Pro Wrestling Contract Season

[Pinc]

1 hour ago, FailedPromoter said:

Always thought he'd be a lifer there for sure though. Giving him the match with Cena was a nice way to end things though if it's indeed it for him.

He should beat Cena and leave with the belt. The original pipebomb came after Truth vs Cena I.

[Callum1993]

What’s Q-False doing in the Impact Zone?

[The King Of Swing]

1 hour ago, Callum1993 said:

What’s Q-False doing in the Impact Zone?

Sounds more like an NXT gimmick. 

[FLips]

Carlito not being renewed either according to PWInsider. Not as much of a surprise but he’s used weekly on TV.

[Mr_Danger]

R-Truth getting the bullet because Trips is too much of a minge bag to tell his mate Road Dogg to stop being shit.

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

Gutted about Truth but 17 years is a hell of a run, even moreso considering that this was his SECOND run with the company

Solid hand, was put in some of the best comedy segments and got the ultimately pointless 24/7 Championship semi over in the same way the late Crash Holly made the Hardcore title more entertaining in the early 2000s

[LaGoosh]

If Vince was still in charge I feel like R-Truth would have been a lifer but with TKO basically stripping the company for parts it feels like there's no guarantees anymore. Everyone is expendable to them. I'm sure R-Truth wasn't even on that much money compared to others but they just don't care. If I worked there I'd be saving every penny I had.

[Supremo]

Funny that there was this big outpouring of sadness when R-Truth’s release was announced, and then straight afterwards Carlito’s announced release received a collective shrug. Fair enough. You got two years of six figures out of them.

I’ll miss Carlito. Him mumbling one liners in the Clubhouse was always funny. I hope he downloads the DLC before leaving. Using Raquel’s credit card.

It is fascinating watching WWE get TKO’d. The amount of goodwill you can see being chipped away almost daily is incredible. I wonder if it’ll go the same way as UFC. Becoming this soulless, hollow shell of what it once was, designed purely for cynical profit and MAGA support. I went from being a hardcore UFC fan, watching everything, to not even keeping up with the results. Thoughts and prayers to the tribal nutters who refuse to watch AEW. I think it’s going to be a rough few years.

Edited June 2, 2025 by Supremo

[BomberPat]

On the last episode of Jeff Jarrett's podcast, he was probably the most critical of WWE that I've ever heard from him, particularly around some of the handling of the AAA situation. But one point he kept coming back to is that WWE's priority isn't the ticket-buying public any more, it's reporting to Wall Street every 90 days, and having to show that they're turning a profit in that period - the easiest ways to do that are to ramp up ticket costs, and to cut personnel.

The interesting question he raises is what is Endeavor/TKO's exit strategy - is there a point in the future where they sell off WWE or strip it for assets? Selling WWE felt like a once in a lifetime situation for Vince McMahon, but now it's happened, what's to stop it getting sold on down the line?

 

In terms of R-Truth being one of those personnel getting cut, it definitely strikes me as not renewing contracts that have probably inclemently gone up and up over the years until they can't really justify the cost any more, and I know Meltzer has said that they work out who they're keeping around based on a combination of expense, age, and the amount of profit they bring in, and R-Truth is a 53 year old midcard act. My assumption is that, unless he really feels like he has something to prove or something to say by going and being Ron Killings somewhere else, WWE will quietly bring him back on a lesser deal, or a per-appearance gig, to do pre-show panels and "ambassador" stuff, and this will quietly be the end of him as an active wrestler beyond maybe a Rumble spot at some point in the future, though Triple H's WWE doesn't seem too fussed about novelty Rumble entrants.

Carlito has been stealing a living this entire run and knows it, so fair play to him.

[TheScarlettChad]

To your point about Hunter not liking novelty Rumble entrants, so that;'s partly why its so shit since he took over? A bunch of midcarders nobody gives a shit about, but not actual stars/

[tiger_rick]

2 minutes ago, TheScarlettChad said:

To your point about Hunter not liking novelty Rumble entrants, so that;'s partly why its so shit since he took over? A bunch of midcarders nobody gives a shit about, but not actual stars/

Next time you make a good point, it will be the first time.

[TheScarlettChad]

6 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

Next time you make a good point, it will be the first time.

I mean its true though. A good surprise entrant makes a really shit Rumble watchable. Not that WWE is watchable, and I'd argue that the whole "boom period" was a load of shite anyway

[westlondonmist]

9 minutes ago, TheScarlettChad said:

I mean its true though. A good surprise entrant makes a really shit Rumble watchable. Not that WWE is watchable, and I'd argue that the whole "boom period" was a load of shite anyway

Novelties can make a shit rumble watchable, but you don't need them. They can be used to elevate people and make or forward storylines, whether WWE do that or not (I dunno, not seen a rumble in years) is another matter. 

[Briefcase]

I haven't been to a WWE show in quite a few years now so have no idea what the shows are like or who is over with the fans, but the likes of R-Truth & Fantango were always great warm up acts to get the crowd going before the main shows. A bit of fun and fan interaction can never be a bad thing. 

[Merzbow]

3 minutes ago, Briefcase said:

Fantango were always great warm up acts to get the crowd going

You couldn't get away with that today, fans were slapping each other in the face all the time.