WWE lost a massive opportunity with the release of wrestler Samoa Joe. And it seems that John Laurinaitis is the man who had to give the news.
John Laurinaitis Broke The News To Samoa Joe
If rumors are correct, Laurinaitis is the man who got to deliver the news to Samoa Joe. But was this a big mistake?
In fact, it is possible that Samoa Joe is the biggest missed opportunity for the WWE. After all, the wrestler was immensely popular in spite of his numerous injuries.
Joe was on the commentary bench for a considerable amount of time. In spite of that, he was always a fan favorite thanks to his talking ability.
In particular, there was one segment with Paul Heyman that put him on the map. And of course, we all remember Heyman’s “I’m just an advocate” response.
Joe was one of the biggest shocks in terms of releases. After all, the wrestler had only been commentating for WrestleMania in a genuine Thunderstorm.
As a thank you for his loyal service to the brand, he got his release little than a week later. Needless to say, this is reminiscent of the mass releases that took place last year.
WWE releasing Samoa Joe is pretty much the stupidest thing they could do with rival AEW out there. It also shows that WWE no longer values loyalty, which in turn brings another problem.
No Room For Loyalty
The latest releases showed that WWE does not appreciate the loyalty of its wrestlers. In fact, many of the wrestlers released this time around have been there for years.
Bo Dallas is a prime example of a wrestler who was released after years of loyalty. Yes, he was not doing much, but he never attempted to jump brands in spite of this.
The same thing happened to guys like Heath Slater last year. And now, it is happening to a bunch of other wrestlers.
Veteran Mickie James got her release with not even a thank you. Then, new wrestlers who got their careers ruined by the main roster were dropped like a bad penny, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.
Even some of the new acquisitions saw their release this week, more specifically Chelsea Green. In other words, it seems the company has little concern about burning bridges at this point.
Joe was a massive star, so he is undoubtedly the biggest shock in the bunch. Obviously, this can be compared to Rusev last year.
The IIconics were a shock for me personally, especially given how much fire both ladies have for the wrestling business. You also have to remember how massive they were in NXT.
If I was a WWE wrestler at this point, I would be looking over my shoulder every five minutes. I would be wondering if I would be the next in line to be fired.
This is the time for remaining wrestlers to make a decision. Do they remain with a higher paycheck, or seek more job security elsewhere?