Road Dogg speculates on why Dexter Lumis was released.
WWE has released hundreds of employees since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it be actual on screen talent or people in the office, the company has seemingly always had the same answer, that being 'budget cuts'.
In a recent interview with WrestleZone, Road Dogg speculated on why Lumis was released from the company and made it very clear that NXT was never really meant to become a third brand.
"I think what his deal was, I think [it was] his age. You know what I mean? He’s not 40, but he ain’t 25 either." Dogg said, speaking about Lumis. " Right now, what they’re trying to do is get as many young talents up and running as they possibly can because then you’re gonna see a few of those thoroughbreds stick out and you’re gonna go ‘Okay, there’s so and so, we’re gonna send her to SmackDown. We’re gonna send him to Raw’. That’s what NXT was originally. It became, because of the TV rights deal, a third brand. It was never really intended to be a third brand and it was never thought about from a business standpoint as a third brand. It was always thought of as developmental [from the higher ups]. I think it got away from its roots a little bit. I think Vince [McMahon] came down there and said ‘We’re gonna do things a little differently now’. I think he saw an opportunity to do that and he took it. I think he’s wanted it to be run, so that’s how it’s being run now."
NXT 2.0 has been a relative success for the company so far, as the brand has produced future stars like Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, and more.
Elsewhere in the interview, Dogg discussed his philosophy that only sports entertainment makes money, not wrestling. Click here to learn more.
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