WWE Releases more superstars

[Andrew]

WWE announced Friday that they have come to terms on the release of Raw Superstar Chris Masters.

Their official statement reads: “WWE has come to terms on the release of Chris Masters as of today, August 5, 2011. WWE wishes Chris the best in all of his future endeavors.”

WWE announced Friday that they have come to terms on the release of David Hart Smith.

Their statement reads: “WWE has come to terms on the release of David Hart Smith as of today, August 5, 2011. WWE wishes David the best in all of his future endeavors.”

Vladimir Kozlov released

August 5, 2011
WWE has come to terms on the release of Vladimir Kozlov as of today, August 5, 2011. WWE wishes Vladimir the best in all of his future endeavors.


Melina released

August 5, 2011
WWE has come to terms on the release of Melina Perez as of today, August 5, 2011. WWE wishes Melina the best in all of her future endeavors.

Melina and Vladimir came as a pretty big shock to me. Masters & DH Smith, not so much, well maybe Masters. He was just brought back and wasn't even used properly.

Vladimir comes off as a huge shock, I enjoyed him tagging up with Santino and he's not that bad as a wrestler. He was giving the Eastern European block something, why isn't Khali released? You get me?

DH Smith can finally start his MMA Career after WWE ignored booking him for 10 months.

Melina... wow... I hear that she asked for her release and if she did that wouldn't surprise me because WWE turned her heel and she hated being heel and got hardly any air time. Could see her in TNA tbh.

What are your thoughts?

EDIT: Gail Kim has quit the WWE announcing this on Twitter late afternoon.
​

 

[The New F'n Show]

Melina and Kozlov are no big loss. Other two aren't either but I saw potential in both of them. If Gail is gone as well, haven't seen that confirmed, lump her with the other two.

 

[Aniking]

I was wondering what the reason was for the WWE splitting Marella & Kozlov, and I guess we have it. The wierd thing is Kozlov has been wrestling quite frequently on WWE television, so in that retrospect I am a little shocked. Do I care? Not really, he's pretty boring.

Not surprised about Melina or DH Smith being released. Melina has hated what has been going on with her for a while, whereas DH Smith hasn't been used for a very long time and has been doing MMA training. Both were imminent releases.

As for Masters, this is a big mistake. He has been used terribly and the guy is very good in the ring and has a great look about him. I read that the only reason he was re-hired in the first place was because Randy Orton asked for him to be. Still, the guy is very talented and is only 28 or 29, so he still has a while left in the business. Major drop of the ball by the WWE, I think.

 

[Big Red Jericho Punk]

Hey Andrew, no offense but this is pretty crappy reporting. You forgot the big name and the only release that's relevant. How Chris Masters got the boot is beyond me. Masters has been solid in matches and gets good pops. No idea what's Hunter's deal but oh well. He is a nice guy too, how does he get released but not that botch machine punk JTG.

The rest of the people are mostly irrelevant. DH Smith was a waste, he isn't into it anymore. Gail Kim lied that she was trying to get fired, so I really don't care about what she has to say. I found it funny what she did, but honestly who cares. Kozlov is another guy that's good riddance, he was awful the day he stepped foot in the WWE. I have no idea what your talking about Andrew, Kozlov botched so much in that tag team. He's brutal thank god he's gone. Melina probably got fired, but is another girl that lied. She has been on the edge for years and I bet this whole petition thing was the last straw. It also doesn't help beefing with the greatest diva ever in Trish (yeah John Morrison, Trish is the best ever not Melina in your twitter post that was mostly good except that dumbass statement). Other than that mostly irrelevant except Masters.

I must say one thing interests me here. What are they going to do with the story in Long Island Iced Z with Zack's dad messing with a cardboard cutout of Melina. Are they just going to end it? I wonder what will happen cause it was great comedy.

 

[Troy]

Judging by Melina's comments I doubt she asked to quit, she was fired. No loss as she has been terrible for the past two years.

Gail Kim quitting is a shame but if she doesn't like it then good on her for moving on.

DH Smith is no loss, hasn't been seen in what feels like at least a year and he is supposedly training for MMA now. Might see him back in the future but no real loss for WWE.

Kozlov isn't a surprise. Initially started as a massive title threat and went downhill from there. Was Santino's sidekick for a year and wasn't going anywhere. Again no big loss for WWE.

Chris Masters is a massive shock to me. Why the hell would they release him? His wrestling had improved by a lot since his last stint but the issue was he wasn't being used on RAW. I thought that he would have made a good midcard champion and I don't know why they didn't keep him on the roster.

How does JTG survive this. Tyler Reks? How are they worth more to WWE than Masters?

 

[Keith]

Don't understand the hate for Melina as a heel manager in MNM she awesome. She has never been a great wrestler, but then is better than most of the women in WWE. Still I like her because she works hard, and I think if they used her in a simlier role as in MNM and maybe in the odd match, I can still see a place for her in.

Chris Masters is a terrible wrestler and I can't understand people saying anything else. They gave him a fair push when he first went there, but that was like six years ago, and he does done very little since.

