Alberto, Big Ryck (Ezekiel Jackson), and Daivari all leave Lucha Underground? No problem, bring in Rey Mysterio, Joey Ryan, PJ Black (Justin Gabriel), and others to fortify the ranks. Melina doesn't work out? Replace her with Taya, and add Kobra Moon and Mariposa (Cheerleader Melissa) to shore up the women's roster. WWE has been so afraid to let talent go and end up elsewhere, and their fixation on controlling as many performers as possible is the cause of much mustiness. Some NXT talents (Neville, Tyler Breeze, The Ascension) find it hard to make any headway when there's so much congestion above while others, like Kevin Owens, bust through with sheer force. Constantly dropping the ball with performers discourages fans of the developmental brand. As a smaller company, Lucha Underground has to adapt quickly to new performers in order to keep the product fresh, and to replace those that sign big contracts elsewhere (like Alberto). WWE seems content to stick with the status quo as long as they wield the power, but it doesn't make the shows interesting.
Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.
