5 Released Superstars I Would Re-Sign Not Named Aleister Black
Photo Credit: WWE
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Released WWE Superstars I Would Re-Sign, How I’d Bring Them Back and Where They’d Go
We’ve sat there on Twitter on three separate occasions this year as news broke, one superstar after another getting released. Some were of no surprise to most fans and some rocked us to our core. Whereas we have seen releases in the past, never have we seen them on this grand of a scale.
The most shocking of all the names released had to be Aleister Black(Samoa Joe a close second). Nobody wanted to see him leave. He has a unique in ring style, a different look and is universally liked by the fans. That is rare these days and that is why it was such a shock to everyone. But he wasn’t the only one. He’s a clear cut choice to return for anyone if they were given the choice, so for that he won’t be on my list today. It’s too obvious. Instead, we’re going to take a look at 5 other deserving superstars and discuss:
*Why the should be re-signed.
*How they get brought back.
*Which show they get placed on.
5. Ever-Rise
First up is an easy choice. These guys were the most surprising release from the last bunch that got the cut. A young tag team that can entertain. Forget about the fact that traditional tag teams are so hard to come by in WWE these days, these guys were fun. And WWE knew it, which is why they were about to start having the Ever-Rise YouTube show on WWE’s channel. NXT just did a complete re-haul of the tag division and it was looking really strong from top to bottom and then this. Three teams now gone, with Ever-Rise having the most potential. This should be an easy decision to bring them back and thrust right in to the tag division on any show.
With their comedic chops and fans coming back, I would have them sitting in the crowd and play up on an “Invasion” angle but it never ends the way they want it to, with whoever they are trying to foil always getting the last laugh. Their YouTube videos could be the hijinks they get in to when trying to get in to the events and they could show up to all three shows until it’s clear which brand they fit in with the best. Once that has been established, let these guys loose and watch them give any tag division a boost.
Where? NXT. They never got a real chance to get going there, so I think it would be fitting to plug them back in and build from there.
4. Billie Kay
This one might come as a surprise to some. Why not both of the IIconics? Well, WWE didn’t see them as a team(for whatever reason) and the Womens Tag Division on Smackdown and Raw is a joke. So there’s no need to try and fix that with one team because it would just put them right back to where they were before. Why Billie over Peyton? One floated around and squandered an opportunity to impress while the other got over big time with no opportunities given. I don’t think anybody saw Billie coming out of the IIconics split as the talent that would be better off. But she found a spot and took the opportunity on her own. Each week, she used that little bit of screen time to grab our attention and it worked. Billie Kay got herself over and became one of the most entertaining parts of weekly WWE television. So much so that they threw her in to a tag team so they could have her on Wrestlemania. That’s a hell of an accomplishment and it sucks that we only got to see her scratch the surface with that character. But with that character, it’s very easy to bring her back.
Billie needs to stick with the resume gimmick, but just have her disguised each week until someone finally likes the resume enough to hire her. And just like with Ever-Rise, she could be showing up to each show of the week trying to find the spot that works best for her. Once that is done, just put the camera on her and let her work her magic.
Where? Raw. Smackdown needs talent but Raw is the more entertainment based program and thats where I think Billie would flourish the most. A program with her and Alexa Bliss’ Fiend character… nuff said.
3. Breezango
I still don’t know why this move was made. Veterans who were well liked, have the ability to go against any in ring style and as entertaining as it gets in the business. But with that said, this is the one choice on this list that I can actually see getting brought back. They have history with the company and probably understand the business side of things more than most of the others, as they have been there to witness it first hand. As good as they were on the gold brand, I feel like they would have been better suited on Raw. There were times where I felt their characters were almost too large for NXT. And now with Monday nights seemingly doing a major shift as of late towards focusing on their tag team division, Breezango would have been a perfect fit.
