Cutting the fat or killing themselves?
Posted by: Mike Talon on 11/08/2004

As everyone knows, the recent spree of the WWE “parting ways” with 10 of their talents so far has left the internet community in shock, and many are questioning the decision to release so many talents in such a short amount of time. Rumors abound that the remaining talents avoid answering their phones for fear of “the call” from WWE management, and locker room morale is undoubtedly at an all time low.

Of the 10, I personally believe Rico and Gail Kim were the only mistakes. Rico has been a proven draw, and his antics in the ring kept the fans howling for more. How many other wrestlers can say that the crowd chants their name? Not many to be sure. Gail Kim is a decent wrestler, and the fact of the matter is, with the WWE’s targeted 18-35 male market, she undoubtedly had quite a fan following… not to mention the profits made from her part in the various Diva magazines, videos, and so forth.

The remaining 8 roster cuts were, in my opinion, quite justified, although while I personally would not have canned a man while he was on the injury list, business is indeed business. The real questions remain though… Who will replace the lost talents? Will this mean new rising stars or rehashing the same few matches from the remaining roster? So far, things don’t look that good.

While 10 wrestlers were canned, so far only 2 wrestlers have been brought forth: a fitness guru names Simon Dean, and an Arab sympathizer named Muhammad Hassan with a manager. The fitness gimmick, a combination of “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig and Tony Little, has some potential, but it remains to be seen how well the fans take to having their weight and looks assaulted every time he gets a microphone. From what I saw last week, it wasn’t that great of a reaction. As far as the Arab goes, this isn’t the 80’s, and the Iron Sheik bit has run its course already.

I suppose we will have a new wrestler from the latest Tough Enough, but considering the fate of Matt from TE 3, I’m not banking on the winner getting any TV time.

We do have 3 new divas though in Christy, Carmella, and Maria. Christy of course being the Diva Search winner, and the remaining two are simply proof that even when you don’t win, you still get a contract if Vinnie Mac likes you. Doing the simple math, we get a 3 to 1 replacement ratio overall, and a 1 to 5 ratio for actual wrestlers. Not exactly pushing new wrestling talent if I do say so myself!

So now it comes down to crunch time. The direction the WWE takes in the coming months may very well decide its fate. With rumors of more talent cuts in the air, the WWE needs to keep its fan base and its remaining employees happy. I can’t speak for the employees of course, but as a fan, I would provide this small bit of wisdom. The company is named World WRESTLING Entertainment. As a fan, I tune in to watch actual wrestling. If the wrestling roster continues to shrink as the diva roster grows, you might consider changing the company name World Diva Entertainment. It doesn’t have the same ring, but at least the World Wildlife Federation can’t sue you over it.

As for me, NWA-TNA is starting to sound and look better already. It’s your company and your call Mr. McMahon – I hope for your sake that you make the right one.

As usual, I remain…..

Talon@thehonkytonkman.com

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