When Daniel Bryan signed with the WWE, his mentor William Regal warned him - and the way Bryan tells it, these are his exact words - Your wrestling career is what you did before this. Anything after is just a bonus. And thats the thing that people dont get about WWE: their spiel about being an entertainment conglomerate isnt just empty corporate rhetoric. WWE Superstars are used to having ten minute matches cut down to six or less; to being denied permission to be creative in the ring; to having to tone down their natural inclination to steal the show, because theyre too low down the card to wrestle as though they matter. In the last few years, more than a few developmental or lower card WWE performers have asked for their release in order to simply go out and wrestle. They recognised that they werent going to be used the way they wanted to be, or earn the money they wanted to, and opted to leave - on good terms - before their value depreciated any further. Similarly, wrestlers like Colt Cabana and the Young Bucks have proven that you can earn as much or more on the independents as you can on the mid-to-lower end of a WWE contract, if youre prepared to work your tail off, manage yourself and become your own cottage industry. There are few employment benefits to being a WWE performer, and in many cases the upside that comes from being on television can be cancelled out if those appearances are in nothing segments or humiliating losses. Lets look at a few current members of the WWE roster whod likely be better off taking a cue from Solomon Crowe or Ricardo Rodriguez and asking for a release.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
