Jeff Jarrett discusses the latest wave of WWE releases.
WWE recently released Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Giovanni Vinci, Cedric Alexander, Isla Dawn, Elektra Lopez, Akam, Rezar, Paul Ellering, and Blair Davenport. Sonya Deville also learned that her contract will not be renewed.
Jeff Jarett recently discussed these cuts on his My World podcast. His comments were largely focused on how WWE's release philosophy has seemingly changed. He noted that for many years, as long as talent survived the wave of post-WrestleMania releases, they could breathe a sigh of relief. Jarrett now believes that cuts might likely occur every few months in the new TKO era.
"It's another sign to me, just how the business just continues to rapidly evolve," he began. "I almost would say that I'm a little surprised that we haven't seen more. Look, we can talk inside the bubble wrestling all we want, but that organization is driven by Ari Emmanuel. I don't want to say he's the furthest thing from a wrestling guy, but he's not a wrestling guy, and [Mark] Shapiro, they're, and I'm saying this in a completely positive way, they're completely bottom-line-driven and turnover, turnover, turnover. I often refer to the Jack Welch book of [cutting the bottom 10% every year] for the health of the company. That doesn't count into restructuring and doing this and doing that. WWE is a completely different organization than they were pre-Endeavor.
"The pipeline of NXT to bringing people up to the other brands and the TNA relationship," he continued. "They're not going to carry anybody. I don't see it. I don't think they're going to carry anybody on their roster. As a matter of fact, I think more is coming. I would say more is coming in a continual — there is no more, 'Post-WrestleMania [cuts] and then take a deep breath, and then you're good for another 12 months.' I think those days are gone. I think every couple of months, that's just going to be the nature of the beast because of the way they operate now."
Jeff Jarett then spoke about how healthy the industry is outside of WWE and this being an opportunity for those talents to make a name for themselves and create their own pushes.
"I'm not sure I could even stress this enough. Man, I can't put into words how healthy it is for the industry because it keeps an innate drive in things, no need in being paranoid, but just kind of the overall drive and the health and the motivation that it kind of puts throughout the entire industry. I just think that's big-time beneficial," he said. "There's a guy that here, here locally, that that is just starting his training, and he's like, 'Hey, man, I want you to whatever I see in the gym give me kind of words of advice, and I've told him the same thing two or three times over the last month or so. Hey, dude, I'm gonna be just real honest with you. Yes, you gotta learn the basics but don't get into this business unless you really love it because it is a hard-kick-in-the-balls kind of business that you really have gotta love to succeed, period.
"I mean, it's so cliche. As one door closes, another opens, Conrad, we've both lived that over and over. It's so true. But you gotta walk through that door, folks. Create opportunities. You got a chance," he added."
Fans can read John Bradshaw Layfield's comments on the recent wave of releases here.
Fightful Select has free posts with more information regarding the releases.
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