When WrestleMania is over, in what is considered the offseason, WWE begins its dreaded roster cuts. In an attempt to shed some salary Vince McMahon and the company decided who is worthy of a roster spot and who is dead weight. These decisions can be predicted ahead of time as most of the wrestlers released have been off television for a time.
This predictability cannot be stated for the most recent round of releases. Yesterday the news came out of WWE that yet another group of wrestlers have been released. The surprise names among them include Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Murphy, Lana, Santana Garrett, and Ruby Riott. Some of these names were being used on television as recently as the last Raw and WWE pay-per-view so it came as quite a shock.
With this recent batch of names being released the natural question is what is next for the wrestlers who got the axe. Let’s take a look below.
Released – Braun Strowman
Now that Strowman is without a job it will be interesting to see where he ends up. What would make the most sense would be for AEW to get these hands. In an interview, Lance Archer said that he would be very interested in a super-heavyweight title. This “Hoss” title would have Archer, Will Hobbs, and Brian Cage competing for the championship, and any other large wrestler. Having Strowman come in and begin programs against any of these men would be a fantastic idea. Strowman has shown a talent for wrestling against other super heavyweights and he would be a shot in the arm to any hoss division.
Released – Murphy
Murphy has been off television for a while now so it shouldn’t come as a huge shock that he has been released. It is unfortunate though as he has continuously been one of the best workers in the company.
Now that he is sans-WWE there should be many organizations clamouring for his talent. Impact would be the most logical destination for the Australian. The roster of Impact has a ton of talent that has been labeled as “good hands” and ones that would work well with Murphy. It would be very exciting to see what he can do on a roster that boasts Petey Williams, Eddie Edwards, and Eric Young.
Aleister Black
Another shocking release as Black just returned to WWE television and was developing a new character. He is an incredibly talented and unique individual who never saw his potential bloom on the main roster.
AEW would be a logical resting spot for Black but NJPW would be a better destination for the Dutchman. His in-ring style resembles the strong style type of wrestling that NJPW is known for. It would be great to see him match up against some of the best that NJPW has to offer.
Released – Lana
Maybe less shocking, but still a surprise release is the Russian Bombshell. She has been teaming with Naomi for a while now and the tag team seemed to be gaining some traction.
Now that she is gone from WWE, she will most likely be joining her husband over at AEW. This could be a mistake as Miro has been getting over by himself and bringing her in could throw a wrench in these plans.
Lana has been very active on social media and her Instagram and Twitter accounts are very popular. It may be best for her to explore these avenues for a while to see how far she can go.
Ruby Riott and Santana Garrett
These two women are going to be lumped together as the destination for both would make sense.
Both of these women are great wrestlers and would be a great addition to any women’s division. There aren’t many federations that boast a great women’s division so the options for both could be limited. AEW springs to mind as a women’s division that needs a bit more depth. Adding both to the AEW roster would add some depth and fresh matchups that are needed.