Is WWE's hand being forced a bit?

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

So we're all questioning the randomness of these four NXT callups all of the sudden. But a thought has occurred to me, that it's looking like quite a few main roster talents, are opting out and looking for greener pastures, whether that is AEW, Japan, ROH, or any Indy that wants them. 

A decent thing to note, is that of the five that have already requested releases, there are two wrestlers unsure about if they'll come back, and one that says they WON'T be back after Mania. 

With that in mind, with also the fact that Styles, Nakamura, Rusev, The Usos, Orton, etc, are all potentially on the fence about new deals or returning after Mania, and Ambrose already out, which has definitely been caused IN PART, NOT COMPLETELY by companies like AEW suddenly forming and offering huge deals and giving these guys an opportunity they didn't even have a year ago to bail or ask for more money. WWE might be in a bit of a panic mode right now, and this is why we're suddenly seeing four new NXT faces without any warning post Chamber and Pre-Mania on top of the six we've seen already (barely). 

This is merely speculation, but it WOULD make the callups make more sense, with Tye asking for his release tonight marking the fifth wrestler to already do so, and more could potentially follow even with the names already mentioned, WWE might be bracing for a purge of talent, and this might have been them trying to insert a giant NXT band-aid on it, without much thought other than trying to keep options open and talent they know is gonna stay with them. 

What do you guys think? 

[Sparkybob]

I just thought it was because NXT's bookers wanted to open up slots for new talents so they were fine with this group getting called up without a plan.

Or it could be Vince going f*** you guys for leaving I have 20 people who can take your spot right away.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Feb 20, 2019 2:08:09 GMT -5 Sparkybob said:

I just thought it was because NXT's bookers wanted to open up slots for new talents so they were fine with this group getting called up without a plan.

Or it could be Vince going f*** you guys for leaving I have 20 people who can take your spot right away.

My thing is, Gargano and Ciampa are CHAMPIONS, they haven't all exactly been written out. Black and Ricochet are easier to call up, this essentially rips out the main core of NXT aside from Dream and UnDisputed. Though I guess Riddle and Keith Lee will be able to step up faster, the question is really gonna be where NXT's future lies now... this is why to me, it didn't seem like the plan, it seemed very sudden. 

Good thing they just got ACH I guess.

[Prince Petty]

Possibly. If they have several main roster wrestlers saying that they want to leave, whether it's to go to AEW, elsewhere or just because they want a break from wrestling, then it would leave the WWE short of star power (their own fault, really, for failing to build more than a small handful of wrestlers). But even then, I don't see how they can have thought it was wise to bring up four NXT guys without any fanfare whatsoever, throw them into random matches on Raw and then Smackdown, and still fail to explain anything about them to a wider audience.

It seems like a smarter move to just wait until after Wrestlemania, then have a big 'All New WWE' movement, with an influx of new talent. Hell, Ciampa and Gargano could even come in as part of a faction bent on taking over (put Sanity with them, if they're still alive somewhere).

I don't know what the nature of NXT contracts is, but it may also be that some of those guys have easier outs than the main roster talent. The last thing the WWE would want would be to train someone in the PC for years, give them exposure on NXT and then see them jump ship to a nascent rival.

[Sparkybob]

Feb 20, 2019 2:10:51 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

Feb 20, 2019 2:08:09 GMT -5 Sparkybob said:

I just thought it was because NXT's bookers wanted to open up slots for new talents so they were fine with this group getting called up without a plan.

Or it could be Vince going f*** you guys for leaving I have 20 people who can take your spot right away.

My thing is, Gargano and Ciampa are CHAMPIONS, they haven't all exactly been written out. Black and Ricochet are easier to call up, this essentially rips out the main core of NXT aside from Dream and UnDisputed. Though I guess Riddle and Keith Lee will be able to step up faster, the question is really gonna be where NXT's future lies now... this is why to me, it didn't seem like the plan, it seemed very sudden. 

Good thing they just got ACH I guess.

Well they can still do NXT tapings to write them off if need be (Or just continue working both NXT and WWE for another month or so)

I do think it was rushed a bit but that does not mean it was bad and can't work out. Especially on the NXT side if new faces get some spotlight.

[Mozenrath]

I took it more as "let's show some of what NXT has to offer to main stage fans, so they will check it out, and so when we do call them up, people know anything about them already".

It hadn't occurred to me that it could be some kind of power move, but I guess that's a possibility, either as a primary motive or a secondary benefit in WWE's eyes.

[BrodietheSlayer]

Feb 20, 2019 2:08:09 GMT -5 Sparkybob said:

I just thought it was because NXT's bookers wanted to open up slots for new talents so they were fine with this group getting called up without a plan.

Or it could be Vince going f*** you guys for leaving I have 20 people who can take your spot right away.

Probably a small part of the first and a huge part of the second. Vince is putting his "Star Factory" to work, and bringing some hot new stars up to soften the blow of the loss of guys like Ambrose (while sending the message in the quote above). Plus having a massive freshening up of the roster is more camouflage covering up the fact that they're not planning on changing the main things the fans seem to be angry about.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

NXT's probably better equipped to deal with this than we think. Sure, losing Black and Ricochet in one go and the days of Ciampa and Gargano being numbered isn't great, but look at the talent they have that can step into those voids and mix it with Velveteen Dream and The Undisputed Era. Keith Lee, Matt Riddle and Dominik Dijakovic could easily step up now given the opportunity. Lee especially is probably the most complete package of the three and he hasn't even worked a Takeover yet. And that opens up spaces beneath them for a shit-ton of guys to get a shot at establishing themselves, like Eric Bugenhagen or Stacey Ervin Jr, not to mention all the people they just signed. Add to that the women's division being in good shape and an increasingly healthy tag division, and they'll be OK.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Feb 20, 2019 2:19:24 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

I took it more as "let's show some of what NXT has to offer to main stage fans, so they will check it out, and so when we do call them up, people know anything about them already".

