More than 119 names (Superstars & non-wrestling employees) have been let go from WWE ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including several big names such as Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, … and others!
On a recent episode of his weekly ’83 Weeks’ podcast, WCW Legend Eric Bischoff talked about these WWE releases, and Rampage taking place right after SmackDown.
Here’s what the 2021 WWE Hall of Famer had to say:
“I think Tony Khan and company are hitting on all cylinders. It is such an unusual time, in my opinion, for WWE to be releasing, not just talent in general, but top talent with big equity at a time when CM Punk [has arrived], and I don’t mean that to be derisive at all. I think they’re doing a great job with it. AEW has done such a phenomenal job of building up anticipation not only for CM Punk, but you’ve got Daniel Bryan following up.
Now, how does that relate to this third hour on Friday night you ask? Well, you didn’t, but I’m gonna tell you anyway. I think AEW is in a phenomenal position, due in large part, or in least in some part because of the release of Bray Wyatt. The timing is just mind boggling to me, and let me be clear, I think that there are a lot of things, I believe, wholeheartedly, going on behind the scenes at WWE, AEW and everywhere else that as viewers, as fans or even in our respective cases, we have relationships with people within those organisations at the highest levels.
And I’m not hearing from any of them and neither were you, but there are so many things going on behind the scenes that we don’t see or understand. We see what we see on television, obviously. We see and hear what we read or listen to in social media, and there’s a lot of stuff going on. It’s gone beyond interesting. It’s now become fascinating to me, and I’m really, really excited about the business-to-business side of wrestling.
And not in any small part due to the fact that WWE is releasing talent of the highest caliber at a time when AEW is starting to create some serious momentum, not a great show here and two nights of great shows there or a great rating here and then two or three not so great ratings there. We’re talking serious momentum here.
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