a trend among those stars WWE did release, and those they didn’t release. Was age a factor?
Greg DeMarco engages in crack research to identify a trend among those stars WWE did release, and those they didn’t release. Was age a factor?
I’m, not sure if you heard (you heard, I know), but WWE recently released Luke Harper, Sin Cara, and both members of The Ascension (you might not have known those last two still worked for WWE, though). The first two requested their releases earlier this year, and they were finally granted this week.
— . (@LukeHarperWWE) April 16, 2019
Sitting on the outside of that we have Mike Kanellis and The Revival, along with Oney Lorcan. Now we’re taking a (dangerous) leap of faith and assuming The Revival really requested their releases, since they didn’t tell us they did on social media (Kanellis and Lorcan did). But for the purposes of this exercise, we are going to assume that they did, because we need enough names to develop a pattern.
There are many different factors that go into a release being granted, but on the most recent edition of Greg DeMarco Show, myself, Miranda Morales, and Patrick O’Dowd stumbled upon something. Take a look:
Stars Released
- Luke Harper – 39 years old
- Sin Cara – 42 years old
- The Ascension’s Konnor – 39 years old
- The Ascension’s Viktor – 39 years old
Stars Not Released
- Mike Kanellis – 34 years old
- Oney Lorcan – 33 years old
- Scott Dawson – 35 years old
- Dash Wilder – 32 years old
It doesn’t take an actuary (Google it, it’s basically a genius) to see what I (not an actuary) am seeing here: the stars closer to (or over) 40 were released, and those 35 and under were retained.
WWE booking is cyclical, something it also doesn’t take a genius to figure out. This is especially prevalent in the mid-card, a place everyone on this list essentially lives. To be successful in the WWE mid-card, you need to be able to emotionally handle the booking cycle, always ready to jump in when your number is called, and hope you can make the most of the situation (aka, hope you can “Jinder it”).
This is important because those who are on the older end of the spectrum may not be a viable option to WWE if and when the booking cycle favors them again. Non-coincidentally (at least in my opinion), those folks were also the ones granted their releases. I know it seems blasphemous for me, someone writing about the product online, to say Luke Harper might not be a viable option at some point soon, but he is 39, and that doesn’t help him in terms of having a sustainable run at or near the top of the card. I know we all love to toss out the name AJ Styles (he’s 42, a fact Conrad Thompson reminds us of as much as Jim Ross reminds us that Dr. Britt Baker is a real-life dentist), but that’s the exception to the rule. It’s still an early 30’s WWE.
I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT I HAVE AGREED TO A NEW MULTI YEAR CONTRACT AGREEMENT WITH WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT MAY THE WRESTLING GODS HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOULS
— ONEY LORCAN (@_StarDESTROYER) December 7, 2019
Now Oney Lorcan revealed he’s signed a new multi-year WWE contract, and Mike Kanellis hasn’t hit the “release me” campaign trail recently. The Revival are constantly cycled back into the rotation, proving they are the best tag team in the world at least once a month. Each is younger, and can be a viable option should the booking cycle spin in their favor.
I’m not calling WWE ageist in the least, but I think that–from a business standpoint–they see age as a factor in deciding to give someone their release when requested.
Pro wrestling, along with sports entertainment, is a fun ride. Enjoy it! Follow me on social media @ChairshotGreg and drop me a line at gregdemarco@thechairshot.com.
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
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SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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