Pro Wrestling Contract Season

[Supremo]

Don Callis Family about to grow exponentially!

It’s important to remember these are real people losing their jobs. It shouldn’t be funny. However, Aleister Black sulking his way through his AEW contract, desperate to get back to Uncle Paul, only to get the chop after a year? Pretty fucking funny.

It’s almost impressive how Black and Zelina make themselves seem so unlikable, killing whatever sympathy I might have. Zelina is currently being a whopper online, angry at journalists for reporting her release before she announced it to the public herself. That’s not how news works, Zelina. So typical for thick wrestlers to be more angry at people reporting their release than the big wigs who actually released them.

Someone, somewhere is about to book the spookiest Mixed Tag of all time between Kross/Scarlett and Black/Zelina. It’ll be fucking rubbish.

Fenix not getting the chop probably speaks to how much they value and want to keep Penta happy. Based solely on how they’ve booked Fenix, he’d likely be gone, too.

Young Bucks vs. Motor City Machine Guns will be good. I wonder if the Machine Guns can squeeze themselves into the Cope/Christian/FTR/Bucks TLC match.

This camera cut to Sabin in the Big Poppa Pump head dress still remains the best thing the Machine Guns did in WWE. Hopefully we see a return to them being hilarious knobheads.

 

Edited April 25 by Supremo

[Chili]

Besides being an awkward sod in AEW, this tweet from our Ian from Brian Myers is the first thing that pops in my noggin about Black.

Didn't Zelina get sacked prior, banged on about unionising then shut up about that completely when they took her back?

 

[Callum1993]

I think a lot of guys are lucky that WWE have the relationship with AAA otherwise there’d have been a lot more. LWO, Los Garza, Fenix, Omos, Viking Raiders etc would have all probably been chopped as well. 

[WyattSheepMask]

35 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Don Callis Family about to grow exponentially 

If releases continue through the weekend he’ll have a full blown orphanage 

[mim731]

We'll probably never hear the truth, but it would be fascinating to hear if this is TKO driven or Triple H's work. I suspect the former and it means the latter has to scramble for new creative plans, which is always hilarious. 

[RedTwoster]

2 hours ago, BarryOVega said:

Only one on the list they could’ve done more with was Escobar, he pisses charisma but presumably because he’s Hispanic but nothing like Rey Mysterio they had no idea what to do with him 

I used to think of him as a better version of Andrade, but ever since returning to AEW, Andrade has been fantastic so I’m not sure I feel that way anymore. The main thing Escobar has going against him is his age. He’s still incredibly talented, but I don’t think he adds anything to AEW that they don’t already have in spades.

Cross, Kay Lee Ray and Kairi Sane would add a burst of talent to an already strong women’s division. If I were Tony Khan, I wouldn’t have to think twice about bringing them in.

[Egg Shen]

10 hours ago, Arch Stanton said:

The great thing about releasing them together is that they can take it to the indies now. There's huge money to be made for them out there if they want it.

Is the gimmick anything without a WWE-produced fancy ntrance though? 

[Hannibal Scorch]

8 hours ago, Chico Torres said:

Our Tony’s going to be the first promoter with 500 people on the roster.

Like a forum joke run into the ground. In 20/22 he was picking up released WWE talent like Pogs. But he learnt from those mistakes and is far more sensible and selective about pick ups. That said, the roster is definitely too bloated.

8 hours ago, TheBurningRed said:

Black coasted the whole time in AEW just to get back to WWE like he so wanted, just to do fuck all and get the sack again. Madness.

Thought the MCMG would fair a bit better. But once they lost their tag titles, they had fuck all for them. 
 

Santos is weird. He left last year and got re-signed immediately.

Alistair Black re-debuted on the 25th April 2025. He didn’t make it to 365 days back. I thought Zelina was toast after hearing her negative pops in Europe last year. I felt sorry for her.

I thought hiring the MCMG was an attempt to try and get the Bucks interested. Show them that a team like MCMG could work in WWE and that you’re going to make the tag team division a higher priority. If I was Nick and Matt I’d be asking Tony for an extension.

Santos is hilarious because it seemed WWE freaked out when he was released as he was immediately rumoured to be going to Dynamite that week. I think they didn’t want a shock debut and offered him a new deal.

There was definitely some deadwood in those releases and hopefully they can do better elsewhere. But at this point I can only assume Nikita Lyons has some dirt on the company or, doesn’t own a phone they can call her on to tell her she’s released. She’s like Neo in The Matrix the way she keeps dodging bullets. Really stealing a living.

[Infinity Land]

MCMG - They had to have the WWE run and TNA/AEW would always be there if it didn't pan out. Good chance they end up at Wembley or Lockdown in Chicago.

Santos Escobar - I wonder if he regrets signing that new deal? The pay bump to keep him but no plan must have made him an easy cut numbers wise. He could have a main event type run in TNA. He's presumably left with Mexican indies unless he's on good terms with CMLL. He left CMLL for AAA befor WWE came along. No idea where that leaves him in the current landscape. 

Aleister Black - Unfortunately, I cannot rule out a return of Malakai Black. The discourse over not taking pins and injuries went on so long to negatively impact how he was perceived. Yet he kept getting chances. Please pop up in TNA's undead realm instead or get him signed to a neverending Lucha Underground deal.

Kairi Sane - I think she's more on the Marigold/Rossy Ogawa side of the Stardom split. If that's the case no clue if she has interest in AEW/Stardom. AEW should have interest but that was true the last time she was a free agent and nothing happened.

Apollo Crews - Would be a good pick up for TNA. Can easily see him lost in the shuffle in AEW.

Alba Fyre - Might not be a star but should work out well in the Knockouts or AEW/ROH roster. With AEW adding the tag titles there's more depth that should work out in her favour. A reunion with Isla Dawn could be a place to start. 

 

[TheBurningRed]

Like PAC, I can see Crews showing back up in Dragon Gate to begin with. He was loved there. I’m surprised Tozawa is still in WWE, because I’m sure he’d benefit from a return there too. 

I’m not against a couple of appearances in AEW for Kay Lee Ray and Kairi. But they don’t need to be signings to get lost in the shuffle.

6 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

I thought Zelina was toast after hearing her negative pops in Europe last year. I felt sorry for her.

This is the same for Mia Yim. Past couple of Rumbles, zero reaction when she came out. And less of a reaction on tv. She would thrive back in TNA. 

[Arch Stanton]

55 minutes ago, Egg Shen said:

Is the gimmick anything without a WWE-produced fancy ntrance though? 

Even the most tin-pot of indie promotions will have capacity to turn the house lights off.

[Supremo]

All the spooky wrestlers doing their entrance on the cheap in Indy promotions.

[HarmonicGenerator]

I hope Black coming back on the market doesn't do anything to derail the momentum Brody King's built up over this year. The last thing he needs is a House of Black reformation.

[The King of Old School]

15 minutes ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

I hope Black coming back on the market doesn't do anything to derail the momentum Brody King's built up over this year. The last thing he needs is a House of Black reformation.

Has Brody got that much momentum though?

He's going to lose to someone half his size on Wednesday.

I really like him by the way and think he has unlimited potential.

[HarmonicGenerator]

4 minutes ago, The King of Old School said:

Has Brody got that much momentum though?

He's going to lose to someone half his size on Wednesday.

I really like him by the way and think he has unlimited potential.

He's also getting his second World Title match of the year on Wednesday, which is surely a stronger position than being a Malakai henchman.