Would have like to have seen Smith given more time to improve, but his release is maybe the least suprising of them.

Good for Gail Kim if she has left, she is one of best female wrestlers anywhere and I hope she goes to Ring Of Honor and they make a big effort to build the women's division around her.

 

[Big Red Jericho Punk]

Just realized Andrew did post about Masters, my bad man I was in a rush reading it. Melina can wrestle, what are you taking about? Melina is actually really talented, it's just she's a major locker room cancer. She has had several incidents and it seems like Hunter wants all the crap gone. LOL at you ripping on Masters, watch any of his matches now and you can see how he can deliver. I bet Orton isn't going to happy with this. JTG should have been fired by now, he is such a tool. Tyler Reks looks like such a badass, but they are not using him. We will see with him, nice to see Hawkins not get cut. Hawkins looks like a funny guy and should stay.

 

[John McHenry]

The Melina hate is because of her comments on Twitter and her starting shit backstage. But here's the real truth about it is there any diva on the roster right now that if they cut go you wouldn't just say well thats a shame? I mean thats the most any of them would get out of me I'm not invested in a single one of them past their looks.

Kozlov is a bit of a shock only cause he was on TV so much

Masters came back and was used a whole three times since so it's not much of a shock.

Kinda seeing all the clown acts leave.

I agree I'd also cut JTG, and probably Otunga gotta get that belt off him first and lets not forget Heath Slater either.

 

[Aniking]

Masters came back and was used a whole three times since so it's not much of a shock.

I agree I'd also cut JTG, and probably Otunga gotta get that belt off him first and lets not forget Heath Slater either.

I know you were probably exaggerating, but if not, then I thought I'd let you know that Masters was actually used very frequently on Superstars a few months ago. He has appeared more than 3 times on WWE television for sure, but he was never used in anything interesting.

Otunga will never get cut because of his ties with the entertainment industry due to his marriage/engagement to Jennifer Hudson. I'm no fan of Otunga either and I hate the fact he is a champion.

Slater's mic skills are terrible, but I have to admit he's actually quite good in the ring.


Personally, I would release JTG and Primo from RAW, also taking Goldust officially off the roster as he is now a Road Agent for the WWE. If I REALLY had to release anyone else from RAW, then I guess Hawkins and Reks would be on the bubble since they're never used.

As for Smackdown, it's actually very difficult to pick somebody to release if you think about it. I'd wanna release Khali, Hornswoggle and Tatsu. Khali and Tatsu are both around to draw for their respective markets, with khali actually doing so pretty successfully (no idea with Tatsu). In Hornswoggle's case, he's WAY too over with the kids, and with the WWE being PG, he is pretty valuable. Again if I was desperate, I'd maybe throw Slater, Kidd and Barreta into that list. Both Slater and Kidd have terrible mic skills, but are very good in the ring. Barreta is a jobber, but a damn talented one at that.

So yeah, if I was the WWE, I'd do this:

Release: JTG, Primo & "retire" Goldust so he frees up a 3rd spot.

On the bubble: Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks, Heath Slater, Tyson Kidd & Trent Barreta

 

[Keith]

Okay maybe I have not seen enough of Melina in ring, besides I never said she was terrible and I have been impressed with her work rate. I know what you are saying about the stuff in the locker room, so does that mean he is going to fire Orton the next time he screws up, I kind of doubt it.

To be fair John there are more decent female talent in WWE than people reliase, it is just the way they are being used about 90% of them have no chance of getting over.

Again Masters has never impressed me, he is another guy I have not seen in awhile, so maybe he has improved, still the cut makes sense to me.

 

[John McHenry]

To be fair John there are more decent female talent in WWE than people reliase, it is just the way they are being used about 90% of them have no chance of getting over.

Exactly if your aren't going to give them a storyline or make me emotionally invested other than wanting to have sex with them get rid of them there are more than needed thats for sure.

While I was exaggerating about Masters, Aniking. I also do not consider being used on Superstars as being used. If you don't have a storyline you don't mean shit because it means you won't be involved in anything that matters.

 

[Troy]

With Melina I thought that she was fantastic in her role in MNM. She added a lot to that group and played the heel manager role to perfection since it was clear Morrison and Mercury struggled on the mic. Then once they split she was very good as a heel diva. But when they turned her face the problems started, she just wasn't entertaining and then she started getting injured and then you hear about the backstage issues. Honestly she has done nothing impressive for the past two years and was expendable. She hadn't improved in that time and I would rather they push Natalya, Beth and even the Bella twins ahead of her.

Masters I still don't understand why he was fired ahead of Tyler Reks, JTG and about a half dozen former NXT rookies. I hope he finds work elsewhere.

 

[Andrew]

Chris Masters said in an interview that it's time to make iMPACT. Which could be looking at Masters heading to TNA, I believe he'd be suited there. He'd get matches, where will he go? No idea. He's still remarkably young

 

[Troy]

I definitely think he will go to TNA. He fits the critera for TNA hirings since he is a big guy who was part of WWE and I think that they can use him better than WWE have just like TNA did with Matt Morgan. I hope that he gets given a chance by TNA.