On Thursday, June 12th, WWE released ten in-ring superstars. Anytime WWE decides to release talent en masse, it is met with considerable amounts of criticism from the WWE Universe as fans usually have particular under-pushed favorites who get the axe. However, unlike other firing sprees, this particular cycle was met with less hubbub and cynicism than others. For once, WWE may have actually fired ten performers who were truly expendable. Thus, on levels of expendability, the ten releases will be ranked, and as the list shrinks, stars who at this moment have minimal potential worth to the company, but could have worth at a later time, will be highlighted as well.
10. Aksana
Well, when she injured Naomi - and given that Naomi was slated to win the Divas Championship at Wrestlemania - Aksana inadvertently set back WWE women's wrestling for six months to a year. Wrestlemania's cluster of a women's "battle royal" and the sudden emergence of Paige being rushed from NXT to WWE television all occurred due to one very unsafely delivered kneedrop by Aksana to Naomi's orbital bone. When realizing that the company has a lot invested in Naomi too - she and Cameron (along with Natalya, Nkki Bella and Brie Bella) are the only divas to appear on every season to-date of Total Divas - her release makes sense. Furthermore, Aksana hasn't clicked as either an in-ring performer or character. As a wrestler she's tried hard and hustled, but her knowledge of wrestling is minimal and her ability to emote character has been minuscule as well. The writing on the wall for Aksana should have been when CJ Perri was re-branded as "Lana" - a blonde Russian clone of Brigitte Nielsen's Rocky IV character - and debuted as the prideful "Ravishing Russian" mouthpiece for the "Bulgarian Brute" Rusev. When the company thinks so little of your level of talent that they find an American to play what should have ostensibly been your role, your time on the roster is short.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
