The REAL Reason WWE Released Goldust
Runnels is a great get for All Elite Wrestling regardless of how close he and Cody can come to topping the spectacular old school ALL IN classic when they go to war in Las Vegas. A shrewd wrestling mind fused by experience and genetics, he's sure to slide into an agent role regardless of how long he runs the ropes for All Elite, but then your writer would say that and you, the reader, probably already think that. And All Elite Wrestling know that...because they really know their audience.The REAL Reason WWE Released Goldust is that they no longer have a f*cking clue what's going on with theirs.
Goldust's exit reflects the first point in nearly 20 years WWE have elected to be reactive rather than proactive to another organisation. AEW didn't fire the first shot by signing Goldust - they simply handed over the gun for the company to shoot themselves in the foot instead.
WWE's door is revolving for the first time in years - writers and wrestlers have come and gone at an alarming rate in 2019, with Vince McMahon even acknowledging "talent absences" as a reason for the Q1 earnings dropping $5m from this time last year. Saudi Arabia money and massive television rights more than prop up McMahon's piles of cash, but sagging television ratings, live gates and merchandise figures suggest that a current disconnect with a portion of the fanbase can't afford to cut much deeper.
Dustin Runnels isn't Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in 1996, but talent trades of that nature aren't the needle-movers in 2019 anyway. Philosophically, All Elite Wrestling are attempting to go brand new as a way to target the old guard. Philosophically, Vince McMahon hasn't ever considered other companies part of his competition, yet went to war with his son-in-law to try and keep a 50-year-old on the books despite once calling the ten-years-younger Hogan and Savage ancient. Triple H, meanwhile gets hot at the Hall Of Fame whilst trying to play it cool in the boardroom.
They remain at the very top of the industry, with absolutely no concrete clue of how to service the waiting fans below.