WWE thinned their numbers considerably yet again in 2021, having done so in 2020 following years of warehousing talent seemingly just to stop anywhere else getting to have them.
This mass cutting philosophy has created a strange mix of emotions about both the wrestlers in question and the company itself. Mid-pandemic, the act was needlessly cruel as profits rocketed, but one year on and almost every performer in the game seems best served away from WWE anyway.
It becomes at this point a matter of the visuals fans want to manifest. Keith Lee's release was viewed as a crime, and indeed a promotion that can't figure out how to sell the former NXT Champion is maybe no promotion at all. But nothing's inaccessible anymore; Keith Lee fans will find Keith Lee if and when Keith Lee chooses to wrestle. In this respect, it was almost like WWE had been made redundant as well as the litany of the wrestlers - nobody is ever calling for job losses, but if WrestleMania main events or WWE Title runs are no longer validation for wrestlers, fans too can happily enjoy the action elsewhere.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