I think a lot of people seem to forget how over Fandango was early in his WWE run. I can easily see the fans getting back behind him alongside Breeze, they just needed the opportunity. And just like Billie Kay, their gimmick makes a return seamless. They could just be dressed up backstage as fashionable janitors doing a half ass job, get bumped in to by someone and a challenge is made. Breezango gets the win and they are back in the midst of things.
Where? Raw. More entertaining talent for the entertainment show and another fun tag team for the revamped division. Easy choice.
2. Ruby Riott
When I look at the women in WWE, prior to Rhea moving up from NXT, I see a lot of the same thing. When I first saw Ruby, I was instantly hooked. I wanted to see what she could do and how far she could go. She is different and that’s always a good thing, so long as they can perform. She never gave me reason to believe that she couldn’t hang with most of the other performers. She has a natural heel vibe to her and when she returned after a long absence last year on her own, I was excited. It didn’t work out though. Whether they gave up too soon or whatever the case may be, I felt bad for her. I look at Rhea, who moves up and gets catapulted immediately to the top and I ask why? Rhea is not much better than Ruby in the ring, with size being the only glaring advantage. But it’s not her size that grabs people’s attention, it’s Rhea’s different appearance. Which is why Ruby being a glorified jobber her whole run just never made sense to me.
I never really liked this last run that Ruby had with Liv. I supported it because I think both girls should be getting opportunities but the pairing just felt forced. They needed tag teams for the new belts and the two of them had history. But with that last run, it’s what I would use to bring Ruby back. I think Liv is winning MITB this year. During Liv’s cash in, Ruby runs out and destroys Liv not only costing her the Women’s Title, but beat her to the point where she is gone off tv for awhile. Ruby in the meantime, who never gets the credit she deserves for her mic work, can just gloat the whole time. Everyone LOVES Liv, so this is such an easy way to bring a ton of heat on Ruby. When Liv returns, you have a great feud that could go for awhile and actually make sense. And from there, Ruby can just target all the “pretty” girls with her schtick being that she wants to take away their “good looks” that allowed them the opportunities that Ruby never got.
Where? Smackdown. They need women on the roster and that’s where Liv is. That feud would need to happen to really get Ruby going.
1. Buddy Murphy
The best kept secret. How anyone would think Buddy was a secret after his breakout matches with Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns is beyond me. And if you missed those, what about the feud with Aleister Black in which the two of them put on the best series of matches for the year. It’s not a secret, Buddy Murphy is awesome. And the special thing about Buddy is that not only does he have a catalog of moves at his arsenal that he can pull off so effortlessly, he makes others look good. He can carry a match which has always been what separated the main event guys from the mid card guys. He didn’t even seem out of place when he was alongside Seth Rollins. The whole Mysterio angle doomed any push that may have been coming his way as it turned in to a never ending train wreck that people wanted to be gone, but I don’t think anybody watching that would say Buddy was at fault in that. Let alone the rest of the participants. Trying to give him some love story angle wasn’t going to help either. Buddy needs one thing to get over and one thing only, weekly opponents. Let him just showcase himself week after week and he WILL get over. And now that he is absolutey jacked, he can literally stand toe to toe with a lot more guys and look them in the eye without looking out of place. He’d fit right in with the Intercontinental title scene right now. Or what about the Monday night mid card scene that is an absolute mess right now? How do we bring him back in to the picture? Just sign him back and put him to work. Have him bust his ass week after week, putting away challenger after challenger. Hell, I think a King of the Ring would really benefit him. King Buddy or King Murphy both sound great. It wouldn’t even be a bad idea to have him go put on classic matches in NXT with the list of new challengers over there for him. There is no placement for Buddy in WWE that would be bad, he just needs consistent booking which is something he was never granted before.
Where? Personally, I think NXT would suit him well. He could be have great matches with EVERYONE on that roster and could be a Main Event guy. But I think Raw needs his talent the most.
So there you have it. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to hit me up and discuss/debate/argue about who I forgot or who you think shouldn’t be on this list.
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Awesome list!! Really like to see Murphy back in WWE