Thoughts on WWE's recent roster purge, and their immediate futures

In an effort to maximize profit margins and further debilitate the professional wrestling industry, the World Wrestling Entertainment engaged in its annual post-WrestleMania roster purge. It's another soulless corporation that is laser-focused on padding the wallets of the top 1% at the expense of its own workforce; worse, Paul Levesque was awarded an extension to remain the company's Chief Content Officer despite rapid declines across various metrics. Corporate culture in a nutshell, folks!

It's been a few days since The Purge, and the dust is starting to settle around these soon-to-be Free Agents. I'll be curious to see whether TKO attempts to enforce a non-compete clause against their former employers for more than 90 days, particularly those likely to jump to All Elite Wrestling. If we jump 90 days forward, we'd land on July 27th, about a month before All In at Wembley Stadium. Let's see if this becomes a factor, another thorn in a prickly saga. 

I've monitored my Twitter timeline and witnessed plenty of debate amongst the All Elite Wrestling fanbase. The hardened, Staunch Sickos are opposed to any WWE talent claiming an AEW roster spot, while the rest of the fanbase debated the merits of making a few #AllElite. 

First and foremost, I do not believe that Tony Khan should resist signing recently released WWE talent. I can understand the sentiment, but I believe it to be a fool's errand. WWE, unfortunately, has several wrestlers I would like to see perform in AEW, and I would want Khan to aggressively pursue them; that said, it's imperative that Khan repel anyone who lacks a sincere interest in contributing to AEW's success. 

Tommaso Ciampa has surpassed everyone's expectations in AEW thus far and should serve as an example of how foolish it would be to never pursue freshly released WWE talent.

The poster boy of AEW malcontents, Malakai Black, was among those released. I've long been irritated by Black's alleged torrid attitude and backstage behavior, which included accusations that he refused to lose certain matches and exaggerated the severity of his injuries. Let's set aside all the issues from Black's first AEW run and focus solely on what he could bring to the table: he's 40 years old, prone to injury, and seems to care more about his spooky presentation than about being a professional wrestler.

Khan could bring him back to tie up loose ends with former House of Black stablemates Buddy Matthews, Brody King, and Julia Hart, but I simply fail to see the point. King is clearly more than a spooky faction's muscle and has gotten over with the AEW fanbase on his own. He's grown into a legitimate title contender, and pairing him back with Black would be a gigantic step back. You could bring Black in and have him lose in humiliating fashion to King, but I simply wouldn't bother. I'd rather see Matthews do something different, rather than be in a run-of-the-mill tag team with Black, and Hart is fully entrenched in The Triangle of Madness. 

I've also seen suggestions that Black's wife and fellow departee, Zelina Vega, could make for an interesting roster addition. I've seen pitches in which she once again manages Andrade (I could very easily see her debuting as one of Andrade's front-row ladies) or takes Hart's place in a new formation of The House of Black, but Vega is the exact type of person Khan should stay away from. She is a tried-and-true troublemaker, and the juice is most definitely not worth the squeeze. Stay far, far away. 

This is why one should never, ever burn a bridge. We've seen AEW roster members, including MJF, openly reject the notion of Black's return. I do believe there would've been an excellent chance of him returning in a similar vein as Andrade, but it certainly looks like he may have nuked that bridge with Khan and the locker room. Great job, Tommy! I'm sure we'll see you pop up in MLW. 

The Motor City Machine Guns were also casualties of the Purge. I always thought the MCMG/WWE pairing would end unceremoniously, and that's exactly what happened. My timeline was flooded with complaints from fans, bewildered by how WWE treated a legendary tag team, and I have some news for those folks: WWE never, ever viewed Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin as one of the best tag teams of our generation. I don't know if the MCMG felt they had to have a WWE run at least once in their careers, but maybe their usage will serve as a stark reminder to other talent who may feel similarly.

WWE has a long, storied tradition of ruining the legacies of anyone who achieved success outside of The Fed, and their treatment of the MCMG was no different. Fightful Select recently reported that TNA officials believe they are heading to AEW, the most logical landing spot for the duo, who were reportedly close to becoming #AllElite before fucking off to WWE.

There's part of me - the bitter, know-it-all part of me, that would understand Khan's refusal to bring them in. They spurred AEW for The Fed, were badly burned, and are now looking to come crawling back? Still, they are two of my favorite wrestlers of their era, and I think they'd be a bit of fresh air in the tag division. It's a team that deserves - no, earned - to go out on their own terms. They are a team who should be celebrated and acknowledged as one of the best tag teams of their time, and I think a program with the Young Bucks and FTR would be awesome. I think the positives far outweigh the negatives, and I look forward to their anticipated debut as full-fledged roster members.

One of the more shocking victims of The Purge was Kairi Sane. The former Kairi Hojo was reportedly interested in moving back to Japan, and WWE decided not to renew her contract. I do not have any insights into her immediate future, but she feels like a slamdunk Forbidden Door debut, no? I could see Sane occasionally coming in for a big program or match, before disappearing off TV for a few months before reappearing. She is a no-brainer signing for Khan if she genuinely wants to be part of AEW. 

I can't say I have much interest in seeing anyone else on AEW television. The Wyatt Six are the furthest thing I'd want to see featured on AEW airwaves, either as a unit or individually. Bo Dallas, Dexter Lumis, and Joe Gacy scream TNA/MLW, and I can't envision Erick Rowan still being involved on weekly TV. 

Outside of the Motor City Machine Guns, the former Alba Frye could be the likeliest to become #AllElite. Kay Lee Ray could make an interesting addition to a weakened AEW women's division, though she'll likely need time to shake the WWE bullshit off her. I think there's plenty of upside in giving her a chance, particularly in the women's tag team division. 

We might as well throw Zoey Stark in this category, too, though hers is a different case. She last wrestled nearly a year ago after tearing her ACL, MCL, and meniscus (what the fuck did she do?!?). Those are incredibly serious injuries, and it's fair to question whether it's wise to invest time and money into someone fresh off an injury that shelved them for nearly a year. It would be unfortunate to invest in someone who may not be the same performer, and I would rather see her work the independents before potentially becoming #AllElite. HEY! I just thought of this: maybe she can reunite with TNA's Shut Up I'm Talking?

Apollo Crews is an interesting name. The former Uhaa Nation somehow avoided The Purge for a decade, and now suddenly finds himself without a promotion to call home. He's someone who could be part of the TNT Championship picture, but I'd rather see that roster spot go to someone else. He will be 39 years old this August, and you have to wonder how spending a decade in the Fed rewired his brain. He'd be a great person to feature on Ring of Honor, too.

Santos Escobar is another person I'd be mildly interested in, too. I know Andre Chase has his backers in NXT, but I'd pass. Best of luck to the others!