Opinion

Rob: More Releases – What’s Going On?

Rob takes a look at the driving reason why these recent releases came to be; as well as waxing a little poetic. Take a look!

Published

4 years ago

August 8, 2021

Rob Bonnette

This Friday brought another round of releases from WWE. A dozen in all, a few of which were not noteworthy but some which were. Bobby Fish was part of the biggest faction in NXT history, The Undisputed Era. Mercedes Martinez is one of the best veteran women wrestlers around and was recently in a title match with Raquel Gonzalez. Leon Ruff is a recent North American Champion, as is the most shocking release in Bronson Reed. Tyler Rust was part of the new stable The Diamond Mine. Kona Reeves has been an NXT roster member for over five years. It really begged the question of just what in the hell is going on over there?

Are they gearing up to sell? No. Please, just stop that already. You don’t get rid of people like Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman if you’re going to sell. Is the brand split about to end? Again, no. As long as they have two shows and are getting a billion dollars from two different networks then there are going to be two separate rosters. A report from PWInsider has shed some light on it. NXT is reportedly re-branding and going younger, which means that people like Fish and Martinez are not in that equation. But 32 year old Reed looked to be a real prospect to turn into something and isn’t old by any standard, so that’s really baffling.

As crappy as all that is it’s time for a hard conversation about NXT. For all intents and purposes it’s been taking on water since last Spring. Bianca Belair, Matt Riddle, Mia Yim, and Keith Lee all moved on to Raw and SmackDown in 2020. Damian Priest would be off to RAW this January. Velveteen Dream, who was poised to become a major star on the main roster and was one in NXT, completely flamed out after he was named in Speaking Out and is now out of the company altogether. COVID breakouts at the PC essentially kept them out of participating in Survivor Series after they dominated it in 2019. And the absence of these folks wasn’t fully matched by the names that came in their place.

The last few months have had some bright spots – Legado del Fantasma, Cameron Grimes and LA Knight, Hit Row, and the Index storyline – but beyond that a lot just has not hit. The fallout from the Undisputed Era breakup has somewhat fizzled as Adam Cole has been in limbo pending his contract resolution and the other three members have kinda settled at the level we expected without him. Karrion Kross second title reign has been underwhelming, as he has been lit up on the mic by all of the top contenders and the returning Samoa Joe.

And while I am still a complete anti-ratings zealot, the fact that moving to Tuesday night did not give them any real bump has to be troubling. As somebody who has stuck with them I can tell you that the show itself still has some good weeks but there are others that feel like very little is happening. The atmosphere has been panned as well; COVID took them out of Full Sail and first into an empty Performance Center and then to letting fans back in but the new setup still has not captured that old Full Sail energy. Atmosphere alone is not the only thing. As I mentioned earlier the roster, particularly the men’s side, just has not measured up in terms of buzz or excitement. Even Cole feels past his sell by date to either move up to RAW or SmackDown or move on to AEW.

Which brings us to the original source of these cuts – the roster size. As I’ve mentioned before they had 300 people under contract in 2020 before the first batch of releases began, which was entirely too many. While the pandemic surely sped up the process a major bloodletting was eventually coming and here it is. And while it sucks for people to lose their jobs under any circumstances a lot of these folks fall under the category of good wrestler and little else, particularly on the men’s side. With NXT reportedly going younger expect more emphasis on people who have some kind of character or personality beyond just being good in the ring. Which brings me to another realization:

The super-indie era in NXT is ending.

From 2014 through 2020 NXT was flooded with signees from Ring of Honor, Japan, and the indies. With the exception of Cole the best ones have found their way to Raw or SmackDown. But a lot of the ones who remain in NXT are largely guys who were pretty bland when it came to the kind of character work that has always been a staple in WWE. Out of this batch of releases the only one that I can say had zero basis was Reed. The rest are people who were nice to watch work and all but weren’t anyone I was dying to see on my television. They had no future on Raw or SmackDown and they weren’t exactly drawing a crowd in NXT. The future is going to be guys like the Parker Bordeaux or Odyssey Jones and not more Kyle O’Reillys.

Despite all these releases they still are bringing in more people. They’re holding a tryout SummerSlam weekend and I imagine whoever makes it from there is more likely to be a young athlete who’s never wrestled than an indie veteran. They’re already heavily courting Olympic Gold medalists Gable Stevenson and Tamyra Mensah-Stock. That’s the wave now, everybody. Indie veterans looking to get signed are going to have to take their prospects over to AEW, with the exception of those who have shown that they have some personality and/or some character. Think Franky Monet and LA Knight. The days of bringing in guys like Fish or Roddy Strong or Chris Hero are likely finished.

And I know this is tough to take as a fan seeing all of these people let go in such callous fashion. It’s a tough break for all of those who were let go, but something had to give. They should all find work, and some will get signed by some of the other companies out there. Now let’s be honest, nobody outside of Bobby Fish’s family and his friends are crying over his release. But some of the names are troubling for all of us; Reed was a personal favorite of mine and I am legit worried for some other favorites of mine on Raw and SmackDown, at all levels of the roster. It really does feel like no one is safe now. But there is absolutely a plan here – one that is going to be uncomfortable to us to watch unfold, but one that if it works will put them in a much better place for the future. And that plan is centered around the last letter in WWE, the E for Entertainment.

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Related Topics:Bronson Reed Featured Featured Big LA Knight NXT Raw Smackdown The Undisputed Era WWE

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

3 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY – Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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FRIDAY – DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY – The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

2 months ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1