It hadn't occurred to me that it could be some kind of power move, but I guess that's a possibility, either as a primary motive or a secondary benefit in WWE's eyes.

Tye's release and the growing list of potential leavers is just why it suddenly came in my head. I'm not saying your first assumption isn't plausible either.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Feb 20, 2019 2:25:47 GMT -5 EoE: Well There's Your Problem said:

NXT's probably better equipped to deal with this than we think. Sure, losing Black and Ricochet in one go and the days of Ciampa and Gargano being numbered isn't great, but look at the talent they have that can step into those voids and mix it with Velveteen Dream and The Undisputed Era. Keith Lee, Matt Riddle and Dominik Dijakovic could easily step up now given the opportunity. Lee especially is probably the most complete package of the three and he hasn't even worked a Takeover yet. And that opens up spaces beneath them for a shit-ton of guys to get a shot at establishing themselves, like Eric Bugenhagen or Stacey Ervin Jr, not to mention all the people they just signed. Add to that the women's division being in good shape and an increasingly healthy tag division, and they'll be OK.

Oh Im never worried about NXT. People thought they were dead when Balor, Owens, Sami, and Nakamura and such left. They'll be ok, they have good writing teams down there. It was more focused at how it feels on WWE's side of things, like they couldn't wait and needed to do this now, because so many contracts are up this year post mania.

[Deleted]

Has it been confirmed that Ricochet and Black are staying on the main?

[Feargus McReddit]

Feb 20, 2019 5:43:57 GMT -5 @rebelliousworkhorse said:

Has it been confirmed that Ricochet and Black are staying on the main?

If they haven’t fully, NXT tonight with the big announcement might give us the answer.

[Deleted]

Feb 20, 2019 5:56:54 GMT -5 Feargus McReddit said:

Feb 20, 2019 5:43:57 GMT -5 @rebelliousworkhorse said:

Has it been confirmed that Ricochet and Black are staying on the main?

If they haven’t fully, NXT tonight with the big announcement might give us the answer.

Ah, okay. Hadn't heard about the announcement.

I think it'd be a pretty big blow if NXT lost both of them right now. I don't think Riddle or Lee are there yet, and Dijakovasaur just sucks.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Feb 20, 2019 6:07:48 GMT -5 @rebelliousworkhorse said:

Feb 20, 2019 5:56:54 GMT -5 Feargus McReddit said:

If they haven’t fully, NXT tonight with the big announcement might give us the answer.

Ah, okay. Hadn't heard about the announcement.

I think it'd be a pretty big blow if NXT lost both of them right now. I don't think Riddle or Lee are there yet, and Dijakovasaur just sucks.

Black and Chet I think will be ok callups at this point, but Gargano and Ciampa depending on how quick WWE wants them will need to drop their titles 

And Gargano won't ever get that NXT Title run he deserved because of his sudden heel run and the too slow burn and it frustrates me deeply...

[MAGGLE]

Name one reason to not want your release, because money isnt a problem.

Is it the boss that says the N word?
Is it the entire group of yes man who tell you different things all the time?
Or is it the doctor thats trying to kill you?

[Dub H]

Feb 20, 2019 2:12:07 GMT -5 Prince Petty said:

Possibly. If they have several main roster wrestlers saying that they want to leave, whether it's to go to AEW, elsewhere or just because they want a break from wrestling, then it would leave the WWE short of star power (their own fault, really, for failing to build more than a small handful of wrestlers). But even then, I don't see how they can have thought it was wise to bring up four NXT guys without any fanfare whatsoever, throw them into random matches on Raw and then Smackdown, and still fail to explain anything about them to a wider audience.

It seems like a smarter move to just wait until after Wrestlemania, then have a big 'All New WWE' movement, with an influx of new talent. Hell, Ciampa and Gargano could even come in as part of a faction bent on taking over (put Sanity with them, if they're still alive somewhere).

I don't know what the nature of NXT contracts is, but it may also be that some of those guys have easier outs than the main roster talent. The last thing the WWE would want would be to train someone in the PC for years, give them exposure on NXT and then see them jump ship to a nascent rival.

WWE is not going to have then actually be relevant,they are jut there so WWE can say Change. Maybe they can manage to impress,hopefully they dont get Sanity'ed.

[Friday Night SmackOwn]

Feb 20, 2019 5:56:54 GMT -5 Feargus McReddit said:

Feb 20, 2019 5:43:57 GMT -5 @rebelliousworkhorse said:

Has it been confirmed that Ricochet and Black are staying on the main?

If they haven’t fully, NXT tonight with the big announcement might give us the answer.

I believe they’re also taping the next set of episodes at Full Sail tonight, which may give more indication on what’s next.

[Deleted]

CJ Parker looking like a genius about now. Dude was way ahead of the curve on this.

[Rican]

I did kind of wonder if they were gonna grant some of those releases and that was part of why the sudden call ups happened. Trying to soften the blow or whatever.