I managed to stay off my phone until 4 pm today when I went to check the headlines on Google. The very first headline was the release of Braun Strowman and others. WTF??? Braun, Aleister Black, Ruby Riot, Buddy Murphy and Santana Garrett were all released today.
Braun is a money making titan. One of my favorite wrestlers. I am dumbfounded that he was let go. And what about all the teasing with Aleister's return. Last month, during a fatal 4-way, Black interrupts the match with a black mass kick to the head of Big E allowing Apollo Crews to retain his IC belt.
Earlier this year, there were a couple of other shocking releases. Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, The Big Show, Kalisto and Buddy Murphy were all let go. Absolutely head-scratching. Now there are some releases, as a fan, that I fully support. Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream, Lana, Billie Kay, Ruby Riot, Chelsea Green and Andrade never held my interest.
Now let me focus on the color commentators. First, it was a mistake to take Samoa Joe off the desk. Second, thank you Adnan Virk for stopping by. While I am interested in seeing how Jimmy Smith will fair, I never understood why Corey Graves hasn't been made lead commentator. He does most of the talking, he's great at calling matches and a superb interviewer.
A lot of these changes have been attributed to budget cuts and restructuring. I can understand that but as a fan, WWE could have made better decisions. For example, I very much agree with the release of Lana despite her obvious hard work and improvement. It just wasn't enough. I can also do without Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke.
There is a part of me that thinks WWE joining with NBC has a lot to do with the current roster decisions. Peacock, in my opinion, has far too much influence on the content that I grew up loving. It was an asinine decision to get rid of WWE Network in America and stream exclusively on Peacock. If it were not for WWE, I would have no use for their streaming services. It pains me to give my money to a company that has been re-writing wrestling history by removing content. I am the only one who can make the decision as to what I enjoy on TV. If you don't agree with the historic cultural content that played a prominent part of many fans childhood, then add a disclaimer, don't cancel the content.
To the relevant suits at WWE: one, bring back Braun. Two, the moment this agreement with NBC Universal expires, take back your house and put it back to its original state. Even if you agree with some of the recent censoring, it should be shown in its entirety. Adding a disclaimer should satisfy the standards and practices guidelines on a paid subscription service. Furthermore, your full library still isn't available on Peacock.
I'm a little frustrated but will always be a cradle WWE fan. Thank you superstars for keeping the show going through a pandemic. Look forward to seeing you on the road again.
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